how to enlarge small space

8/2/2019 How to Enlarge Small Space

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How to enlarge small spaces

The topic of our presentation is how to enlarge small spaces.As we have known, the price of real estate is increase day by day, and for the

common people, owning a plot of land is getting harder and harder. And with their

saving, they can buy just a very, very small plot, about 30 square meters, we have tocram many functional spaces in such a small space. So, we better know how to treatour eyes if we dont want to be imprisoned right in our home.

In this presentation, we just want to show you some tips to enlarge your smallhouse, in fact, to cheat your eyes.

We would like to talk about these 4 parts:- dividing space- color your small world- furniture & accessories- light up your world

A. Dividing space:

1. Open rooms to each other.What is the living space? Any one of us can easily answer that living space is

the space we live in. Based on that meaning, a living space includes:- Kitchen - where we cook and eat.- Bed room- where we sleep- Living room- where we meet friends, watching TV, etc.- Rest room- where we have bathing and doing some other things. :DThough it's important to clearly define separate spaces, some openness

between adjoining rooms makes all of them feel bigger.In the present apartment trend, demolishing walls between living room, dining

room and kitchen to create a consecutiveness between spaces will increase theventilation and bring the feeling of spaciousness for the apartment.

*Inspire of using stationary concrete, designers now encourage the trend inwhich, the seperation is limited, and even completly demolished.

And now, well watch a short video clip about a small apartment, in which, thearchitect decided not to use traditional space-dividing solutions. And well see how heworks it out.

=> clip 3 elements: dividing functional spaces in an apartment without usingwalls, doors


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=> In this picture, we can see a mock-up of the apartment that weve just seen inthe video clip. The Architect used a center block, which contain a toilet to separate theliving room and the kitchen at the lower level. We can see that the architect use afunctional space- toilet- to separate 2 other functional spaces- kitchen and living room,instead of using walls and doors to make those functional spaces to be rooms. Thefunctional spaces in this apartment are not limited by the walls, as a result of this,

spaces are both separated and linked with each other and the apartment looks muchbigger.

Changing floors height:*Another way of dividing is to change the height of the floorfor each differently

functional space.

=> For example, in this picture, we can have a complete penetration viewthrough the small house, because theres not any wall between the living room and thekitchen. But with 2 short steps staircase we can also feel the change of function in eachspace.

Using decorative details:

*Inspired of using the rough walls to seperate spaces, you can use otherlivelydecorative details to make the space lither and softer.-Short shelf:

=> The short shelf in this house is use to separate the living room and the

kitchen. If using a tall shelf or a wall to separate would make the small space of theliving room limited, this short shelf gives us an open view over it and make the spaceseems to be larger.

If using the short shelfbecomes a familier solution to seperate small spaces,you can find many other similar solutions:


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=> In another part of this house, a bar is used to separate the kitchen from apath.

- Using bars of wood

- Another solution is using glass. Glass is a familiar material to every one, andwith the technical progresses in glass manufacturing, nowadays, theres many kind ofglasses that have high hardness, multiform patterns and colors. High hardness nowallows it to be use as a space- separating detail instead of using walls.

=> In this picture, we can see a glass-baffle which divides a room into 2different functional spaces: kitchen and dining space. The owner of this apartment maywant to make the kitchen more discreet, on the other hand, he also dont want to limitsuch a small space of the kitchen with thick walls.

Using a thin pane of glass here is such a clever idea. The separation is clear butthe 2 spaces are also linked to each other with the glasss transparence. As a result ofthis, the room was made to feel larger.

On another hand, the hardness of this pane of glass also allows us to assemble2 shelve, that can be used to place accessories in the dining space or as a table in thekitchen. This is also a space-saving solution that well mention in another part of thistopic.


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=> Now we can see another apartment that also uses this solution. In this case,3 panes of glasses are used to separate the living room and the bed room. This may bea very small apartment so that the owner has to place these 2 functional spacestogether. The glass that used here is completely transparent but with a delicate curtain,the designer was successful in creating a precise feeling of privacy for the bed room.

More over, this material have many patterns and colors, it can be not only areplacement for walls but also a very worthy decorative details in interior design.

This trend not only creates the necessary independence of different spaces but

also prevents the complete seperation that makes the functional spaces much largerthan they really are.

2. Stretch your space into the outdoors.A patio, deck, or screen porch, goes a long way toward increasing usable space -

without the expense of adding on. Porch provides all the comforts of an interior room,an awning to protect against harsh sun, and cozy, welcoming furnishings that invitelounging.

=> clip open space-light-verandar door.

