For many of us living in the city on a budget, being confined to a small apartment can be somewhat depressing after a while. With housing prices soaring and city living space limited, there aren’t too many of us who can afford to upgrade to more spacious living accommodation, so the majority have to make the best of what they have.
If your flat feels poky, gloomy and uninspiring, a good deal can be achieved with some intelligent decorating ideas. Here are a few tips for making your apartment more cheerful and for creating space where you thought there was none.
• Use colour cleverly: Contrary to popular belief you don’t need to have a boring old white room to make it seem cheerful and spacious. Greys, purples and blues can all look highly stylish and perfectly cheerful, even in a small space, as long as there is plenty of light coming in.
• Use an accent colour too: Lift the look of your rooms by picking a bright accent colour and using it sparingly. Purple looks great with yellow, greys are set off perfectly with pinks and purples while blues look deliciously nautical with reds, greens or whites. Pick a few key items, soft furnishings and accessories to pick out your accent colour in a subtle yet stylish way.
• Double the natural light: Bounce the natural light around your living space using mirrors smartly placed to reflect light around. Gloss surfaces and glass tables also bounce light pleasantly around a living area. Give the light the best chance of getting into your flat by keeping clutter away from windows, getting rid of net curtains and keeping the window glass clean and shiny.
• Paint with electric light: Modern LED bulbs are not only gentle on the energy bills, they are also highly customisable and can let you get truly creative with home lighting. Use daylight bulbs to create a pleasantly brightly lit living space during the day, and switch to coloured accents in the evening to add interest and light areas more creatively.
• Use vertical space: If your floor space is small, use your wall space to create gorgeously grandiose storage spaces and stylish solutions for your home. Floor to ceiling bookcases are not only practical, they can also make the room look more designer and create a sense of luxury in a small space.
• Clear out the clutter: To make your home feel more spacious, light and airy, get rid of all the clutter and go for a minimalist look. If you can’t find storage space at home for your treasured possessions, companies offering furniture removals London wide will often offer self storage for your stuff too, so speak to a removals specialist about affordable storage space.
• Multipurpose everything: In a small space, everything needs to have a dual purpose. Seating can have storage underneath, side tables can fold out to become dining tables and coffee tables can have hidden compartments for DVDs and books.
Image courtesy of MR LIGHTMAN /FreeDigitalPhotos.net
