Many people have been feeling a little bit cramped this year. A lot of us didn’t realize that our apartments were small until the COVID-19 pandemic had us all in lockdown staring at the same four walls every day. There’s a reason that moving companies can’t even keep up with the huge numbers of New York City residents moving to the suburbs.
If you also want some more space, but can’t afford a relocation to the suburbs or are counting on New York to be revitalized post-pandemic, there are design solutions that you can use. In fact, interior design is somewhat an art of illusions. Think about it: interior designers take a completely raw space and, with the magic of decor, turn it into a new home, or a coffee shop, or a retail store. Read on for some interior design tips and tricks that can spruce up your New York apartment and have you feel like you’re living in Rochester.
Consider window treatments to improve your natural light.
It’s time to throw your IKEA drapes and curtains away. They may have been right when you first moved to New York, but you’re an adult now, and you need furnishing and window treatments that help you with self-care and breathing easy. Interior design services can help you understand the best window treatments for your space.
Outdoor lighting (remember the sun?) streaming in through your windows is massively important to feel that you have more space, but you also want a clear privacy policy when it comes to nosy neighbors. Consider enlisting the help of some interior design solutions in Rochester, NY. While you may always be a New York City resident at heart, you have to admit that they know about windows and natural light upstate.
Add some new wall art to your decor.
You’ve been staring at four walls since march, so don’t you think you deserve something new to look at, like a canvas or two that inspire you to make the most of the day? You don’t have to be an artist to get custom canvas wall art. It’s actually as simple as going online and marking your specifications.
If you love New York City, maybe get canvas prints of historical moments in NYC history. You can also get a canvas printed with your loved ones, such as the family you only get to see over Zoom these days. Bringing your personality to your walls with some canvas art will help you breathe easier, and as a result, you’ll certainly feel that you have more space. You can even go a little further and add some throw pillows with stylish designs that match your new canvas art.
Buy some houseplants. Even just one.
Houseplants go a long way towards bringing the outdoors indoors when it comes to home decor. You may be thinking that it would be a whole lot easier to just get some accessories and new furniture that you don’t have to try to keep alive, but it’s actually easy to find houseplants that don’t take a lot of work. You probably can’t even kill a succulent, and by giving your living room or home office that outdoorsy feel, you’ll feel better. Also, plants literally improve air quality and have a calming effect, so you’ll literally be breathing easier.
Mirrors and light colors go a long way.
You don’t need to add mirrored ceilings to your living room or bedroom, but when you’re planning your wall decor and thinking about how many canvas art prints you want to design, throw a few mirrors on the wall to create the illusion of a bigger space as well. Also, think of repainting your walls with a lighter color or getting new furniture that has lighter upholstery. A pop of color here and there is great (think pillows!), but a whole room of competing dark colors will make you feel cramped.
These are just a few simple ways to give the illusion of more room. You can always go even further by redoing your furniture or moving unused belongings.
