9 Ways You Can Make the Most of a Small Space

Does your home or apartment have any small rooms that you just can’t seem to figure out? Do you always feel too cramped in your space and haven’t discovered any good ideas to not only make your space feel bigger but also maximize your usage of all the space in front of you?

Living in a small space can be challenging, but with a few good tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can optimize your space and come to love your small space! Here are 9 tips to help you do just that!

Think Vertically – Don’t let the vertical space go to waste! Use shelves as storage or hang art to bring a punch of color to your space. It will draw the eyes up and make the space feel more expansive than it actually is.

Install Cabinets That Reach the Ceiling – In the same vein as the previous tip, try to put these sorts of cabinets in your kitchen to help you store all of your dining materials. If you can, opt for light-colored cabinets or those that have glass-front doors to help lighten up the space and make it feel more luxurious. Too many cabinets, especially dark ones, will make the room feel smaller than it is.

Be Smart With Cleaning Supplies – Instead of storing multiple cleaning supplies in several rooms, fill a cleaning caddy with supplies that can be stored in the kitchen yet can still be transported around your home for cleaning. It will save you space and be more convenient when it comes to cleaning house!

Hang Up Your Flat Screen – Need some space in the living room? Try mounting your flat screen television on the wall. This will give you more space and will eliminate the need for a stand or an entertainment unit.

Hang Shelves Above the Toilet – The unused space on the wall behind the toilet is perfect for storing some of your bathroom necessities, especially if you have a tiny bathroom! Use decorative boxes on the shelves you install to hide the clutter, and label the boxes so that your items are easy to find.

Embrace Multifunctional Pieces – When it comes to small spaces, things that are multifunctional should be employed as often as possible. Find a table that can function as a dining table and possibly a desk as well. Get a deep sofa or even a daybed that can easily be turned into a guest bed when your friends stay over. Bring home a storage ottoman to give you extra seating, a little table, and a place to stash blankets. These pieces can help you transform a room in no time!

Trick Your Eyes – Just because you have a small space doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to make it appear larger! Create an illusion of expansiveness by using decorative slight of hand. Floor-to-ceiling curtains, see-through furnishings, and strategically-placed mirrors are some great examples to help make the room appear larger than it really is.

Use Bigger But Fewer Pieces of Furniture – Though it might seem counterintuitive, using just a few larger pieces of furniture in a small space can make the room seem grand. Invest in a large couch for your small living room instead of three or four smaller pieces, for instance.

Don’t Be Afraid to Customize – Customized pieces in a small space can help you stay more organized while letting your space look amazing. Built-ins, storage nooks, and other pieces of furniture that are tailored to your exact needs can help you utilize every teeny tiny bit of space your home has to offer.

If you still aren’t satisfied living in close quarters, just pick up the phone and call the experts at The Massey Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Elite Properties at (618) 791-5024 or (618) 791-9298! Visit our website at www.dianamasseyhomes.com to see our current listings and find the home of your dreams!

What’s the Best (and Worst) Color For Each Room of Your House?

Paint is an amazing medium to use for your home. It’s not only one of the most cost-effective update you can give your walls, but it also brings your home to life. It shows off your personality and helps tie in all of your accessories and decorative tastes. You can convey so much with your colors of choice, but did you know that there are great and poor choices when it comes to selecting certain hues for your home’s rooms?

While there really isn’t one definitive best or worst color for any specific room in your home, there are definitely some guidelines that you can follow in order to make good color choices.

Here’s what you should consider before choosing paint colors for your many rooms!

The Dining Room – When you select colors for your dining room, keep in mind that the room should have a warm tonality since it’s a place that you gather to enjoy meals with your friends and loved ones. Earthy tones are the most popular choice because they’re both warm and very versatile. If you like color, choose colors like red or orange as they are thought to increase a person’s appetite. Blue, on the other hand, is thought to be a poor color choice for a dining room as it suppresses the appetite.

The Kitchen – Trying to think of a good color for your kitchen? Look to your cabinets as a guide! After all, they’re among the most expensive features to the room, so it’s best to try to pair your colors with the cabinets if possible. Popular colors for the kitchen include brown, peach, and yellows. Even stronger colors like brick red can look nice if they’re paired with neutral shades. Avoid using greens and blues in your kitchen, especially in lighter shades.

The Living Room – There’s almost no going wrong when it comes to painting the room where you plop down and chill out for the rest of the night after work! It really just depends on what you want your overall feel for the room to be. Do you want your living room to be inviting and cheerful? Choose warmer colors like beige, cream, and yellow. Want it to look dramatic or cozy? Try royal purple or burgundy. If you want your living room to be a peaceful oasis, then blue is a good way to go. They’re versatile and can work with several neutrals quite easily. Perhaps the only type of color you’d want to avoid in your living room is extremely intense colors as they are too stimulating and can put you on edge.

The Bathroom – When it comes to colors for the bathroom, it’s wise to try to create a relaxing retreat. Light colors and natural shades including light blue, seafoam, green, and light earthy shades are excellent choices for bathrooms. If there’s one room in the house that you would want to avoid dramatic colors, it’s the bathroom. Because bathrooms are typically small, extremely dark colors will make the room smaller. Try to make your bathroom as open and airy as you can.

The Bedroom – Like the bathroom, your bedroom should be relaxing. Blues, greens, and light earth tones are great choices for a comfortable and cozy bedroom. For a more romantic feel, peach, coral, shades of pink, and even burgundy work well. Try to avoid bright and jarring colors like red and bright yellow, however. They are intense shades and prove to be too stimulating for a restful space.

Which color or colors do you gravitate to more often than not? Let us know on our Facebook page! We love hearing from our clients about what they do to make their house an abode. If paint isn’t working for you, find your dream home with the help of the Massey Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Elite Properties! Check out our listings online at www.dianamasseyhomes.com.