Ask anyone to visualise their dream homes and they will most probably think of huge mansions or large villas. However, the reality is that unless you’re the top 1% in Singapore, it’s likely that you’ll have to make do with a modestly-sized HDB flat or condo.
But this shouldn’t stop you from achieving your dream house. With a few clever design choices and tricks, you can transform your home without having to break the bank over major renovations. Here are five quick and easy tips to increase the indoor space of your home:
Mirrors may be seen as objects of vanity, helping you make sure you look presentable before venturing out into the public. But apart from that, they can also make your living space appear roomier.
You can position mirrors directly across from your windows to make the space look bigger. This is because you can catch a glimpse of the outdoors from your mirror from time to time, giving the illusion that the room is much bigger than it actually is.
This also works by placing mirrors opposite your door frames, making it appear like the current room you’re in seamlessly transitions to the next room.
For those who are blessed to have a balcony in their home, the extra space can be so much more than simply a place for you to dry your clothes. For example, you can place some comfy sofas or even one of those bean bag chairs and turn it into a lounging area. But what if it rains?
Consider getting water-resistant blinds to prevent rainwater from damaging your precious furniture. The best blinds are not only protective, but can be stylish as well. ZipScreen is one of the standouts amongst other blinds due to the variety of features it has.
From voice control to adjusting how much heat enters your home, ZipScreen blinds ensure that you don’t have to worry about cordoning off your balcony every time it rains. This allows you to utilise your living space to the fullest, rain or shine.
Image credit: Home & Decor
A well-known technique to increase indoor space is to clear out the clutter lying around. It stands that the more visible area there is, the more spacious that overall space would look. Clearing out doesn’t necessarily mean having to throw away your stuff either, as you can organise them neatly into dedicated storage.
Instead of using dressers, bookshelves, or cabinets as storage, consider using wall-mounted shelves or floating shelves. Compared to chunky floor-to-ceiling wardrobes or cabinets, these are more modest in the space they take up and will also not obstruct any walking area.
Image credit: Sofa
If buying new, more compact furniture is out of your budget, then you can rearrange your current furniture so that they are a few centimeters away from the walls or corners. By having them “floating” and not bound to any surface, an illusion will be created that you’re not just shoving furniture to the corners of rooms because you have no space.
Another tip before you make any IKEA purchases is to look for furniture on legs. This means that there is some kind of support structure underneath the furniture that elevates it from the floor. This allows light to pass underneath, giving the illusion of more floor space.
Finally, another clever way to make sure you maximise your space is to start looking at furniture as having multiple purposes. For example, a bed is not only for sleeping, but can be used for storage as well. Look for purchases such as beds or coffee tables with storage spaces below them, such as built-in drawers where you can keep your clothes, magazines, or laptops.
Some furniture such as study tables are even collapsible, so you can fold them up when not in use to give your room more space.
Living in a HDB or condo doesn’t mean that you’ll always face space constraints within your four walls. Rather, you can make use of the opportunity to exercise a bit of creativity and transform the space you’re given into your ideal abode.
ZipScreen, a product of Australia and brought to our shores by VB Blind, is one such outdoor solution that can help make your humble quarters look even more spacious.
We can all relate to Singapore’s inconsistent weather. One moment can feel hot and humid while the next we are rushing to keep our laundry as a thunderstorm looms overhead.
ZipScreen helps to prepare you for both scenarios, as its blinds protect you from both rain and shine. A recommended place to install the blinds would be the balcony, since it protects your precious furniture from the elements outside while giving you more space to work with.
There’s also a variety of options when it comes to adjusting the blinds. From a traditional crank system to an automatic motorised system, you can tweak the blinds to your preferred height with ease. The product is even compatible with Amazon, Alexa, and Google Home, should you wish for a truly hands-free experience.
And if you’ve ever dealt with the frustration of not remembering if you lowered your blinds at home, you can now monitor your ZipScreen with the Automate Pulse Hub.
This app allows you to control the positioning of your blinds even when you’re out and about. Enjoy peace of mind as you go about your day knowing that you won’t return home to possibly drenched furniture.
Expanding a living space is not always about subtraction, such as hacking down walls or noisy renovation works. Sometimes they can be as simple as the addition of quality window blinds. ZipScreen from VB Blind aims to maximise every inch of space you have by protecting your lodgings from the elements, so that you can enjoy greater freedom within your own house.
This post was brought to you by VB Blind.
Cover image adapted from (L-R): Carousell, Target, Etsy
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