Interior Design Tips To Make Those Small Rooms Look Larger

Posted on: 28 July 2015

Designers use a variety of techniques to make spaces look much larger. These techniques are available to you to transform small, confining rooms in your home or apartment into spacious-feeling living areas. Here are some easy-to-do tips to open up your rooms and make your home brighter and more welcoming.

Using Color and Contrasts

The key with color is to not trap the eyes in any one place. Earth tones, such as tan, gray and light brown, allow the eyes to move through a room, making it appear larger. For accent paint, choose a color that is just one or two shades different than the primary colors used in the room. Select furniture that is similar in color to make it blend with the room. Bright accent pieces should be placed at either end of a room to pull the eyes to them. If high contrast items are in the center of the room, the eyes will stop there, making the room feel smaller.

Create the Feeling of Depth and Height

Regardless of the size of the windows in a room, use floor to ceiling draperies to make the ceiling appear higher than it is. Draperies with vertical lines and subtle earth tones project this illusion of height. Place tall floor lamps or plants on both sides of the window to enhance the effect.

Placing a mirror on the wall opposite a window reflects the light back into the space, making the room look longer. Placing mirrors on both sides of a window make the room brighter and appear wider.

Position furniture parallel with the longest lines of the room. Position a floor rug with lines or patterns so it guide the eyes from one end of the room and out to gain a feeling of depth to any room.

Make Rooms Feel More Open with Light

Wherever you can, flood small rooms with natural light to make them look open and larger. Skylights and solar tubes bring natural sunlight into rooms that have few windows. Use full-spectrum halogen spot lights in recessed cans in the ceiling, or as hanging lights, to brighten dark corners and the entry ways into a room.

Shiny, reflective objects allow light to bounce throughout the room, making it feel larger. Glass curio cabinets, silver-framed photos on the wall, and highly lacquered furniture or art objects reflect the light.

Experiment with color, light and the placement of items to get the look you want out of every room. Use these techniques to trick the eyes into seeing rooms as much larger than they are.

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