The wall which seperates the apartment and the verandar is not really a wall but4 folding illuminant door. It can be completly folded back to let in light and fresh air. Aswe have seen in this picture, the view from the living room to the outside is widen byusing this type of door- or walls and as a result of this, the room looks bigger.

And in the next video clip, we will see how this couple uses their deck as anotherliving room and more than that, a great place to hang out with their friend.3. Avoid blocking view to windows and doors.

I think all the things that we are trying to do to enlarge a small space, actually,just the endearvor (indevor) to create as many vacancies in the house or apartment aspossible. Its just a cheat to our eyes, the more vacancies they meet, the morecomfortable they feel and so that the space seems to be larger- actually- less limited.But many of us just think about view inside and skip the view towards outside.


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Blocking view cause us sultry( ngt ngt), suffocating( nghet th) , stress and itmay make you feel like you are imprisoned in your own house.

Otherwise, an open view, especially to a green space, will makes us relax andcomfortable. Though, a green view or an open view will be very hard to find in big city,such as HCM city nowadays because the real estates price is very high. We can try tocreate some green space in our apartment with such sky-light atrium combining withsome small plants.

Another suggestion is using Optical art to create an imaginary space through thewalls.

An optical illusion plays a trick on the mind using size, shapes, and lines.Drawing or painting pictures on the walls also enlarges our living space and lead us tothe colorful and magical worlds of the paintings. This is a special, meticulous ( t m) and

expensive work, but it doesnt matter if youre a loved-art.

For examples : This wallpaper creates a fake landscape in your room. Thatscene will make your small space appear larger and nicer.

B. Color your small world:

1/ Choose Soft, Light Hues

Choosing colors for your home can be an exciting journey of discovery.

Color has a powerful psychological impact and can influence our state of mind. Some

colors are regarded as healing, making us feel happy and well, while others have a

negative impact, inducing melancholy.

While dark, warm colors make a living space cozy and intimate, light, cool colors make

it open and airy.

Specific examples:


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Blue is the ultimate cool color. Sky blue, shades of dove gray and fawn, and pure

white create a peaceful retreat to soothe the soul, sending a message ofcalm and

serenity. This color will give your room a relaxing feel.

Create a hospitable living space

with blue and white shades. Use the

sensuously curvy chair and sweet

carpet to relax in. You are evoked toa sea shore when entering this room.

Use sky blue color to push the wallsaway and make the room appear

larger.

Green, deeply relaxing, is a central color in decorating, connected with nature andthe sea, it may be one of the reasons people find it so easy to live with.

Pale green walls and a mirror reflect light

and enhance space in this small bathroom.

Tiny mosaic tiles in a buttery shade coverthe bath and panel. A walnut panel behind

the freestanding toilet adds contrast and

provides a shelf for toiletries, make-upbrushes and sponges. A square sink adds a

contemporary twist, while a Conran Shop

bath rack holds sponges.

Pale purple have a powerful connection with ourromantic, sensual and introspectivesides. So consider this hue when you're deciding a color for the bedroom. But use a bluer

purple to keep it more restful.


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Add romantic and soft styling to a pale

purple living room by heaping cushions,

with luxurious finishes, onto a soft daybed.Black and white prints and photos, mounted

in simple black frames, make a smart

finishing touch. The pale purple panited onthe walls makes the limited space appear to

recede.

Yellow:Use yellow in rooms where little or no natural light has access. If you

paint the den or basement walls, it can give the appearance of natural light and

brighten up the living space. But when choosing the shade, keep in mind that bolder,deeper yellows can be overpowering.

Be inspired by nature with spring-freshcolors in your living room. Yellow walls and

floral curtains are a perfect backdrop to

creamy furniture including a Sofa Workshop

and a white decorative cabinet. Flowers andcushions in yellow and green add the final

bright touch. As the pigment that is most

closely resembles the sun, yellow lendschromatic brilliance to this space. Both

wall and window curtain with a light color

give the illusion of a more open space.

Cream means white with a hint of yellow. It is a soothing and result on the eye, butalso elegant. Shades described as ivory, oyster, magnolia, shell, and vanilla all sit within

the color band..


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Contemporary cream bedroom: This

calming bedroom is further softened by a

luxurious, Nicole Farhi silk quilt, while thecream color scheme helps to open up the

small space.

Neutral shades like white, gray and black are best when you want low-intensity. You

will create a more simplistic, peaceful atmosphere for your room. If you already havebright colors or heavy-patterned furniture in the room, neutrals are a great way to makethem stand out.

This is an example of a neutral color scheme, notice that all

the colors are natural tones. Here are few suggestionsto help you accessorize your space and get the most of your

neutral colors.

Add natural fiber pillows in neutral colorsto add texture and character. The sleek chromedining room table and the dark vase create an

added punch to the otherwise beige palate.

