It might be a bedroom. It might be a
den. It could be the kitchen or it could be the living room. In fact, it could
be any room.
You want to open it up. What does that
mean?
For most people, it means a sense of
spaciousness and light and liveliness. But unless you can take out a wall and
literally expand the room, you are restricted to the room’s size.
Even if it’s a small room, like an
additional bedroom, you can still “open it up.” There are four ways to do this.
Change
the color
The simplest and most common change is
color. Do you have a standard beige that you find boring? Paint the room a
color that reflects you and your style. For openness, try for a bright or light
color as opposed to something dark.
Use
an accent wall
A room has four walls. Why paint them
all the same color? You can use one of the walls to accent the room, something
that either contrasts or complements. For example, if the room is primarily a
shade of yellow for brightness, a green or blue shade might by used for one of
the walls. Or, you could be more daring and try an orange!
Natural
light
Nothing opens up a room more than
natural light. If it’s within your budget, change the window – go for something
that might be a bit larger, allowing for more light. Depending on the room’s
size and where it is in the house, you might even consider a skylight.
Even if windows and skylights aren’t a
possibility, consider changing the blinds and curtains. Try to avoid dark and
heavy curtains if you are trying for a feeling of openness.
Lighting
Last but by no means least is the
room’s lighting. A bulb in the ceiling may be functional but it adds little to
the room’s personality and a sense of openness. There are a large number of
lighting options to consider from fixtures to lamps and they can make a room
come alive, depending on what you choose to go with.
