Home renovators are thinking outside the box when it comes to creating exciting new living spaces within old walls. Home buyers can now take advantage of some great real estate deals that were unheard of just a few years ago. Many older homes are now available at great prices, but are slow to sell. The design of the interior rooms of many of these houses is a major drawback.

Small rooms with low ceilings often feel cramped. Many also suffer from poor lighting and an insufficient amount of external light. These different factors add up to a house that feels dreary and dated. The structure may be solid and the location may be perfect, but if the interior is uninspired, modern home buyers just don’t seem interested.

There is a solution to the cramped interior dilemma. Today’s innovative remodelers and designers have found new ways to reinvent interiors. They are not limited to changing floor or wall treatments, now they have trained their eyes to look beyond walls and even ceilings.

A popular approach is to tear down walls in common spaces and use multi-level counters and flooring to separate the living space. A spacious counter with bar stools allows the kitchen to connect to the dining room or family room. When the walls are removed, the living room can seem twice as large, although there was no real expansion in terms of square footage. The sunken living room is also experiencing a ’60s comeback. Dropping the floor level a couple of feet will create another room within a room.

If home buyers crave a sense of grandeur, they might consider creating a Great Room with a vaulted ceiling. A portion of the second story can be removed to create a high ceiling. Decorative stairs leading to the remaining second-story rooms are often interesting features that add to the overall ambiance of the great room.

By removing walls and ceilings, dark homes are often made bright and cheery. A skylight and track lights can add even more light if desired. Wooden floors and ceilings and natural stone mosaics and counters add a warm and rich atmosphere to the overall design of the room.

Another tip is to create vaulted ceilings by opening up areas with unused attic space. This is a fairly low cost, high added value space saving solution. You can even add a skylight to increase the brightness.

If you’re looking for even more space, the covered porches can be converted into sunrooms that open to the common space or simply expand the great room or family room.