Neutral simulates simplicity - keep yourdecorating simple, chose accessories wisely and

sparingly.

When these natural colors are mixed with textures it brings a

calming effect to your space.


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This small cottage bathroom is painted in

neutral tones to maximize space and light. A

contemporary suite with a round, surface-mounted basin and column taps contrast

with the original beams and traditional

tongue-and-groove paneling around thebath. Tiles from Walton ceramics add color,

while a mirror with an ornate frame isdecorative.

White: combinations of white on white are always clean and refreshing( gray-white,

bone-white, dirty white).

White isnt a mere absence of color. Its a

shining and affirmative thing, as fierce asred, as definite as black. The granite-topped

work surfaces are chic and practical. The

natural cabinet storage space has beenpainted white to reflect more light and make

the room seem bigger.

2/ The correlation of colors

Use just one (use a Monochromatic Color Scheme) ortwo colors per room for visual

simplicity that expands a space. Also keep in mind that white, neutral or pale colors bestreflect light, visually "pushing back" walls. This is not a hard and fast rule, as many

designers prefer richer colors in smaller spaces.
http://interiordec.about.com/cs/colorindecor/f/faqcolormono.htmhttp://interiordec.about.com/cs/colorindecor/f/faqcolormono.htm


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There are many different tones of white that

work really well together. Mix an ivory sofa,

with a textured rug. Avoid brilliant white by

choosing a soothing bone color for the wallsand mixing it with a simple white coffee

table and bookcase.

This living room has an airy relaxed feel,

with a sofa and pale blue footstool. The

tonal cream, light blue walls and the floral

curtain are complement each other.

What you have to watch for when using rich colors in a small space is to reduce the

contrast in the horizontal and vertical planes. For example, a light carpet, dark walland white ceiling will often cause the walls to feel like they are "closing in" on you. If

you do decide to use a dark color, reduce the contrasts with the floor and ceiling. For

example, continue the wall color onto the ceiling.-The ceiling can be painted a lighter version

of the same color that you used for the walls (this will create color harmony) (or use a shadethat's only two or three shades lighter than the walls on the ceiling) to keep the contrast

levels. A low ceiling - or any ceiling, for that matter - will seem to open up if you

paint it a color lighter than the walls.


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Instead, focus the contrast on the furniture or accents, keeping woodwork, cabinetry

and/or trim a contrasting neutral color such as cream. The dark color on the wallsbecomes negative space for the detail and furniture up against it.

3/ The c omparison

Keep in mind that colors actually affect your perception of surroundings. Following are some

general rules:

Warm colors make a room appear smaller and more intimate; cool colors make a

room seem larger and more spacious.

Red is a good choice for a room where you

want to excite your mind and senses -- likethis living room. This is a good space for

entertaining -- there will be lots of lively

conversation in this room. If you use yourliving room primarily for relaxing, however,

you should opt for a paler shade or cooler

colors.

Go for a deep aqueous tone of blue for the

walls, as it's a warm shade of the color. Mixwith darker blue furniture and off-white

pieces to create the balance, and accents of

taupe will bring richness to the scheme.Dark wood is also good for adding depth

and hints of bright pink will lift the room.

Intense colors make a room seem smaller, while low intensity colors enlarge it.


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Here, the deep pink walls, butter-yellow

ceiling, orange-and-yellow curtains, and

red Persian rug are cooled by the neutralfloor and aqua-blue in the duvet. The color

of the room is too striking. You feel

everything is quite near. So the room seemssmaller.

Here, the pale pink gives a decidedly

feminine look to the room. The purple

bedspread adds some strong color, and is a good complement to the pink walls and

window treatments.

Dark colors make a room seem smaller; light colors make it seem larger.

Create a place to unwind. This ultra calm space is given a touch of glamour with a sophisticated

color scheme of midnight blue, deep plum and grey. But dark colors arent the best choice for

small spaces. In this case, light color such as icy blues, pale green, white and cream, butteryellow, pale lilac, some neutral colors will enlarge your space and make you comfortable.


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Highly contrasting colors make a room seem smaller.

This room is designed in dark and

contrasting colors. It tightens the space and

also emotion.

The classic style of this living room is

complemented by fresh lemon walls and

green floral curtain fabric. The relaxing

sofa and the drawer unit are white.Everything in this living room is associated

harmoniously.


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The more of a particular color you have in a room, the more intense it will appear.

There are many colors in this room. Various

colors separate the whole space into many small

pieces. It confuses our view and narrow our

space.

