Does your small space feel like there’s never enough room? It turns out, you can totally make a small room feel larger, without tearing down any walls. Interior designers are sharing their insider secrets to make a small room feel larger. These designers working with Real Simple are sharing their smart tricks to maximize limited square footage.
These are all pretty easy to copy and there’s no demo required.
6 ways to make a small room feel larger:
- Use an oval table - If your dining area is petite, don’t overcrowd it with a square or rectangle table. Anchor the space with a curved table. Get a round or oval shape for comfortable seating that helps it feel more open.
- Go for armless chairs - They’ll help you squeeze more people around the table and will more easily tuck in when the table isn’t being used.
- Add sconces to fill vertical space - If you don’t want to give up even an inch of floor or work space for lighting, hang sconces over nightstands or tables. This frees up the surfaces and gives you stylish ambient lighting, too.
- Bring shelves up to the ceiling - If you’ve got the wall space, why not use it? Adding shelves that go all the way up the wall makes use of space, so you have more storage, which is always a plus in a small space.
- Hang wall hooks - This keeps the clutter off the floor and gives you room to hang bags, jackets, robes and more, without crowding the room.
- Make poufs your friend - Whether you call them ottomans, stools or poufs, having a few can provide extra stylish and flexible seating. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors and don’t take up nearly as much room as a chair.
These all seem really easy. Too bad I didn't know this when I had my bachelor pad hahaha!
This the Most Popular Home Trend Across North Carolina
Interior designers and DIY stores make predictions every year about the trends to come. In every year that follows, we like to see if those predictions were accurate - and this year is no exception.
After becoming a hot topic during the Covid lockdowns, the home renovation trend is showing no signs of slowing down. According to a new study by Confused.com, searches on Google throughout the US were tracked to see what people were looking for and where style was thriving.
North Carolina, get your paintbrushes ready - inspiration is on the way. This is the most popular trend in our state. We also included the other top trends of home decorating in the country.
Modern: 32 States
Modern design leads the way, and by quite a margin. Modern style is defined by its very nature as changing with time, but currently, it is characterized by monochromatic color palettes, clean lines, minimalism, and natural finishes. Across the country, it is the most popular look, with states including California (61,080 searches), Illinois (14,060 searches), and New York (29,920 searches) all helping to propel it to the top.
Farm House: North Carolina and 13 more states
Second place goes to the farmhouse look. A farmhouse home is characterized by a more relaxed style, rustic furnishings, natural materials, and real comfort. Farmhouse design can take you right to the heart of the countryside, no matter where you live. It is most popular in Alabama (4,630 searches), Indiana (4,760 searches), Mississippi (2,230 searches), and North Carolina (10,450 searches).
Tuscan: 3 States
Three states were most popular with Tuscan designs. You'll find plenty of terracotta, iron finishes, stone, and tiles in this style, which tries to make you feel as though you're on a sun-soaked holiday. Maine (7,160 searches), Massachusetts (15,330 searches), and New Hampshire (5,650 searches) are the top 3 states.
Japanese: New Mexico
The only state that prefers Japanese design is New Mexico, because of its lightness, lack of clutter, white walls, and 'zen' finishes. The style has been searched for 119,630 times across the country. Only New Mexico chose it as their choice - with 4,290 searches - more than double that of any other interior design.
Farmhouse Kitchen
Farmhouse Kitchen - 58,160 searches in total! It may be a perfect fit for people who love to host, but farmhouse kitchens have become a year-round interior design product that has proved the most popular in the last year. This popular product had 58,160 searches and was particularly popular in California - with 12,100 searches made for them.
Farmhouse Tables
A total of 56,100 searches have been conducted on Farmhouse Tables. As you can't have a farmhouse kitchen without a farmhouse table, it's no surprise that farmhouse tables are in second place! As wooden centerpieces become more and more popular, they have been searched 56,100 times. There have been 5,400 searches for these tables in the past year from people wanting to bring the ranch into their homes.
Modern Kitchens
Modern kitchens have a total of 55,600 searches. With sleek finishes, minimalist styles, and monochromatic colors, modern kitchens land in third place. Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, a modern kitchen can really bring any property up to date. This is particularly true in the Sunshine State, as Florida loves modern kitchens more than any other state, racking up 5,400 searches for them throughout 2021. I am a fan of the new modern green kitchen.
