9 ways to make a HDB flat look and feel bigger

Trying to make your HDB flat feel more spacious? Well here are 9 creative ways to make your room look larger!

1. SMALL SPACES 

Turn small nooks in the corners into functional desk spaces, such as this dresser area. This also allows you to make better use of spaces like the bay window. You can also convert the area underneath the desk into storage spaces for maximum utility! 

If you have a room that's obstructed by walls, William Cheong, Senior Project Designer at Livspace, suggested: "Removing these vertical barriers will widen and free up your hallway, making your space look bigger."

Once the walls are removed, you'll have a more spacious open floor plan and "you can then arrange your furniture in a way that defines different functional zones", said Cheong. 

2. FEATURE WALLS

Feature walls make a living room feel larger because it's in a contrasting colour, but you can also make it more functional by adding floating shelves and hooks onto it. This way, it makes the home feel spacious because all your accessories are up on the wall.

But don't just limit the feature to a wall, think out of the norm by changing the material of a ceiling for a contrasting visual effect. 

Said Cheong: "Or having a different overlight light fixture in your living room and dining room area will create an illusion of delineated zones in a room."

3. LOFT AND PLATFORM BEDS

Loft beds are a great idea for creating more space in a flat, but why not consider turning the space beneath into a wardrobe too. By combining the bed and wardrobe area into one, you won't have to carve out more space to fit your clothes.

Cheong also suggested opting for platform beds as it will "create extra storage and extend the room surface". You can even have the storage hidden under the surface of the platform, so everything will be kept out of sight. 

4. MORE STORAGE SPACE

If you're lucky enough to have a huge wall in the living room, you can break it up visually by building a cabinet in a contrasting colour in the middle of the wall. This helps to segment the spaces and make the room look visually larger.

5. WASHING MACHINE

Cracking your head trying to find a spot for the washing machine? Why not put it under the kitchen counter? You can conceal it too so nobody knows it's there when you're not using the appliance.

6. HANG UP YOUR BICYCLE

Bicycles are always a problem to store in the house. One way is to hang them up on the wall, so they don't take up valuable floor space and also helps to give the space a unique feel.

7. USE TRACK LIGHTS

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Lighting is essential in brightening and opening up your home, but what if your HDB home doesn't always get adequate sunlight?

To solve that problem, Cheong shared: "Whether artificial or natural, having multiple light sources will expand your apartment and make it seem more spacious.

"If you don't have the luxury of having tall windows and lots of natural light, you can always opt for track lighting. Track lights are a great way of accenting or brightening up areas in a room."

8. LOW HEIGHT FURNITURE & WALL ART

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Low height furniture are essentially those that are placed directly on the floor or a small distance away from the floor, they usually have shorter legs as well. Cheong shared: "Low furniture has a decluttering effect and is perfect for emphasizing extra wall space."

If you want to add character to the room, he suggested harmonising the furniture with large pieces of wall art or decor.

Adding one more tip, he said: "I also recommend choosing one large rug, instead of several small ones as they give the illusion of bigger floor space."

9. GO FOR A MODERN MINIMALIST DESIGN

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To adopt a minimalist living, who better to turn to other than Marie Kondo?

"I encourage my clients to do a regular purging (or Marie Kondo-ing) of their space," said Cheong.

"I also recommend avoiding clunky or oversized furniture and staying clear of dark colours to avoid cluttering the space that you live in."

On what colours to use to open up your small HDB home,  he added: "The general rule of thumb is to use light colours like white or beige, as they have the effect of making space appear bigger and airier."

This article was first published in Home & Decor. Additional reporting by Melissa Goh.

melissagoh@asiaone.com