*This is a guest post.
Anyone that
is familiar with having extra living space built into their attic will understand the importance of
maximizing space and light. A small room can feel even smaller if there is not
enough light and no one wants to feel as though they're living in a cramped space.
The same applies for choosing furniture and layouts: when you
have a small space, such as an attic or a very dark room, it’s even more
important to choose a suitable layout and colours which will maximise the space and light within the room.
I remember studying in
Edinburgh and living in a small student apartment with only one window, which
was also very narrow - not the best for letting natural light into the room. The room was also painted in a dark orange colour and was filled dark
brown furniture - again, not the best for giving a 'light and airy' feel. Even worse, the floor was made of a dark woody material and the whole place just felt extremely dark and not very pleasant.
The
room had only a desk lamp and a very bright ceiling lamp, which I used to give the room some much needed brightness when I was in it, however, it's just not economical to have the lights turned on the whole time is it?
I remember
feeling almost claustrophobic while entering the room for the first time. It
was so dark and horrible not a very nice living space at all. The small window did not provide enough light and it
was almost impossible to open it, which made my feeling of claustrophobia even worse.
The
darkness was not the only problem: the ventilation in the room was awful as
well. The first thing I did the day after moving in was to visit IKEA to get
some mirrors and lamps for the room, all in an effort to try and brighten the place up.
I also bought a white carpet and some
cushions to try give the room a feeling of having more space - white being a perfect colour to give the feeling of more space in a room. The soft furnishings contributed to
brightening the room, but I remember thinking that it would be so much better
if I just had a roof window. A roof window would not just improve the lighting,
but also make the attic feel a lot more spacious - such an easy yet effective solution for an attic room.
There are lots of different kinds of windows for slopped ceilings on the
market nowadays. The variety is so big now that it makes it even more difficult to
choose, however VELUX is one of my favourites and they provide many
different types of roof windows to suit all types of rooms, for example the VELUX Integra, which is
automatic window offering easy ventilation, which can be integrated directly
into your home´s electrical system.
I can only
imagine what difference an electronic roof window would have done to my dark
and small space in Edinburgh. Another important tip for making a small space
more comfortable is to choose furniture and storages solutions with a double
function. Using furniture that has a double
function and made of materials and colours that reflect light gives an illusion of
having more space. So if you have a small box room and you're trying to maximise space, having built in storage and wardrobes can really maximise the space and it's even better if they're painted or finished in white or have mirrors to reflect light too.
How have you maximised the light in your attic space or small rooms?
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