At some point, most families feel like they need more space in their home. While we would love to be the home remodeling contractor you call for your home addition, there are some less expensive ideas that you can start with while planning your perfect space.
Organization
Having an intentionally designed space for everything can make a small space feel bigger. One of the most common requests we get as home remodeling contractors is to add built-in storage. From bookcases, to custom closets, we have done it all. In your closet, innovative racking systems from companies like REV-A-SHELF can help us design your perfect wardrobe storage.
If you do not have the budget for a builder to create a bespoke closet and bookshelf, there are lots of websites devoted to IKEA hacks. This can be a good place to start while saving for an heirloom quality closet or library.
Full-Height Kitchen Cabinets
Only in the last decade or so did 42” upper cabinets become commonplace in the kitchen. Incorporating increased storage in your kitchen remodel adds more space to decrease clutter on your kitchen countertops. Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry draws the eye upward, making the ceilings feel taller than they are.
Light Paint
While dark paints can make a room feel intimate, light paints can do the opposite. Lighter colors reflect light, making a room feel larger. Whites, grays, creams and yellows all contribute to a feeling of airiness. Remembering that your ceiling is a wall that benefits from light colors, will also keep your room feeling spacious.
Mirrors
While light paint colors can make your small home feel larger, wall mirrors can do an even better job of reflecting light or giving the illusion that a room continues. Placing a mirror opposite a window can make a room feel much more expansive. If you don’t have a window placed conveniently for this trick, you can use a lamp to similar effect.
Another trick that new construction builders use is full wall mirrors in the bathroom. However, you likely do not want to put a huge piece of glass on the wall. Building a custom frame for the mirror to match the vanity and cutting in sconces can make the room feel larger, while making the mirror feel custom.
Unique Storage Systems
While adding custom closet organization can help you utilize the space you have, custom home remodelers have the ability to add storage where there was none before. Examples include a bench seat that can function as a place to read or put your shoes on, but that also opens with a piano hinge to store blankets and items you do not use often.
Another example is to continue custom bookshelves over the door. Most home libraries stop before you get to the door. Continuing the bookshelves over the door not only adds more storage space, but also make the room feel cozy and luxurious.
Using The Space Under The Stairs
The space under the stairs is often forgotten and covered over. Opening up and incorporating that found space into your living area can recapture lost square footage and make your home feel larger. In our years as luxury home remodeling contractors, we have seen lots of creative uses for this space. Our favorites include: bookshelves, reading nooks, and area for a dog to sleep, a home office, a panic room, a wet bar and display shelves.
Lighting
Lighting is one of the most useful ways to make your room feel bigger. If you are not adding more natural light, make sure the artificial lights are well spaced. If you are stuck with a single overhead light, you should supplement this light source with lamps around the perimeter of the room. Consider adding these lamps to switched outlets to more easily control them. If there isn’t a corner that will take a lamp, a wall sconce might be a good option.
Lights are also important in emphasizing or distracting from ceiling height. Pendant lights can emphasize the height of the room. However, using can lights on a shorter ceiling in traffic areas can avoid people feeling like they are going to bump their head on an obstruction. During a bathroom remodel, consider adding a backlight bathroom mirror or medicine cabinet.
Landscaping
Clearing overgrown shrubbery and overhanging limbs not only protects your home’s exterior from nature and increases safety, but also allows more light in. As we learned above, the brighter the room, the larger it feels. When at the garden center, consulting the tags for the mature specimen size will help you select plants that will be appropriate for your home.
Upgrading Doors
Changing solid doors out for doors with windows, also known as “lites”, can add light to your home. Also adding glass transom above doors can help flood the space with natural light or light from adjoining rooms. When adding glass doors, it is important to be cognizant of safety, and consider adding a double cylinder lock.
Another door trick that can be borrowed from new construction home trends is increasing door heights from the standard 80” to 96”. Taller doors draw the eye up and make the ceiling feel taller.
Stripes
Using stripes can trick the eye into thinking a room feels larger. Vertical stripes make a room feel taller, while horizontal stripes make a room feel wider. You can add stripes by using paint, moldings or wallpaper.
Making Your Small House a Home
Having a small house is not ideal for many. A competent interior designer combined with a home remodeling contractor can help you best utilize your existing space and plan for an addition. If you are ready to incorporate some of these ideas or would like to add on to your home, please contact us at LaBonte Construction to discuss your options.