The era of spacious homes is coming to an end, as current trends lean toward smaller homes, including tiny homes as a space and cost-saving solution. If you live in a small space or are considering downsizing, make the most of your living space with creative design tricks.
Innovative design strategies empower homeowners to maximize potentially cramped living spaces. Plan out the design of your home’s interior and you’ll transform a small or medium-sized living space into one that is larger and more functional. Subtleties such as wall treatments, space-saving furniture, and even color all help to make a compact living space more comfortable.
Get creative when maximizing your living space and the effort will culminate in an interior that is seemingly much more spacious than it is. Here’s how to do it.
How Do You Make a Small Space Livable? Making the Most of Limitations
The optimization of a small living space transforms a diminutive home interior into one that feels much larger. Though the use of color, light, and small furniture creates the illusion of a much larger space, that illusion is enough to make a home interior feel more comfortable.
Implement the right design strategies and your house will finally start to feel like a true home.
Understanding the Psychology of Space
Philosophers and psychologists are fond of saying perception is reality. How one perceives things shapes his or her view of reality. Layout, color, and lighting all impact one’s perception of space, especially in a small living space. Your color selection plays an important role in how you perceive your surrounding space. Moreover, strategic lighting techniques also create the impression that there is more space than there is.
Add neutral and light colors to your home’s interior walls, implement light-colored furniture and you’ll create visually pleasing uniformity. Even the addition of sheer curtains has the potential to drastically improve the look and feel of the room.
Allow natural light to move through into your home, add accent lighting or task lighting for ambiance and you’ll feel as though you are living in a new home. If your home is lacking natural light, consider adding a window.
Choosing Multifunctional Furniture
Select furniture that can be picked up and moved to other parts of the home with ease. This way, you can reorganize your home’s interior as desired in the years ahead, rearranging furniture as desired for space maximization as your home and family eventually change.
Multifunctional and space-saving furniture makes living spaces more versatile. The best furniture for small spaces includes creative pieces like ottomans that can be opened to store sundries. The best storage solutions for small spaces extend well beyond ottomans.
As an example, those short on space sometimes opt for a couch that can unfold into a bed. Some dining tables and even sofa beds can quickly transition into desks with minimal effort.
Creating Illusions of Space with Wall Treatments
Wall treatments are a creative means of making a cramped home interior feel larger than it is. As an example, Plastpro planking, also referred to as shiplap, generates an illusory effect as soon as you walk into the room. These eye-pleasing wall treatments are truly transformative, creating both depth and texture.
Plastpro Planking: An Interior Space Solution
Plastpro planking and additional wall treatments make small spaces look and feel that much larger. Planking covers the walls artfully, creating the impression that the interior of a living space is spacious, welcoming, and comfy.
Plastpro planking is made of PVC, an abbreviation for polyvinyl chloride. PVC has become a significantly popular material for home design as its plastic hollow core sheets combined with adhesive prevent undesirable outcomes such as termite infestation, rust, and mold. Add in the fact that PVC planks require minimal maintenance and there is that much more reason to choose them over wood and other options.
Plastpro wall planks are also favorable as they do not warp or deteriorate. The polyurethane exterior layer of Plastpro planking prevents dirt and dust from accumulating. Your PVC wall planking will remain dry and beautiful while holding its value across posterity. Fast forward years into the future and your Plastpro planking will look the same or nearly the same as it did when first installed.
Compare Plastpro’s planking with that of the competition and you’ll find our products are of higher quality and prove more durable. Our PVC planks are superior to traditional wood as there is no risk of potential mold growth. There is no sense going to the trouble of treating and polishing wood planks to make them resistant to moisture when PVC planks do not require much preparation and maintenance.
PVC planking is also considered superior to MDF planking. MDF is an acronym that stands for medium-density fiberboard. MDF planking is somewhat versatile yet it is an artificial wood product made by engineers. The primary problem with MDF planking is that it isn’t pleasing to the eyes. MDF is relatively plain, typically limited to a single tan or brown hue that doesn’t please the eye.
MDF is not moisture-resistant, meaning it will likely warp in due time. Complete your due diligence and you’ll find PVC planks are lighter than MDF planking, making them that much easier to install.
Vertical vs. Horizontal Planking
Planking orientation impacts one’s perception of interior living space. When installed horizontally, planking makes the interior feel that much wider. Horizontal planking is easy to install. The result is a horizontal lining that creates the impression of a much more comfy, modern, and spacious room than before the wall treatment.
On the other hand, vertical planking makes interior walls look taller than they are, making it seem that the room is larger than it is. Walk into a room with vertical wall planking and you’ll immediately feel as though it has a contemporary feel.
In particular, vertical planking is optimal for homes with short ceilings as it extends the walls, creating the illusion of elevated ceilings. Apply furring strips laterally to guarantee your vertical planking fits as it should.
While horizontal planking creates a more modern look, vertical planking generates the impression that the space is more vintage. Vertical planking is especially effective when used with period elements including those of the rustic variety.
Designing Small Spaces with Style
It is the stylistic additions to an interior living space that primarily determine whether it feels spacious or cramped. Recognize the fact that interior decorating has such a functional component and choose new additions with that thought in mind.
Let’s take a look at a couple of tips for inspiration.
Minimalist Decor for a Clean Look
Minimalism is en vogue for good reason: homes are getting smaller and people are looking for ways to save money. Minimalist décor greatly enhances cramped living spaces. Embrace the simplistic approach to interior design, streamline your décor and furniture choices and you’ll be more than happy with your living space.
Maximizing Natural Light
The infusion of natural light into small living spaces is a game-changer. The challenge lies in optimizing the use of available light. Carefully select the optimal window treatments to allow natural sunlight to shine inward. Even the addition of reflective surfaces helps amplify light all the more.
Inspiring Small Space Transformations with Plastpro
Plastpro is here to help transform your small living space into one that feels and looks significantly larger. As is often said, if there is a will, there is a way. Plastpro’s products are the “way” of creating a living space that feels large yet is small. Combine our wall planking with the design tricks, furniture, and other ideas detailed above and your diminutive living space will become that much more comfortable, stylish, and functional.
We invite you to kick-start your home makeover journey with Plastpro planking. Check out our range of products including planking on Amazon to get a sense of the possibilities that await.
Ready to extend your home makeover to the exterior? Find a Plastpro dealer near you today to explore our catalog of durable Fiberglass doors!
