feature article

WOMAN’S DAY

Homemade Help

Q: Our guest room appears poky because we use it for storage and the space is dominated by a large wardrobe, How can we make it less musty and more welcoming for guests? Mary, Melbourne.

A: You’re not alone in looking to give a room the illusion of more space, so luckily there are several inexpensive ways to achieve it.

This simplest option is to paint the room a soft shade. Because pale pigments reflect more light, the room will appear larger, Wattyl Paints do a range of interior design shades, like Far Horizon. Four litres will set you back $79.97, and is enough for a medium sized room. If you have high ceilings you can lengthen the room by painting thick stripes on the walls. A good rule of thumb is “ the smaller the room the thinner the stripes”.  And be sure the stripes are the same thickness!

With a coat of paint in cream. White or beige, your wardrobe will blend into the rest of the room and become a feature instead of a focus. (We moved Mary’s wardrobe to an inconspicuous spot behind the door.)

Add a set of pastel sheets to the bed (like the House x Home Flannelette Sheet Sets from Big Q, $49.82 a set), and the whole room will appear clean and timeless. For added freshness and life, pop a pot plant in a prominent place and the air will circulate well no matter how long between guests.

If white bores you to tears you can add touches of colour with cushions. I love the colourful Jelly Bean range from Fantastic Furniture, which clock in at only $9.99 each. Or break up the monotony of the palette with a subtle lighting effect. I like lampshades with a leaf skeleton stenciled across them. Which means that instead of a glaring light, the effect is more textured and homely. There are a thousand different varieties on offer but my pick is the Knubbig table lamp from IKEA at $16.95.

If you still need to give the illusion of a bigger room. Try this twist on the old trick of adding a mirror to make a room seem larger – angle the mirror so it reflects a nearby window and see how it brings the garden inside! A Dazzle and Weave mirror from Fantastic Furniture will set you back on $99.

Another neat way to save space is to make your furniture do double duty.

A neutral bench seat like the Soho Seat from Fantastic Furniture is $249, but will last a lifetime and give you somewhere to store your stuff. Guests can use the bench as a place to relax and read in privacy.

In fact. With our space and storage problems solved. The only worry will be your guest room being overrun by visitors!