What to Do When You Have Too Much Space

Many homeowners worry they won’t have enough space when buying a home, even if they are looking far into the future for when they have kids and pets, and even invite guests to stay over. So, it can feel a little strange when you look around your house and realize you have too much space. What is that all about, and what can you do about it? 

Something is disconcerting about a home that feels empty even if you’ve filled it with as much as possible, whether bought from your favourite shop or unearthed at a car boot sale or antique auction. If this sounds familiar and your home has felt empty since your kids departed for uni, consider these ideas to help you make the most of all that space to make your house feel a little more like home. 

Change the Layout 

You probably haven’t noticed, but your home has had the same layout since you moved in. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can make your house feel all too same-y. It doesn’t inspire anything, and you might not be making full use of the space. Consider the best ways to rearrange your furniture and TV for optimal viewing and socializing. See whether the glare from the sunlight makes it impossible to see the screen at a specific time, and explore how different your home could look with a few teeny changes. 

Create Specialist Rooms

If you have an array of spare rooms around your home, you may as well make the most of them by turning them into something useful. This often happens when your kids move out and you don’t have any need for a bed anymore. While you might want to keep one guest room, you could turn the other rooms into a home office, gym, workshop, or anything you like. This option gives the room purpose and means you can keep work and leisure separate. 

Redecorate 

You can take the chance to redecorate, changing as much or as little as you like around the house. A fresh coat of paint can brighten the house and make it feel brand new. Just make sure you research self-storage options to keep expensive ornaments or your favourite chair safe in the meantime. Redecorating allows you to explore different styles around your house, making it more mature and updating the vibe to match modern trends. 

Get Creative With Color 

When painting the walls, you can get creative with different colours. If you’ve only ever stuck by neutral colours for your walls, try something bright, in-your-face, and impossible to ignore. Not only is this more fun, but it is also more noticeable for your guests. Too many people put all that effort into redecorating only for no one to notice, but if you make huge changes (and combine them with eye-catching new furniture), you have an assured conversation piece the next time people visit. 

Be Artsy 

There are few better ways to make the most of blank walls or spaces than with artwork, and considering you have so much space to fill, you can finally buy something you’ve always wanted. Large prints or even genuine pieces by local artists are fantastic for adding some flavour to your home, and much like bold colours, they generate conversation perfectly. It doesn’t matter what type of art you prefer (or even want to mix and match some of your favourites). As long as you have enough to fill the walls, you’ll transform your home overnight. 

Show Off Your Personality 

Likewise, showing off your personality is a great way to make the most of all this extra space. You can order custom canvas prints of places you’ve been travelling to or celebrating the biggest moments in your life (like your wedding day) to make the house feel much more like your home. Try putting these pieces in the hallway and living spaces so your guests can see them when they visit, and you are welcomed by them when you get home. 

Rugs and Carpets 

Suppose you’ve ever been in a room that feels empty but can’t put your finger on why; it could be that the floors are too empty. In this case, rugs and carpets are your friends, and you can fill every room with them to add some colour and character, especially if you have blank tiles or wooden flooring. Rugs and carpets add a cosy appeal to the home since there’s little more inviting than a soft, thick rug under your toes, especially during the colder months. 

Get Busy With Patterns 

Another option is to experiment with patterns. Patterned tiles are perfect for your kitchen and bathroom as they bring a cosier and more classical atmosphere, especially for the bathroom, which can often feel too sterile. If you don’t want to renovate your kitchen and bathroom by installing tiles, try patterned throws for the sofa, which also doubles as a way to protect your cushions from the dog’s muddy paws after a walk. 

Embrace Greenness

Houseplants are a fantastic way to fill the space within your home. If you don’t know what to put next to the TV cabinet or beside the staircase, decorating with houseplants is usually the answer. You can buy many houseplants, ranging from tall money trees to a monstera to a bird of paradise that brings something stunning and exotic to your home. They are nice to look at, and everyone loves them. And make your home more interesting as you slowly create your own jungle. 

Go Maximalist 

What’s the best way to fill the space in your house? How about being as bold as possible with everything you can think of? A maximalist approach is not for everyone, but it’s an effective and fun way to make your home feel lived in. Go for garish. Go loud and proud. Buy things you’ve always wanted but could never fit in your tiny studio apartment way back when. You have the chance to do something incredible, so go for it. 

Renovate 

There might still be rooms or areas where you’ve run out of ideas, so how about a remodel or renovation? You’ll need to research the average cost of a renovation before you start and consider what you will get out of it. Maybe you want to make your home more energy efficient, or you wouldn’t mind a more private space for your home office. Whatever the reason, renovations can add even more space to your home so you can continue to embrace the big and the bold as much as you like without ever worrying about running out of room.

Don’t Ignore Your Outdoor Space 

Finally, big, empty homes often mean a large garden, so you don’t want to neglect that. If you’ve got grandkids, a play area is perfect for them to run around and burn off energy in the summer. You could install a tennis court or outdoor gym. How about a swimming pool or expanding the porch to make those warm summer nights more sophisticated? You can do so much with an outdoor space, so start thinking about it.

Plenty of Space 

You’ve got all this space, so you may as well use it, right? While everyone has varying tastes and preferences, it’s easier than you think to find something to do with your home that feels much larger than it used to. Whether you want to make it even bigger or finally find a use for those empty rooms, you can get plenty of inspiration right here to help you transform your home and mold it into something that reflects you and is as comfortable as you always wanted.