Lifestyle

Make the Most of Your Small Space Before Your Open House

Published

4 years ago

September 16, 2021

More people want to live smaller and more efficiently. Tiny homes have become increasingly popular as households look to alleviate the added stress of simply having too much “stuff.”

As a happy byproduct, most people who live in smaller spaces end up with no credit card debt. They also leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment.

If you are in the market to sell your house, you might need to rethink some of your design ideas as you prepare for an open house. Real estate agents will occasionally hire a professional staging company to rearrange the space, place temporary new furniture, and remove the bulkier pieces altogether.

But if you decide to sell your house on your own, there are ways you can make your space more efficient as well as appealing to the eyes of potential buyers. We’ve gathered six tips to help you out.

Avoid Dark Colors on the Wall

If at all possible, avoid using dark colors on the walls. This can dull the room and reduce the effects of any natural light the space might otherwise have. If you feel compelled to go a shade or two darker when you paint, try doing only a single wall to use as an accent.

Brighten Up Your Home

Light can do wonders for enhancing the apparent size of your apartment or house. Yes, you will be playing a trick on the eyes to make rooms appear bigger than they actually are.

The illusion is best executed by hanging mirrors throughout the space. Use of an oversized mirror that reflects natural light from a window, for example, can create a sensation of air, of breath, even a touch of the grandiose in the smallest of spaces.

Use Less Bulky Furniture

One of the main reasons that small spaces feel even smaller than they are is when they’re overcrowded with furniture. Many of us tend to utilize bigger and bulkier pieces, such as bed frames that include dresser drawers to help with extra storage.

Bigger pieces tend to make a room feel more congested, though.

There is nothing wrong with doing a little de-cluttering to simplify your life and your space for yourself. Take a look around your house and see which pieces are largely serving as decorative rather than functional.

Then go shopping for items that are slimmer but may also be more appropriate for your on-site storage needs.

Don’t Forget About the Bathroom

If you’re operating in a small house or apartment, you probably also have a diminutive bathroom. One trick to make the space seem larger is to hang a clear shower curtain instead of one with a pattern.

Don’t be tempted to buy a cheap one that develops a film after only a few showers, however. Spend a little extra to purchase a high-quality liner instead. That investment will go a long way.

Get Creative with Storage

This might seem counterintuitive to what we said earlier about getting creative with storage, but it can be done without overstuffing any room of the house. A headboard that adds extra shelves, for instance, is a great option that can serve as a bookshelf or replace a nightstand.

Multi-tiered shelving that can be placed under the kitchen and bathroom sinks allows more storage in-house rather than shifting out. Plus, it will keep your cleaning products organized so you’ll be able to find things faster.

One of the best hacks is to use floating shelves. They are a great replacement for nightstands or bookshelves for removing unwanted clutter from the floor. This again boosts the sense of less clutter.

Choose Your Rugs and Drapes Wisely

Both rugs and drapes as home decor can shrink the ostensible size of a room, but you can be tactical about which drapes and rugs you choose. Drapes can actually encourage your gaze upward toward the source of light, and that makes a room feel more spacious. White, sheer curtains are a subtle and airy way to draw attention back to the light.

The same applies to rugs. In a small space, avoid using too many small ones. Try to place one large rug instead, because the size of the rug can influence the apparent size of the space.

No matter how small your home might be, there’s always a way to make the space feel less claustrophobic before an open house. You just have to get creative!

Lifestyle

Confronting Propaganda: Street Smart Documents Honest Reactions to Gaza Indoctrination Footage

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: Street Smart

Byline: Michelle Langton

In a recent project, the Street Smart team gathered 20 strangers and presented them with propaganda footage from Gaza that has circulated widely online but remains largely unfamiliar to many audiences. The aim wasn’t to provoke outrage or test media literacy in a classroom setting. It was to capture raw, unfiltered emotional reactions to material that reveals how narratives are formed at the source. The resulting video offers a candid look at how people process shocking content and how their perceptions shift when they see what is rarely shown on mainstream platforms.

The Structure of the Experiment

The format was simple. Participants were seated and shown a series of clips from Gaza, including children’s programming and broadcasts containing intense ideological messaging. No background information was provided, and viewers were not instructed on how to interpret what they were seeing. After watching, they were asked for immediate reactions.

The footage elicited a wide range of emotions. Some viewers were stunned by the content, admitting they had never seen anything like it before. Others expressed disbelief, questioning why this kind of material isn’t more widely discussed. A few were visibly shaken, saying the experience fundamentally altered their understanding of the situation.

By presenting the footage without narration or added commentary, Street Smart allowed participants’ genuine responses to emerge. The experiment revealed how propaganda can affect an entire generation. It can shock, unsettle, and force people to reconsider their assumptions.

Why This Project Matters

Sage Fox and Dorani aligned the purpose of this experiment with Street Smart’s broader mission of challenging prevailing narratives and encouraging critical thought among younger audiences. In an environment where footage spreads rapidly across digital platforms, propaganda can shape public opinion long before context catches up.

By showing the Gaza Indoctrination footage in a controlled setting and recording uncoached responses, the team aimed to expose the emotional and cognitive impact of this type of content.

“The first reaction is often the most revealing, because it shows how powerful images can be without context.”

The Range of Reactions

While each participant brought their own perspective, several themes emerged. Some expressed sympathy with the imagery itself, saying it was emotionally powerful.

One participant said, “It makes me question what I see online every day. How much of it is shaped this way?”

Their comments highlight how propaganda resonates differently depending on prior knowledge and exposure. Many viewers have simply never encountered such footage directly.

Street Smart’s Approach

This project continues a pattern established by Sage Fox & Dorani’s earlier videos. Rather than relying on experts or lengthy analysis, Street Smart focuses on real people and their honest reactions. The approach is simple but effective. Present potent material, listen to what people say, and share those moments with a wider audience.

The Gaza Indoctrination footage experiment fits this model. It doesn’t attempt to draw final conclusions or offer political commentary. Instead, it documents how people respond when they’re exposed to narratives that are usually filtered through intermediaries.

Implications for Media Literacy

Beyond its viral potential, the video raises broader questions about how people interact with powerful imagery online. Propaganda operates on emotional reflexes. As this experiment shows, those reflexes are often unexamined until they’re brought to the surface.

Sage Fox & Dorani hope that projects like this push audiences to think more critically about what they see and share.

“The purpose is not to tell people what to believe. It is to remind them that every image comes from somewhere, and that source matters,” they said.

Next Steps for Street Smart

As Street Smart’s platform grows, Sage Fox & Dorani plan to conduct similar experiments in different contexts. They intend to use their direct, street-level approach to highlight how people react when presented with challenging material.

The Gaza footage project is one piece of a larger mission. The team uses simple methods to shed light on complex issues. By focusing on authentic reactions, they continue to build a unique space in online media that blends cultural investigation with raw human response.

A Window into Unfiltered Thought

“We showed 20 strangers real propaganda footage from Gaza — and filmed their unfiltered reactions” is not a dramatic exposé or academic study. It is a clear, unmediated record of how individuals respond when confronted with material designed to persuade. In that restraint lies its strength.

By documenting these moments, Street Smart shows how awareness can begin with a pause. A brief space between seeing and believing.