Many of us have spent more time indoors over the last year+, and some of us have started to notice a lack of space. Or maybe it feels like your life has broadened over the years and your home hasn’t kept up. Whichever the case for you, many St. Louis homeowners love their homes but would also love a little more space. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies we can use to maximize the space we have. Here are some of my favorites:

Brightness

If you find your space feeling small, addressing the visuals is a great starting point. Just about any room can be made to feel more spacious by switching to lighter shades of paint and increasing natural light as much as possible. The addition of mirrors is another helpful idea. Mirrors bounce light around and can contribute to a feeling of openness. It’s also worth taking into account your window treatments and artwork to see if they are making the space feel cramped.

Furniture

Sometimes our furniture is just a little too big for our home. Not everyone is in the position to invest in new furniture, and if that’s the case, you can experiment with different arrangements to make it work better. Even if your furniture is the right size, reexamining the layout might offer some small epiphanies. Perhaps you design a nook in your living room to create the feeling of a separate space, or you simply rearrange the placement of a few key pieces. Trial and error can truly help you find the arrangement that works best for each room.

Storage

Clutter almost always makes a space feel smaller. When everything is in its place and belongings are out of view, an area can immediately feel more spacious. Try to get creative with it. If it feels like storage space is tight, consider an ottoman that doubles as a storage container or a new shelving unit. New storage systems can be a really useful approach to giving you a bit more space.

Underutilized Space

Think about doing a big-picture assessment of your home. Picture yourself looking from above at all the activity in your home over the course of any given week. Where is the activity focused? Would there be portions of the house that went untouched? Perhaps there’s a basement that can be updated, or a guest bedroom that can be repurposed, or a dining room that could function differently. Even if it’s just a small corner of the living room, discovering these underutilized spaces and making them work for you can quickly give you some additional space.

If you really are out of space, and you’d like a recommendation for an experienced, local Realtor, please reach out. I’d be happy to help.