Nearly every house has at least one small room that the owner would like to make larger. What do designers do to make such rooms appear larger? Here are 20 tricks that visually enlarge any room.
First, you have to remember some basic principles that guide designers:
- Light colors visually enlarge space and dark colors make space seem smaller
- Every time you make a line it divides the space into parts
- Every time you use a contrast spot it visually reduces the space
- A large object in a small space makes it seem even smaller
- Less objects in the room make it seem larger
Now take a look at a list of tricks that will help you visually enlarge the room and make it seem more spacious.
1. Try not to use flashy bright colors and contrasting tones. In order to create a feeling of a large room, it’s preferable to use a light color scheme, instead of a bright or dark one. Whites or pastels, such as light green, light blue, light pink, light grey and cream, would be the most suitable colors. Keep in mind that cool colors (blue) visually enlarge space, and warm colors (orange) are likely to make the space seem smaller.
2.Carefully choose your furniture, curtains and trim color. Any contrasting furniture is going to eat the space up, making the room look much smaller.
3.Add some light. Lighting is a key element that can open space up, making it brighter and more accessible. Built-in lights, concealed spot lighting or natural sunlight are best fitted for small rooms. If you are working on visually enlarging your bathroom, try to make a window in it right away, so some natural light can shine through. If that is not possible, using built-in halogen lights will help. If you are working on enhancing a regular room and you are not able or willing to use built-in lighting, use a floor lamp. The light from the floor lamp is going to be reflected from the ceiling, which enlivens the room.
4.Get rid of any unnecessary objects that clutter the room and create a sense of limited space. Put away any extra photos and cups. The fewer items there are in the room, the larger it is going to appear.
5.Try not to use large objects - balance is important. Even if you only have one object, yet it is large in size, such as a grand piano or a king size bed, the room is going to seem smaller, therefore, use small size objects, so the room appears larger. Instead of one large couch, use a medium one with a couple of small chairs or medium armchairs that you can place along the wall and put them out whenever necessary.
6.The floor and the celling are the fifth and sixth wall in every room. If you cover the floor with light shiny tile, it will make the room appear brighter and more spacious. The same goes for the ceiling – use white and light colors in order to open the space up. Your room is going to appear larger if all the walls, together with the floor and the ceiling, are painted in a similar light color.
7. Use mirrors. Please remember that mirrors on the wall increase the size of the room. Not only do the mirrors reflect concrete objects, they also reflect light and color. By using mirror tile you can make a mirror out of an entire wall and your room is going to appear twice as big.
8. Put pictures on the walls. Keep in mind that one large picture is better than a group of small ones.
9. Maintain the color balance in the room. It’s easy for one large brightly colored object to inhibit and decrease the space in the room since it attracts attention and visually divides the room apart.
10. Utilize glass or mirror furniture. A glass table, whether it is a dinner table, coffee table, bathroom sink, or a little side table is going to create a sense of open space. Plus the table with a mirror surface gives the room additional light.
11.Place your furniture along the walls. If you put a piece of furniture in the middle it will visually divide the space.
12. Choose furniture (couches, armchairs and chairs) with open handles. Such detail is going to let in light and air, which will help the room seem more open and spacious. Dull surfaces take the sense of spaciousness away, while open surfaces easily create it.
13. For storage you are better off using vertical cabinets than horizontal ones. If your cabinets are open try not to clutter them with small trinkets. And pay close attention to the next trick.
14. Use furniture that is low – chairs, stools and ottomans. A tall back chair is going to diminish the perspective making the room seem less deep.
15. Try to arrange furniture in the corners. This will make the free space in the middle of the room (if you have any left over, of course) seem larger and more interesting.
16. If you are using curtains it is advisable to make them out of a thin fabric. This will help more air to come in. Say no to tablecloths.
17. Use monotone patterns on the walls. Any complex or bright patterns are going to make the room appear heavier and stuffier.
18. If you have a small kitchen with a table in the middle, make sure to clear away all the dishes when you are not using it. Try to put away all of your juicers, toasters, mixers, and other devices, at least while the guests are here. Having appliances out on display in a small room is going to make it look like there is no place to put it, which will only emphasize small dimensions of the room.
19. In order to enlarge the bathroom with a shower cabin in it, it’s wise to open the doors of the cabin. This will allow the sight to travel further, creating a sense of larger space.
20. Place an item that attracts attention (beautiful floor lamp or a flower) in the corner that is the farthest from the entrance. This way, the attention of the person entering the room will immediately be directed at the item, which will give them a larger perspective of the place.
All these tricks are going to fill your room with air, making it appear larger and more spacious. Most importantly, you have to decide whether or not you want to visually enlarge the room. At times small rooms with a large number of trinkets in them appear cozier, homier and warmer.
