We often joke that if we could invent a room stretcher, life would be so much easier. Short of breaking down walls or adding on an extension, here’s a few tips and tricks that we use to fool the eye and visually increase the perceived size of a space.
- Open Walkways – Often times, a space feels cramped because of narrow walkways and winding pathways through sitting areas. By making sure major walkways are 36″ with minor ones at least 24″ spaces can breathe a bit more.
- Proper Scale – Scale plays a huge part in how a space feels. A lot of times, we will walk into homes large and small, crammed and filled with lots of little furniture and little accessories. This makes the spaces feel too busy and overwhelming. Even when designing a more maximalist interior, using the proper scale for your furniture, art, and accessories is a great way to complete the space for the size that it is.
- Cohesive Color Palette – When color elements are fighting each other it can break up the room, but often leaves the pieces fighting with each other too. The repetition of colors and elements lets your eye comfortably move around the room. This creates a room that feels more pulled together and cohesive.
- Paint Colors – In general, the lighter the wall color, the brighter and larger a room will feel, but there’s power in selecting accent colors in a unique way to change how the room seems. In the case of small rooms such as bathrooms, going dark can confuse the eye that the room is actually larger. Painting a ceiling darker can visually lower the ceilings while widening the room. Painting your built-ins a darker color makes them the focal point and draws your eye to it. It’s all about what you want the eye to focus on in a room, and directing it with color.
- Lighting – By adding extra light to a space you can perceive so much more of a room. Adding LED strip lights to ceilings can help draw your eye up and enhance architectural details such as trim and beams. Another great place to add strip lighting is under cabinets, both the upper and lowers cabinets for maximum impact. Have a dark corner? Add an extra lamp to fill out that portion of the room and enhance the space.
- Mirrors – Mirrors can be a great way to bounce light around a room and give the illusion of a larger room. Hallways are a great place for these, as well as behind nightstands, either side of a fireplace, or anywhere that reflects a beautiful view.
Not sure how to implement these suggestions and make your space feel larger? We’re happy to help. Give us a call today to set up your complimentary consultation to get started!
