Creating space in a small home can be difficult, but you don’t have to knock down walls or build on to maximize the space you already have in your small house. These tips will help you find space where you didn’t think you had it, or help make your rooms feel bigger without adding actual floor space.

Mirrors - My favorite way to immediately open a room is to add a large ornate mirror. You don’t have to panel an entire wall, just choose an area where the mirror will reflect light back into the room. In our first condo we did a large mirror in the dining room and were surprised when guests actually believed it was an entry way to an entire new room.

Built Ins - Built ins aren’t just for bookcases anymore. Look for places you can tuck shelves and drawers like under the stairs, under the bed, or even using built in furniture. Take a tour of a camper or sailboat to get ideas on how to make use of dead space. If you are designing a small house from scratch or looking for a small house plan, consider a plan that uses built ins like a dining room table and benches or a raise platform bed with drawers underneath. Designing a closet with drawers can help eliminate the need for large bedroom furniture helping you open the small space further.

Glass - Natural light always makes a room seem bigger, so go with the largest windows you can. If you are designing a new small house you can take advantage of the natural warmth of the sun by designing eaves to block the sun in the summer while allowing it to shine through during the winter to help with energy savings.

Go Diagonal - Stand in the corner of any room and you’ll notice that it looks bigger. Take advantage of this trick by laying tile or wood flooring on a diagonal, or simply arrange your furniture to draw your focus diagonally.

Take It To The Walls - Use paint, wallpaper or molding to create interest and focus in a small room. Go with a large print wallpaper in a small bathroom to make it seem larger. Use molding in a dining room to separate a wall into 3 sections with the middle being twice as large as the two outer sections, it will make the space look double the size instantly.

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