5 Interior Design Ideas to Transform Your Guelph Condo

Space-Saving Furniture and Storage Solutions

While it’s helpful to declutter your home before moving into your condo, you don’t have to purge every item you own. You can enjoy spacious Guelph condo living with ample storage using a few simple interior design ideas to maximize your space.

Furnishing Your Condo

Due to the actual floor space, you may be tempted to shop for the smallest furniture possible when furnishing and decorating your condo, but consider opting for high-quality, oversized furniture instead. Going bigger can present a cleaner, less cluttered look than having several smaller pieces fill the room.

For condos with small living rooms, you can maximize space with a sectional sofa nestled in a corner rather than placing a couch, loveseat, and chair throughout. If you’d still like to add a chair, consider choosing a sectional with a chaise lounge. Regarding coffee tables, opt for nesting tables in dens and throughout the condo to minimize space and still offer flat resting areas for drinks, books, or decor.

Storage Hacks

Using hidden storage options can help maximize your Guelph condo space and hide clutter. Wall shelves, fold-away furniture, and stairs offer additional storage space.

• Shelves: Transform accent walls within stairwells, living rooms, hallways, and kitchens with shelving that have a wide, shallow design. You can showcase photos, books, decorative items, plants, and extra cookware here.
• Benches: Hollow benches, ottomans, and coffee tables can add functionality with hidden storage.
• Cabinets: Open areas under stairwells or at the end of hallways provide a resting place for storage cabinets. Consider investing in additional hidden hideaways like a clever stair-to-drawer transformation.
• Murphey bed: Gain up to 25% more daytime space with a fold-away Murphey bed.
• Fold-down tables and chairs: Increase home office, study, meal prep, and serving space by skipping the full-sized dinette set and using fold-down tables and chairs instead.

Going from floor to ceiling with tall, narrow shelves and cabinets takes up less floor space than short, bulky alternatives, making rooms appear larger.

Use Mirrors and Natural Light to Create the Illusion of Space

A spacious, well-lit home is a dream for many Guelph homeowners. While this may seem impossible when living in spaces with poor natural lighting or limited space, hope is not lost. You can create depth and texture, enhance the look of any room, and unlock your lighting potential with the beauty of mirrors.

Mirrors can serve multiple purposes with the right design and placement, from adding artwork and a statement piece to being a functional tool. And the best part? Strategic placement can make any room look almost twice its size. Here are a few condo design ideas:

• Place mirrors opposite windows with natural lighting to capture and spread the light across the room. This strategy can instantly brighten a dark corner.
• Setting mirrors at eye level makes them functional but still adds dimension to the room, approximately 5 feet from your floor to the mirror's center.
• An oversized wall mirror can create a “tunnel effect” in a hallway by mirroring the side you don’t typically see first.
• Because this is an optical illusion, large mirrors with simple frames work best. The bigger the mirror, the larger your area will feel.

Choose a Cohesive Palette and Incorporate Pops of Colour

New homes tend to send our minds spiraling into how we can make them our own. Painting your condo walls is a brilliant, inexpensive way to update your decor.

Since condos are one of the most desirable places to live, knowing how to work small details in a smaller space has become increasingly important. The right wall colour can make small spaces feel elegant, cozy, and bright rather than boring, cramped, and uncomfortable. While you might want to add dark, rich shades to your living room, this look isn’t the best option for a dimly lit bedroom or hallway.

Here are some go-to colour palettes for each room in your condo:

Entire Interiors

When looking for a single colour to use across your condo, it’s best to choose a light, neutral shade to complement every room, regardless of the size or amount of lighting it gets. White, gray, beige, or greige are all evergreen options that match any room's decor.

Hallways

The right paint colour for your hallway generally depends on the width of the space and how much lighting there is. For a wider hallway or one that has a lot of light, going with a deeper hue, like chocolate or blue, can add an interesting element while connecting one room to the next.

For a narrow hallway or one that doesn’t have much light, stick with lighter, brighter colours like white and sage.