Hand-made wooden shelving makes good

use of a small space by the staircase in thisopen-plan room. Wicker baskets are ideal

for placing in the individual compartments


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C. Furniture & Accessories:

1. Scale and furniture:

If the room is small, be careful not to buy the largest pieces of

overstuffed (qua ruom ra) furniture you can find. Furniture should beappropriate- scale wise - to the rest of the room. That doesn't mean that

everything should be miniature. You can make a compact room feel muchbigger by choosing fewer larger, bolder ( cng cp) pieces instead of severalsmaller ones.

Slim and streamlined pieces, such as armless Parson chairs, arebeautiful space savers. For example: a sofa with exposed legs will appearsmaller and less bulky than one with hidden legs.

2. Multi- function furnitureIs always the best bet when you are trying to enlarge a tiny space.

3. Storage solution:Another way to enlarge a small space is to use open shelving or

floating shelves. Instead of using oversized floor bookshelves that take upsquare footage and are usually bulky, place open shelves on the walls todisplay your books and photos. This can make a huge difference and keep asmall room from feeling cluttered.

4. Mirror:Mirrors are often a great way to open up a room. When we look into a

mirror we see through and beyond the physical plane of the mirror's surfaceinto the virtual space of the reflection. This causes a change in the focal pointof our vision, which eases tension in the eye muscles and helps promoterelaxation and stress release. The mirror opens up a virtual window in an

otherwise flat surface. In feng shui terms this symbolically opens up new


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vistas, not just for our eyes, but also for our mental "vision" of ourselves andour lives.

1.A wall that blocks your movement as you enter a space (forcing youto turn to the right or left to proceed) symbolically blocks your progress in life

and/or career. A mirror on the blocking wall opens up a virtual window thatenables you to focus on a more distant point. By enabling you to see"through" the wall, the mirror lessens the blocking effect:

Blocked entry forces turnto the right

A mirror creates a visualexpansion of the space

2. A narrow entry or hallway constricts the energy of that space. Thiscan have a constricting effect on your own energy, either in terms of successand/or health. The lungs especially might be affected, as the constrictedpassageway in your home is analogous to constricted airways in your body.Widen a narrow entry or hall with mirrors on one or both sides, for greaterease:

Narrow passagewaysfeel constricting

Mirrors on one or both walls willmake the space feel wider

3. A split view - where the entry is blocked on one side but you can seedeeply into the space on the other side - is thought to cause tension andmental confusion. This situation is considered more serious than a fullyblocked entry because your eyes send contradictory messages to the brain. Amirror on the blocked side helps to equalize the space:


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A split view at the entry isextremely unbalanced.

A mirror on the obstructing wallopens helps correct the energy.

4. Mirrors are also helpful for correcting "missing areas" in the layout ofa home or room:

Here a mirror is used tovirtually expand the space

outward to fill in themissing corner.

Mirrors reflect much light and will vastly enlarge a small space if

positioned correctly. Try not to hang a mirror on the same wall as a window,but on adjacent or opposite walls. This will reflect the outdoor light from thewindow and will help bring more light into the room. It will also help expandthe room by reflecting the window view in the mirror. Mirrors do best whenthey reflect a pleasing image. Be sure to place a mirror where it reflects awindow that will bring in light. This will work for you in two ways. The addedlight is always a plus and the view out the window visually extends the roomwhen reflected in the mirror. A mirror that reflects the sunrise or sunset bringsan entirely new dimension of color into your room.

D. Natural lighting:

Bring in more light, adding more light fixtures like rope lights, bookselflight, floor lamps, wall sconces. It wont take any room in your space.

Lighting: Once again, think small. We have all seen the hand-me-downtable lamps that are so bulbous and large that they leave no room onthe end table to place anything else. Today you have many options

for lighting. Think about putting wall sconces above the end tables.They will be a work of art on your walls, and deliver the light without


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taking up any table space. You can also try a floor lamp positioned toshine light where you need it.

Any type ofbright lighting will make a small living room appearlarger, and this is why real estate professionals recommend turning on

household lights before showings. However, natural light is the mostcomplimentary light of all, and opening blinds and drapery will greatly enlargethe appearance of a small living room. Take advantage of natural lightingwhen the sun is shining, and open blinds and light-blocking windowtreatments. You will be surprised by how large the space appears whennatural light is shining in.

To allow more natural light in your room, you can construct a skylight orsolar tube. Or you can add more recessed lighting to brighten up the room.Recessed cans are a terrific way to change and brighten up a spaceespecially wall washersthey will throw light on the walls or art and can

brighten up a dark area, giving the illusion of more space.

The series of neutral hues are brightened up by the sun light comes from the

windows and the doors. Selecting the building materials, colors, and organizing the

lighting angles really enhance the small space of this mobile home.

how to enlarge small space

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