The homes people occupy are in many ways a reflection of those that live inside. There are many challenges to creating a home that fits the owner and is a comfortable space. One of the challenges that are common amongst many homes is to make a space appear larger than it actually is in size.
Obviously physically changing the size is not an option for most and is not necessarily the goal. It might be a situation that the bath or powder room is small but needs the illusion of being larger; or the dining room has just enough space for a table and chairs. This type of illusion is a realization that there is a psychological aspect to design.
Every room is different and so are styles, what works in one home might not be the perfect solution in another space. That being said, we will explore a few tips that generally work well to increase the feel of a smaller room.
1. Does a Mirror make a Room look larger
The answer is that mirrors are an old trick to increasing the size of a space. The older style popular in the 1970’s was a lot of mirrored walls. This did make the rooms look larger but often left occupants feeling dizzy – it was a little too overwhelming. Today mirrors are still used but implemented more moderately. A great way to introduce mirror is in one large framed mirror on the wall or a very large leaning mirror. Placed at the corner of the room so it catches the eye is a great way to increase square footage without moving walls.
2. Cute curtains
In a living room and bedroom the introduction of curtains across windows can work great. The curtains will add a height and dimension to a room that appear to make the room larger. The eye is attracted to focal points that cause the brain to process the space differently. This might be all that is needed in a specific room. It’s an easy way to make it work.
3. Floating shelves
The use of accent pieces and picture frames is another great way to shift attention and keep the eye moving upwards to make the room feel larger. A small space might not fit a bookcase, but likely floating shelf will work perfectly. Just be careful with the weight of items placed on the shelf and do not overcrowd. As a general rule, keep accent pieces to one side and grouped in threes and then place one photo at the other end of the shelf.
These three tips are designed to help you conceive of your smaller space differently and implement a few tricks to make it work. Keep in mind that a minimalist approach usually works best for making a smaller space appear much bigger. Each person should consider their personal style and pick a solution that feels most comfortable, at the end of the day you have to Iive in that space so it needs to feel right too.
+Jodi Call took her years of experience in home design and décor and now offers an impressive collection of bed, kitchen, bath accessories and home furnishings at Bedbathstore.com