With enough creativity, you can make any living space appear more expansive. Interior designer Paolo del Rosario, who spruced up the model units of San Miguel Properties, Inc.’s luxurious Dover Hill, shares tips on how to make the most out of your home.
1. Plan ahead
Your home can reflect how smart and prepared you were in designing it. Avoid cramped spaces and mismatched, disproportioned furniture by planning ahead before buying new items. Give yourself a moment to examine your space and visualize where everything will go, or use a floor plan with the estimated dimensions for fool-proof planning. Planning ahead will save you both time and money in the long run.
2. Customization is key
Finding the right furniture can be a challenge. If you want to keep your home as clutter-free as possible, consider investing in customized items to help maximize space. You can have a bed that folds up into the wall, or a table that can extend or retract depending on whether you’re eating alone or with guests. Keep this option in mind too when you want to copy designs you’ve fallen in love with from your travels and adventures. Instead of shipping furniture from wherever you spent your holiday, it could save you a lot of time and money to have furniture built to spec.
3. Simpler is safer
Whether you decide to go with customized or store-bought furniture, it’s wiser to keep it simple when it comes to more expensive fixtures such as counters and kitchen ranges. It may be better to go with something more classic and timeless rather than trendy pieces. Staying simple and safe does not mean being boring. Choose materials that you can easily repaint if you’d like to update your color scheme, or add style with décor.
4. Reaching new heights
Achieve the look of a more spacious and open house by creating the illusion of height. One popular way of adding height to a room is by using floor-to-ceiling fixtures such as windows and mirrors. You can also use wall paint or wallpaper with vertical lines that will direct the eyes upward. This works best for rooms that don’t get much natural light or have shorter furniture. If wallpaper or paintings aren’t your thing, you can frame and hang some of your best travel photographs. Photos of landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, or the Petronas Towers can add the illusion of vertical lines and height to your living spaces.
5. Play with lines
On the other hand, horizontal lines would help create the illusion of a wider space if your house looks too cluttered. Use shelves or consoles that span the width of a wall, creating the visual of linear, parallel lines. You can also use décor or patterns that use horizontal lines to help play up more width. Beautiful photos of a mountain horizon can add the illusion of depth to your room. But be careful of over-using lines and patterns it would make your space look more cluttered.
6. Keep it cool
It’s great to be enthusiastic with adding color to your homes, but too much enthusiasm could lead to a messy looking, mismatched space. Neutral colors like white and light gray are classic and work best for those big-ticket items that aren’t easy to update or replace. These neutral colors also go well with any accent color you’d like to add through table décor, fabrics, or wall decorations. Keep in mind that cool-toned colors will also keep your space looking bright and fresh.
7. Welcome (back) wallpaper
Looking for an easy, efficient, and economical way to add color, lines, or décor to your space? Look no further than wallpaper. You can choose from a variety of designs, finishes, and price ranges for your wallpaper. Fill up an empty wall with some wallpaper to create the illusion of depth or height, or even just to revamp a stale-looking room. Just remember to stay within your color scheme and limit your use of wallpaper lest you end up with a room that’s gaudy and tacky.
8. Say no to clutter
These previous tips wouldn’t do much for you and your home if you’d eventually end up keeping (or adding) clutter to your space. Keeping the space neat and organized is still the most important tip. Be wary of over-decorating your home. Too many pieces could end up making your living space look cramped.
To know more about Dover Hill, visit www.doverhill.com.ph. You can also follow them on facebook.com/doverhill and @doverhilltownhouse (IG account).
