Knowing how to make a tiny living room look bigger can considerably improve the appeal and comfort levels of a house or apartment. From removing curtains to rearranging furniture, there are different ways to maximize space usage. Here are five staging tips from experts that homeowners can use to transform their living rooms.

1. Declutter and Store

Clutter can make even the most spacious rooms look small and claustrophobic. Well-organized spaces, on the other hand, tend to feel larger and taller. Decluttering is of key importance in making a tiny living room feel cozy and comfortable. Installing glass shelves is an excellent way to store essential items without using floor space. Investing in couches, ottomans, armchairs, and TV units with hidden compartments is another smart trick to deal with clutter and keep a tidy indoor space.

2. Remove the Couch

Homeowners automatically associate living rooms with couches. Sometimes, it feels like there is an unwritten rule that obligates people to put a sofa in their main living area. But, if space is limited, removing the couch is arguably the best course of action. Replacing a sofa with comfortable chairs and soft furnishings is a great staging trick to make living rooms appear bigger.

3. Flawlessly Positioned Furniture

Finding the right fit is important in making living rooms look welcoming. Just because an area is small, it doesn’t necessarily mean it should be furnished with the smallest pieces of furniture. Making every inch count is achieved by creating a layout that works with the available furnishings instead of forcing the furniture into an ‘obvious’ arrangement. Also, moving furnishings away from the walls is an amazing way to make spaces feel larger.

4. White Is the Best Color for Staging

Choosing a white color scheme is an effective way to open up tiny spaces. A splash of white can work wonders to make living rooms look brighter. Many consider white walls to be boring, but this simple solution is also the most affordable staging trick homeowners can use to create a clean and sophisticated canvas, which they can use to make other colors pop.

5. Utilize Natural Light

Natural light can significantly impact the way a room is perceived. The brighter it is, the more spacious it will appear. Removing blinds, drapes, and curtains from the windows will allow plenty of sunlight to penetrate the area, which will instantly create the illusion that the room is bigger.

These five staging tricks are easy to execute and relatively affordable, meaning homeowners can create the living rooms they want without breaking the bank.

More so than any other holiday, Valentine’s Day may set couples up for disappointment if each member has a different idea of what an “appropriate celebration” means. One person may spend weeks coming up with a Valentine’s Day gift that speaks directly to their beloved’s spirit, while another might surely pick up a Hallmark card and a box of chocolates and call it a day. If you are not strictly on the same page about the expectations for this special day, inequities are bound to happen. However, gaps between how individuals express their love may arise any time of the year, often blindsiding those who don’t even realize that there is a true problem.

Lori Gottlieb, who is a psychotherapist and author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone explains that so many times people are worried about what they are getting or not getting in terms of love, and they still don’t pay a lot of attention to what they are giving or not giving in terms of this wonderful feeling. She also explains that it’s really important to remember that your significant other is not you and how your love is expressed is going to be different from how your partner does.

Communication Is Key

While many people would rather eat an entire Whitman’s sampler blindfolded than talk about their feelings, the perfect way to find out how your partner prefers to be loved is to ask. Direct communication is the true sign of a healthy relationship, although it may be uncomfortable to some. Gottlieb adds that asking someone how they want to be loved is one of the most caring things a person can do.

Show Love Other Than The Three Little Words

Sure, you may have said “I love you” but many relationships are actually missing another sense of connection. Sometimes, the three words that they want to hear is “I understand you.” If you have ever vented to your main squeeze about your day, the thing you have to do is just to look up and see their head buried in their phone, and you already know this is true. Listen to your partner without judgment.