Do you crave more light and space in your home? Sometimes it can feel like the only solution is to move to a bigger house. We can’t all afford to do that, so luckily, we’ve come up with a list of essential tips to help your house feel calmer, lighter and brighter.

Creating a sense of spaciousness in your home is all about utilising the space to its best advantage. These are tricks from the professionals. They don’t cost the earth and they’re easy to achieve!

First up, you should de-clutter.

It’s no coincidence that ditching the clutter has become a hot topic lately. We all own a lot of stuff, yet with house prices soaring, our homes can’t get any bigger. Something has got to give.

Everything in your home should either be useful or beautiful (or both!). There’s very little room for anything in between. Look at everything your own and ask yourself if it passes the test. If that heap of unread newspapers doesn’t bring you pleasure, then it’s time to say goodbye to it. The pile of paperback books gathering dust? Either put them on a shelf where they belong, or pass them on to someone else who’ll enjoy reading them.

Find a policy that works for your family. Choose a night each week to deal with your life admin, or have a one-in one-out policy when it comes to children’s toys. Once your room is free from clutter it can start functioning again.

Invest in a big mirror.

This is a trick used by all the pros. Mirrors help to make the most of the light you have. The reflection creates the illusion of space, which helps your room look larger. Mirrors also bounce any natural and artificial light around the room so, your room not only feels bigger, it also feels lighter. Hang a mirror over a fireplace, or in a dark, narrow hall. Or for something different, create a feature wall of inexpensive vintage mirrors.

What about colours?

If you’re short on space, it’s best to stick a simple palette and light colours like grey and white. This doesn’t have to be boring ­­– you can add huge amounts of colour and texture with accessories and furniture. The important thing is to keep the base colours calm and light.

Go for furniture with legs

Avoid heavy furniture that sits directly on the floor, blocking light and feeling heavy. Instead, try to choose furniture with legs. Simply being able to see the space and light under a piece of furniture makes your interior feel lighter and brighter. Thin, mid-century style legs will look elegant and maximise your space – you also gain useful space for storage underneath your furniture.  

Choose vertical storage

Avoid lots of low level units and choose vertical and modular storage. A tall, thin bookshelf utilises all the wall space, but still leaves you with plenty of floor space. Or cover one entire wall with square shaped shelves. You don’t have to fill them all with books or possessions. Leave some emptier than others to create a sense of space and light.

When it comes to lighting, don’t expect one overhead bulb to do all the work.

Try making a network of lights across your room which can be adjusted according to the mood, weather and time of day. Create clever pools of light with a variety of table lamps, floor lamps and overarching lamps. These are portable, inexpensive and don’t take time to install. You can move them around and they give you great flexibility.

Another simple trick is to upgrade your lightbulbs to LEDs. They cost a little more at first, but last much longer than ordinary bulbs. Plus, the brightness and quality of the light is far superior.

What are your top tips for creating more light and space in your home?