Two Ways to Make a Small, Gloomy Home Look Bright and Spacious

If you're frustrated by how cramped and gloomy your home looks, here are some steps you can take to rectify this problem.

Replace a small window on the ground floor with a set of French doors

One very effective way to make a small, dark house look brighter and more spacious is to replace one of the small windows on the ground floor with a set of French doors.

There are two reasons why you should consider doing this. Firstly, due to the generous size of the glass panes in a typical set of French doors, this feature will let far more natural light into your home than a small window. This, in and of itself, will make the room where the doors are located look a lot brighter and airier.

Secondly, replacing a small window with these tall, mostly-transparent doors will make the room feel less claustrophobic and cramped, particularly when they are opened, as the outdoor area that the doors lead to will feel like an extension of the room.

If you decide to have these type of doors installed with the intention of opening up the ground floor and making it seem more spacious, it might be best to choose door frames that match the colour of the walls of the room where they will be fitted. This will ensure that they blend into the surrounding space and give it an open, airy appearance.

Make sure the furniture is proportional to the space it is placed in

Another way to improve the appearance of your small and gloomy home is to make sure that your furniture is proportional to the area that it is placed in.

For example, if you have a very modestly-sized living room, then it is not a great idea to put an eight or nine-seater sofa with big, overstuffed cushions into this space, as this furniture will be much too large. If you do, then the sofa will simply swamp the room and make it feel more cramped than it was previously.

In addition to looking out of proportion, it may also affect the functionality of the space and, in doing so, may make it difficult for you and your family to walk around it or use it for anything other than sitting down.

In this situation, a slim-line three-seater sofa with thin cushions would be much better, as this will be in proportion with the surroundings and will not take up so much floor space that you can't actually walk across the room.

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