(4.5-min read)
It’s incredibly important to have a designated office space if you work from home. Not only does this removed space allow for increased focus, but it also allows you to turn off work from your mind at the end of the day. For many of us, this has forced us to be creative with the smaller removed spaces we’ve now made our offices. Though this is the case, there are ways to increase the feeling of smaller areas. Let’s take a look at a few of our favorites interior design techniques for making small spaces feel big.
1. Utilize Windows & Natural Light
Nothing makes a room feel larger quite like a nice big window that pours in light. To maximize the feeling of a room and not feel like you’re working in a trash compactor, position your desk as close to windows as possible. Exchange the miniblinds for light, transparent curtains.
2. Light Colors For Space, Dark Colors For Depth
If you can paint your new home office, consider bright colors for larger walls to expand the natural light. You can also accent the depth of a room with dark colors. The ultimate enemy of a spacious feel are medium-toned colors. Many “safe” colors can make a place feel small, making it essential to stay bold.
3. Floor to Ceiling Curtains On Windows
Ok, so your windows aren’t floor-to-ceiling—that doesn’t mean your curtains can’t be. In fact, having longer curtains can actually trick the eye into believing a window feels longer than it is. Not only does the length exaggerate the window length, but a longer curtain gives the natural light more of a reflective surface as it dives down to the floor.
4. Tall, Shallow Storage
Bulky bookshelves and other cabinets can quickly eat up square footage in a room. Utilize the square footage of the space by using taller, skinnier storage. Your bookshelf skyscrapers will store just as many books than shorter, wider bookshelves without hogging so much floor space.
5. Always Be Decluttering
Nothing makes a room feel smaller like clutter. Even if you have an assortment of trinkets and knick-knacks precisely where you’d like them in a place, this lack of straight lines and defined space quickly gums up the feel of the room—making it feel filled with…stuff. To keep your home office feeling spacious, relax with the accent pieces, and make sure everything has its place.
6. Conceal Major Office Equipment
Huge monitors, computer towers, and printers can quickly devour the visual real estate of your home office. Much like decluttering the small items in your house, make sure your office equipment has a concealed space. Keep your computer towers under the desk along with your printers. If possible, mount your monitors on floating mounts to increase desktop real estate.
7. Use Decorative Mirrors
This list would be incomplete if we didn’t mention the old classic room-expanding trick—mirrors. Placing mirrors lacking in natural light can help expand the feel of pretty much any space. Be mindful of your mirror placement, though—nobody wants to wind up looking at themselves every day or even on the way to the bathroom. This is especially true on no-meeting days where makeup is strictly optional.
8. Large Wall Art Pieces
If you have a few vast open spaces on the walls, some large art pieces can increase the feeling of the size of the room. This is especially true for art pieces that contain a sense of depth, such as landscapes and other scenes from nature.
9. Furniture With Exposed Legs
Boxy desks and cabinets have a way of eating up the cubic feet in any space. To open more cubic feet in your office, consider utilizing furniture with exposed legs. Be on the lookout for minimalistic furniture that won’t fill up the room.
10 Utilize Multifunctional Furniture
To minimize the amount of furniture in your small office, utilize multifunctional furniture. If you have to have filing cabinets, see if you can use them to hold up your desktop. If space is especially limited, consider a floating or fold-down desk. If you have two people working in one area, consider using one large two-sided desk rather than two separate desks. The fewer legs on the floor, the more spacious your office will feel.
Tired of Your Tiny Home Office?
If you’re ready to upgrade to a larger home office, the custom home construction specialists from Perry Hood Properties are proud to serve the Greater Tulsa, OK area with all of their home construction needs.
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