Five Ways to Help Your Clients Make the Most of a Small Space

Sometimes homebuyers compromise on space to favor affordability or other desirable features. Here are five tips for your clients on how to make the most out of their small spaces.

1. Paint Strategically

The color of a room can change a lot, and painting can be an easy, relatively affordable change that makes a small space feel larger. While there are varying opinions on how to do this, lighter colors are generally most favored for smaller spaces, as they allow more natural light to reflect.

Additionally, some experts suggest painting the entire room the same color – ceiling included. This can help open up the space and blur the boundaries more, drawing the eye to the contents of the room instead of the size.

2. Make Use of Vertical Space

Drawing the eye up can help balance a small room. Recent homebuyers can add more visual space by extending shelving up the walls, hanging art and wall décor higher, mounting curtains closer to the ceiling and adding sconces and wall lighting.

3. Keep Décor Consistent

Smaller spaces can feel larger if they’re cohesive with each other. Using a consistent color scheme, the same style of furniture and the same floor material throughout a small home can help the space feel larger and the rooms feel more connected. This improves the flow of the home and takes away focus from individual rooms or spaces.

4. Choose Furniture Carefully

Clients with small spaces may be inclined to fill them with small furniture, but you may want to suggest otherwise. Varying furniture sizes and styles may be a better solution. For example, a long couch with a low profile can be extra-functional while still opening visual space between it and the ceiling. Round tables can help improve the home’s flow and offer more placement choices. Furniture with exposed legs and shiny finishes gives the illusion of more space and more light. The right furniture and placement can go a long way in making a small space both livable and visually appealing.

5. Let the Light In

Whether natural or artificial, light helps open up a small space. Homeowners with minimal space can keep curtains and blinds open to let as much natural light in as possible or choose ones that still allow some light to peek through. For rooms without windows, floor lamps can brighten up dark corners while adding height, and overhead lighting fixtures draw the eye up. Avoid low-hanging lights that will make the space feel small and cramped.