The lounge is where most people spend most of their time in the home. Whether your lounge is centred around the TV, the fireplace or the masses of kiddie toys, you want to make the most out of the space. There are some great ideas that you can use to open up your lounge and make it feel bigger, more open and ready for anything.
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Reduce Clutter
Clearing out all the clutter in your lounge will immediately make the space feel bigger. You can have a good old-fashioned spring clean, or you can use some exciting storage options to tuck everything away. If you do have kids who like to fill the space with toys, introduce a cleanup time before dinner to get everything packed away again.
Bigger
Rather than having multiple pieces of furniture, consider getting just one large piece. A large corner sofa can seat as many people as a three-seater and a love seat. This will open up the space simply by removing a bulky item of furniture. You can do the same with sideboards, shelving and TV stands – lump it all together into one big unit, and space will magically appear.
Carpets and Rugs
If you opt for carpets in your lounge, then choose a lighter colour. Be mindful that a lighter colour does require a bit more care if you own pets, but dark colours shrink a room. The same goes for an area rug – choose a lighter colour. An area rug also creates the illusion of space; if you have one that leaves a three- to four-inch gap between the carpet and the wall, the glimpse of floorboards makes it seem like the room has grown those few inches.
Doors and Windows
If you can, using full-length windows can open up any space. You can have it facing the garden and introduce the outside to the inside. You can also take it one step further and use doors instead of windows. Bifolds allow you to literally open up the space to the outside, and French doors give you that middle ground.
Lighting
Use lighting around the edges of the room, not just in the centre. When you light up the middle of the ceiling, you block off the corners of the room, making it appear much smaller. You can use spotlights, sidelights, or lamps to light up those dark corners.
Lower
Using lower-set furniture will also make the room feel bigger or taller, as the case may be. You don’t want to be sitting on the floor, but coffee tables that are level with the seat of the sofa, rather than the armrest, or footstools that sit lower than the seat can create a hat illusion.
Decor
Like the carpets and rugs, when choosing your colour scheme, keep it light. You don’t have to go blindingly white, but softer colours will open up the space. If you prefer darker tones, consider incorporating them into the room’s accessories, such as picture frames and cushions.
Art
If you’re hanging art in your lounge, choose something lighter in colour and avoid using lots of detailed aspects or textures. The depth in paintings created by detail and textures might be great to look at, but it will also close up the room as with heavy or dark frames. Use light and minimalistic frames to help the paintings flow with the rest of the room.
Plants
Plants scattered throughout the space can help create a sense of openness and will establish a nice connection between the outside and the inside of your house. Succulents are currently in high fashion and are great for adding a minimalist touch to your garden and lounge. They are also relatively low maintenance, so they work for you with little to no effort.
Shelving
You can use shelving in two ways to help make a space look bigger – and they tend to go hand in hand. Using floating shelving aligns with the room’s flow and doesn’t disrupt the eye, while hanging them closer to the ceiling draws the eye line upwards and makes the room appear taller.
Curtains and Blinds
Ditching heavy fabric is your first rule. You want to leave windows as clear and open as possible to allow for plenty of natural light. You can use unobstructive blinds or light and flowy curtains instead.