According to home-buying service Spring, British homes are shrinking in size and the average floor area of a living room in a new house is nearly 20% less than one built in the 1950s.
Although home technology – which didn’t exist back then – is getting smaller, we have more to fit in these days, including work-from-home areas now that almost half of us are based at home at least some of the time.
The solution is to declutter and make rooms work far harder to stretch the space without extending. We'll show you how to make your rooms feel bigger and make the most of every inch of your home.
Should I knock down a wall?
Knocking through a wall can be a brilliant way to open up the downstairs of your home, often to create an all-in-one kitchen, living and dining area. However, it’s vital to be aware of the potential drawbacks as well as the benefits of going open plan.
With windows at both ends, you’ll gain light as well as space, and it will be easier to engage with other family members while cooking or doing other tasks when you’re not in different rooms. But bear in mind that open-plan areas can be noisy, lack privacy and limit your storage options.
‘Open plan allows much more flexibility for furniture choices and layouts, gives the opportunity to include a kitchen island spread across the space and allows you to move things around,’ explains Matthew Montague, architect and co-founder of Space That Inspires.
‘It is always also important to keep a room that can be closed off as an escape from the day-to-day bustle. You need to be mindful with storage as there is never enough. There are lots of solutions that can be built-in, such as full height sliding wall/doors with hidden shelving behind or a TV wall.’
Alternatively, you could retain part of the dividing wall for storage, or add a room divider with open shelving that doesn’t restrict natural daylight.
8 ways to maximise space in your home
1. Work those windows
Opt for unfussy window treatments that expose the glass fully when opened, letting in as much space-enhancing light as possible. So fit shutters – checking there’s enough room for them to sit on each side – roller or slatted blinds. If you prefer curtains, ensure the rod or track extends well beyond the side of the window so the glazing isn’t obscured at all when they’re pulled back.
‘Fitting your curtains higher above your window or door with a ceiling track is an easy way to add height to your space,’ advises Yvonne Keal, senior product manager at Hillarys.
Horizontal stripes can help to make narrow walls appear wider and, if you’re not overlooked or troubled by glare, back windows and bifold, sliding or French doors can be left uncovered, allowing maximum levels of sunlight.
2. Boost the light
A combination of background, task and accent lighting – along with natural daylight – guarantees rooms are well-lit. Living rooms, kitchens and other multi-purpose areas require at least three sources of light, which should be positioned carefully.
Employ uplighters to illuminate dark corners and bounce light off the ceiling, giving the impression of extra height, and position wall lamps above the bed so they don’t encroach on bedside tables. Hanging a mirror opposite a window or doorway can seemingly double a room’s size – and brightness.
‘Placing a floor to ceiling mirror behind a piece of furniture like a side table or cabinet creates the illusion a whole other room is opening up behind it,’ recommends Rob Chadwick, director of CGC Interiors.
3. Use clever decor tricks
White’s well-known for its space-stretching qualities as it’s so good at reflecting light. However too much of it can be clinical so it is best to balance with colour.
Bear in mind which way the room faces: cool blues and greens that have the effect of pushing walls outwards are ideal for south- or west-facing rooms, but can feel too cold in northern or eastern light.
For extra interest, treat an accent wall, nook or alcove to a bold colour or print, paint stripes vertically to give the illusion of raising the ceiling height, or horizontally for wider-looking walls.
If there are dado or picture rails, use a strong colour below and a paler shade above to open out the room. Glossy finishes on kitchen cabinets, furniture and tiles boost space and light too.
4. Sort that storage
When planning storage, consider your home’s requirements as a whole, rather than room by room.
‘Utilise vertical space by installing shelves, desks or cabinets on walls to free up floors and give the illusion of more space,’ advises Lauren Hudd, design account director at Andrew Henry Interiors.
Expand the capacity of cupboards and wardrobes with organisers and shoe racks, or replace them with bespoke built-in units designed to accommodate awkwardly shaped rooms, tight corners and sloping ceilings.
Bear accessibility in mind, putting rarely used items high up, and go for sliding rather than hinged doors if there isn’t much room in front. Slot tall, slim bookcases and cabinets into gaps, and mount the TV on the wall.
5. Find the right flooring
Pale neutral floors in wood, laminate, tiles or carpet make rooms more welcoming and airy. Try to fit the same flooring throughout your home to help space to flow and don’t assume that compact rooms call for narrow planks or small tiles, in fact the opposite is true.
You can visually extend a galley kitchen by laying wide planks parallel to the longest wall. Fitting large-scale tiles with fewer grout lines produces a similar effect, as does laying flooring diagonally across the room.
Adding a rug can soften and open up the space, but make sure that it’s big enough or it will actually make the room look smaller. In a living room, you should be able to rest the front of the sofa on it, leaving a border of no more than 30-45cm from the wall all round.
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6. Use architectural features
Take advantage of alcoves, nooks and window bays to create valuable extra storage. Depending on size, an alcove can house a built-in desk with shelving above, either open or concealed behind a door.
A wide recess in a bedroom wall could be large enough for a headboard with cubbyhole shelving at the side, and why not build bookshelves into the otherwise wasted gap between the doorway and wall?
If the ceiling’s sufficiently high, you could even run it above the door as well. Incorporating window seats into a bay not only provides extra seating but useful storage underneath.
Think creatively for each space: in a kitchen or dining room, pop a wine rack into an empty fireplace; in a living room or hallway, suspend a hanging rope shelf from a picture rail.
7. Master the art of display
Sometimes things that are normally stored away have to be kept out on display. This is particularly common in bedrooms and halls that lack sufficient space for a cupboard or wardrobe.
When clothes are stored on an open rail, take a tip from fancy boutiques and hang them on identical natural wood or coloured hangers, and fit a peg rail or row of hooks for coats in the hall.
Leaning ladder rails aren’t just for bathrooms – try draping throws or scarves over them instead of towels.
Smarten up your living room and create focal point with what TikTokers called a rainbow bookshelf – where spines are organised by colour – and show off plants and your favourite objects on narrow, wall-mounted shelves that draw the eyes upwards.
8. Choose your furniture wisely
Invest in multi-purpose, compact or space-saving furniture. ‘A storage ottoman can act as both seating and a place to stash blankets or magazines and will maximise space efficiency.
Similarly, a bed with built-in drawers or a lift-up mattress provides concealed storage,’ explains Chris Hutton, owner of Adams Selfstore.
A corner sofa is more economical with space than two single sofas, and folding furniture – such as dropleaf and extendable tables, wall desks and chairs – are immensely practical.
Chairs and sofa beds with raised legs, open frame accent chairs and transparent acrylic pieces emphasise height by allowing you to see the floor underneath.
Make sure there’s a clear visual path through the room as it will look and feel smaller when overcrowded or the window’s obstructed.
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