Expand any area with this sole recommendation from the latest "Love It or List It" host
Rewritten Article:
From Cramped to Chic: Maximizing Small Spaces with Style
Suffocating in your own four walls? Escape that claustrophobic feeling! Whether it's the low roofs or limited storage, a multitude of reasons might be limiting your comfort in your beloved nest. And even though you adore its vintage charm and the lively neighborhood, the discomfort can take a toll.
Page Turner, the fresh waved designer on the helm of HGTV's Love It or List It, which just roared back to life for its 20th season, is convinced that incorporating a sense of openness is the key to turning a house into a cherished home. For those who had lost all hope to stay put, she offers a few nifty tricks. Here's her crown advice to amp up a constricted space (and what to dodge).
Page Turner's Sacred Secret for Amplifying a Room: Wooden Strips and Sprawling Tiles
"I bring things to life! I can tweak a space to make it habitable without adding extra space," beams Turner, who hadn't realized her flair until she joined Love It or List It. "This season, we can't add much extra space to these dwellings, sir, but I'm skilled enough to take a breather, visualize the maze, and rearrange things to make it work," she adds.
If your bathroom is beset with limited space, Turner suggests installing a sprawling tile—either on the floors or in the shower to de-clutter and communicate a sense of spaciousness. "Small tiles will seem too garish for a cramped area," she advises.
From French-inspired penny tiles to mid-century geometric designs, there's a plethora of patterns to explore. Choose soft hues to brighten up the room and lustrous finishes to bounce light.
29 Bathroom Tile Ideas for a Comfortable Retreat In the bedroom, Turner prefers earthy nuances over color. Instead of painting the walls, she adores wooden accents.
"Built-ins are magical," she muses. "I'm a big fan of wooden strips. Let's say two as an accent wall instead of paint. Wood tones naturally and can be paired with other natural elements to expansify a room."
Why settle for a standard headboard when you can fashion a unique wooden slat creation? Add some character with a more audacious wood paneling concept, such as a herringbone accent wall, wainscoting, or picture frame molding. These choices can make your ceilings feel higher and introduce dimension.
And beware the design plague Turner thinks should be strictly avoided in smaller spaces: "Chromatic flooding is a no-no," she warns (though she'd likely appreciate a dash of wood drenching).
Enrichment Data:
Steps to Elevate Small Spaces
Bathroom Improvements
- Extensive Tiles: Embrace expansive tiles on floors or in the shower to minimize visual clutter, making the space look less crowded.
- Verdant Wood Strips: Install wooden slats on walls or ceilings to complement your space's earthy elements and draw the eye upwards, simulating the illusion of higher ceilings.
- Proper Lighting: Utilize optimized lighting to boost the perceived sense of spaciousness. Spotlights or LED strips can help reduce dark areas and maximize brightness.
Bedroom Refurbishments
- Wooden Slat Headboard: Swap standard headboards for sleek wooden slat creations to infuse depth without occupying too much space.
- Generous Floor Tiles: Opt for large tiles for your flooring to create an uninterrupted appearance and minimize visual segmentation, making the room look larger.
- Expressionistic Storage: Introduce subtle storage solutions, like floating shelves or under-bed storage, to maintain a clutter-free environment while preserving an open aesthetic.
Use these tips to transform your cramped bathrooms and bedrooms into freer-feeling spaces using elements like wooden slats and expansive tiles.
- To create a sense of openness in a cramped bathroom, consider installing sprawling tiles, either on the floors or in the shower, to declutter and give an impression of spaciousness.
- Page Turner, the designer from HGTV's Love It or List It, suggests using wooden strips as accents in bedrooms, particularly as an accent wall instead of paint, to enhance the natural warmth and complexity of a room.
- For those seeking to maximize small spaces, it's Advisable to steer clear of chromatic flooding, a approach that floods a space with a single color, according to Turner.
- To minimize visual segmentation and create an uninterrupted appearance in a bedroom, opt for large tiles for your flooring, or embrace extensive tiles in the bathroom to help make the spaces seem larger.
