Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
One of the most common questions asked by New York apartment residents is how to make a small space feel bigger. The choice of color scheme and furnishings that are part of your interior design concept can make a small space feel either claustrophobic or spacious. Window treatments and lighting are other design elements that make a big impact in a tiny apartment.
Avoid Clutter and Incorporate Multipurpose Furniture
When choosing furniture for a small apartment, keeping things simple contributes to both the form and function of the space. If your rooms are cluttered with accent tables, extra seating, and too many decorative objects, it can be challenging to maneuver through the space. Multipurpose items can help to open up a room. Consider an ottoman that can serve as a coffee table or a storage piece that can serve as an end table. Simplicity and good organization can make an apartment feel more spacious and contribute to a calmer, less chaotic environment.
Use Color Strategically
When space is at a premium, avoid painting walls too dark, as this can make a room feel even smaller. This doesn’t mean that you have to avoid bold colors or limit your paint choices to neutral tones. While shades of white and other light neutrals reflect more light and make the walls seem to recede, they don’t work with every style. If a room doesn’t receive a lot of natural light anyway, the reflective nature of these colors won’t make as much of an impact.
Good color choices include a monochromatic scheme, which adds visual interest to an apartment while giving it a sense of cohesion. With fewer breaks to attract the eye, rooms feel more expansive and tend to flow into one another seamlessly. Bold colors can be dramatic in a small apartment, and keeping things monochromatic allows you to use them without sacrificing an open feel.
Maximize Natural Light
Natural and artificial light combine to lend depth and a sense of spaciousness to a room. Whether you have floor to ceiling windows or smaller ones, maximize the amount of natural light that flows into your apartment as well as the view. Being able to see beyond the borders of a room visually extends the space, making it seem larger. Heavy, dark drapery and elaborate window treatments can partially block a view and minimize the amount of natural light in your apartment. Instead, consider options such as motorized roller shades, solar shades, and other coverings made of light colored fabrics that allow light to pass through them.
Once you have selected the best window treatment for a small apartment, play up natural lighting by adding furniture or décor that will reflect it and brighten your rooms up further. Pieces that have glass or chrome elements will cause the light to bounce around your space, making it seem even larger.
Window treatments are an important consideration when designing a small space. Maximizing natural light and taking advantage of your views can make rooms brighter and more expansive. Talk to your NYC window shading provider about the best options for your apartment.
