Ty Pennington’s Top Tricks To Try If You’re Craving More Space at Home

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Sometimes a house is just way too small. At least, that’s what Ty Pennington and his guest designer, Grace Mitchell of “One of a Kind,” decide on the latest episode of “Ty Breaker.”

In this Season 1 episode, “Small Home, Big Family Dilemma,” Pennington and Mitchell meet Katie, B.J., and their four kids.

While Katie and B.J. love their Atlanta house, they’ve clearly outgrown this starter home.

In addition to needing another bedroom, so that their three boys don’t have to share one cramped room, they’d also love another bathroom, while Katie is hoping for a home office.

Pennington and Mitchell know that they won’t be able to find space in this family’s house as it is, so they decide to simply build an addition to it.

With a tight budget of only $150,000, they’ll need to think smart, so as not to overspend. Read on to find out how they pull it off, which might inspire some space-expanding changes around your own abode, too.

Don’t be afraid of dark, moody colors

Before: This blue bedroom had a bold, moody look.

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When Pennington and Mitchell first see Katie and B.J.’s bedroom, it’s not only cramped, but painted a surprisingly bold, dark navy blue. So when they start building and designing this couple’s new bedroom, they decide of using another intense hue: green.

They know green will bring the same fun pop of color, while also connecting to the greenery in the beautiful backyard. However, they run into trouble when picking a shade.

After: The green paint is still bold, but now this room has a more natural vibe.

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While Mitchell likes the idea of using a brighter green, Ty wants to use a darker shade.

“I think it’s this one, because it’s a little more sophisticated,” Ty says, pointing to a mossy green color swatch.

He also chooses a black trim, which Mitchell warns may be too bold. However, when Katie and B.J. finally see their new bedroom, they love the paint color. This black and green look is chic and moody, and while it might not be the right style for everyone, this couple loves it.

Give a home office style by substituting suitcases for drawers

Having an office space is more important now than ever.

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One of the most important things on Katie and B.J.’s wish list is a spot for Katie to work. While they don’t have enough rooms to give Katie a dedicated office, they do have the space to add a built-in desk in the bedroom.

The built-ins look great, but Mitchell wants to make sure B.J. and Katie love the desk space, since it’ll be in their bedroom.

Since this family loves traveling together, Mitchell comes up with the idea to use vintage suitcases instead of drawers.

“I think they would really love something that was created with them in mind, but that’s still practical,” she says.

The six suitcases add color to the space, and give the room personality. It’s a creative choice that looks great.

Paint isn’t the only way to bring color to walls

The whiteboard makes this room fun and functional.

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With a beautiful master bedroom built, Pennington and Mitchell focus their attention on creating a new room for B.J. and Katie’s son Eli.

Eli is getting upgraded from sleeping in a bunk bed to getting his own room, so Pennington and Mitchell want to make sure he feels special in his new space.

While a fun paint color would make this room feel more homey, these designers decide to get more creative with the space.

“That’s not only a dry-erase wall,” Pennington says, when Katie and B.J. spot writing on their son’s new bedroom wall. “But it’s also a magnet wall, so he can hang up his art after he’s done.”

It’s a great idea. Not only does this give the room a youthful vibe, it also gives Eli the opportunity to personalize his room as he grows.

When picking tile, take inspiration from the rest of the house

This tile has a midcentury feel, which complements the rest of the house.

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Pennington and Mitchell work hard to make both bedrooms feel homey, but the real challenge comes when they design the new master bathroom.

They want to be careful to make the new bathroom look as if it flows with the rest of the house, so they let the home’s existing style dictate their tile choices.

“In their house, they have some sort of midcentury feel,” Mitchell says when looking at a retro-inspired tile sample, “and I feel like this is sort of that, you know, midcentury starburst kind of pattern.”

They use the starburst tile on the backsplash, and pair it with some midcentury-inspired gold wall sconces. Once completed, the bathroom is beautiful, fitting right in with the rest of the house.

A skylight adds light to a room without windows

Pennington is able to create a skylight easily.

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Pennington and Mitchell realize that the new bathroom doesn’t have any space for windows, so to add some light to the space, they add a skylight.

“I think people get nervous about adding skylights, because they’re worried that they’re going to leak or they’re going to have problems,” Mitchell says.

“But really, they’ve come a long way in the past 10 years. And it is a terrific way to bring natural light into a space that doesn’t have it.”

Pennington is able to install the skylight himself, showing how easy it can be to add some light to this new addition. It’s a great solution, which really helps the new bathroom feel brighter.

With all these great upgrades, B.J. and Katie are thrilled to finally move back into their house. Their home is now larger and more functional, which means that their family is able to stay in the house they love.

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