Bedrooms

Interior design ideas for condo bedrooms include using soothing paint colours to create a peaceful environment and induce sleep. Since bedrooms are generally a place for rest, you don’t want tones that are too harsh or dark. Instead, use neutral shades of blue and green tones to create a calming effect.

Livingrooms

Choosing the right paint colour for your condo living room has similar rules to hallways. If your room is small or lacks natural lighting, use neutral shades to avoid feeling cramped. In contrast, if you have plenty of light or a larger space, consider going with a deeper, darker colour like navy blue or hunter green to add personality.

Kitchens

Speaking of personality, kitchens tend to have their own. From your flooring to hardware and cabinet colours, your kitchen may already have a traditional, rustic, or modern feel. Adding a new paint colour can do wonders for accentuating these details. Since most kitchens have natural lighting, soft yellow shades or sky blues highlight this feature well.

Bathrooms‍

Feel like using a bold color? Bathrooms are the space to do it. These small rooms do well with various colours, allowing you to experiment with new shades without affecting the design of your entire condo. Aqua and teals reminiscent of sea-life elements always look lovely in bathrooms, but the sky’s the limit for you here — there’s nothing wrong with choosing light blue, sage, or even lavender to showcase this area.

Now that you have an idea of colour palettes, here are some strategies for keeping your condo design coherent:

• Make your condo appear larger: Trick your mind into thinking your space is bigger than it really is by opting for a single paint colour across your unit. This tip can help open up the area, especially when you choose a neutral shade.
• Add extra life into small spaces: Add vibrancy and liven up small condos with rich, bold shades. This distraction tactic helps your mind focus on the room's colour rather than size. When using this tip, it’s best to stick to one bold hue rather than creating mismatched ones that make your space uncomfortable.
• Disguise low ceilings: One of the main reasons your condo may feel small is its low ceilings. Combat this by giving your ceilings a fresh coat of paint. White, yellow, beige, and light blue can open up your space, making it feel larger. Whichever hue you choose, make sure it’s lighter than your walls to maintain the appearance of depth.
• Add a pop of colour: You can enhance your decor by adding an element of surprise, such as giving a radiator, baseboards, or window frames a pop of colour to make them accent pieces. Or, paint an entire accent wall that complements your furniture instead.

Add Personality With Statement Pieces and Unique Decor

Statement pieces are eye-catching elements that can transform the plain and ordinary into sophisticated and elegant by setting the tone and creating a focal point. Consider these condo interior design ideas when incorporating statement pieces:

• Choose a focal point: Consider the room’s layout and choose an area that draws your attention — a large window, a unique architectural feature, or a fireplace. Once you’ve identified your focal point, choose a statement piece to add contrast or complement it.
• Sculptures and artwork: You can completely transform a plain wall by adding a unique sculpture or artwork piece. Aim for a painting or sculpture that evokes emotion and reflects your style.
• Distinct furniture: Eye-catching furniture can give people something to talk about — a unique coffee table, a vibrant-coloured armchair, or an intricately designed loveseat.

It’s essential to maintain a balance when incorporating statement elements. Too many pieces in a smaller room can feel overwhelming, so it’s better to stick with one or two that turn heads instead.

Add Depth With Different Materials and Textures

Adding depth and dimension to your space can make a small room feel larger while keeping it warm and cozy. Consider other features like different textures and sustainable materials when transforming your Guelph condo.

You can make your home feel more visually appealing and inviting using faux fur throws, knitted blankets, and plush rugs. Textured walls, such as orange peel, swirl, or popcorn, are a great way to hide imperfections and bring a room to life.

Thinking About Investing in a Condo to Rent Out or Call Home?

Whether purchasing your first home, your forever home, or one to rent out, with so many condo styles available in Guelph, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to Andra Arnold and Associates.

Our Guelph condo listings feature everything from small, townhouse-style layouts to trendy, highrise towers, offering something to suit every need and budget. Looking for more condo interior design ideas? We’d love to help!

Let’s Chat!