Ten Top Interior Design Tips to Make A Small Room Seem Bigger

Living space in this day and age seems to getting smaller and smaller,

while people are getting bigger and taller (perhaps that’s for another hub!)

Interior design magazines are full of shots of loft spaces and

Victorian houses, or worse stories about what Mr and Mrs Architect

did with this rundown loft, castle, barn, old mill etc.

This hub is aimed at people who find them selves in smaller spaces.

People who want to get the most from their small space and

still have big style an impact.

People who don’t want the size of the room to totally dictate how it looks and feels.

This hub aims to provide you with a list of tips that help you decide

what to highlight and what to hide, or at least change or disguise.

The big message here is don’t let your room dictate your style,

let your style form the room even when it’s a small room.

I know it’s easier said than done but it is vital in a small space.

STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE

Top Tips

• a) Where possible use built in storage.

This helps to disguise it and melt it away into the walls.

You can then disguise the storage by using the same

treatment as on the walls i.e. painting it the same colour, or

even wallpapering it. You can also continue any architectural

details such as coving, skirting etc.

• b) In an asymmetrical room box out the wall recesses and build in storage in the same way to blend in.
• c) stools and poufs can provide useful occasional seating, choose ones that provide storage in the base.

The Japanese are way ahead on this so look in Japanese design books for ideas.

Measure, Measure, Measure,

Interior design books are full of huge sofas which look great but in a small room they can be overwhelming and make a small room seem tiny.

If reducing the size of the furniture doesn’t help or is not possible at a given time, having less furniture in a room will help.

The appropriate use of mirrors can visually double the size of a room. Sheet mirror above a fireplace can be a very cost effective way to do this. Go to framing suppliers as they can often sell beautiful frames much cheaper and it is simple to add some mirror to it.

There are many pieces of furniture around currently with mirrored surfaces which help bounce light around also.

• a) Obviously utilise all the natural light you can.

• b) If your ceiling is low spots are your best friend.

Pendant lights i.e. hanging lights can make the ceiling seem lower or ‘bring the ceiling down’ (not literally!) Spots accentuate the height and make the ceiling seem higher and therefore the room seem larger

• c) If you can get recessed spots put in at the early stages of build or renovation all the better. If not look for ceiling mounted spots on bars or tracks.

• d) Light all four corners of the room. Again angled spots can do this for you. Or you can position wall mounted floor mounted lights or table lamps strategically to draw the eye outwards and thereby visually expand the size of the room.
• e) If the ceiling is low emphasise all the verticals by using

Striped wall paper

Full length curtains

Up lighters (light fitting which direct light up the wall

Use gloss paint on the ceiling to bounce light down. Choose a receding colour on the ceiling.

(5) Colour

Test Test Test

Use light receding colours on walls.

What are Receding Colours. Also called cool colours, receding colours are said to make walls appear to recede. Warm colours are said to make walls advance.

Receding (cool) and advancing (warm) Colours

On the Right hand side of the colour wheel you find the warm or advancing colours such as orange and red and on the left hand side are cool or receding colours such as blue and green.

Neutrals can also be termed ‘non colours’. They are very easy to work with and can be a great choice for a beginner who is unsure of colour. . another advantage of Neutral colours is that they all go together and can be layered, mixed and matched as no neutral colour will try to dominate over another.

Neutrals don’t appear on the colour wheel and include Black, Grey, White and sometimes Brown and Beige.

Working with colour takes a lot of practice. Colours can look very different in different parts of your home as the type of light in a space can affect the colour dramatically. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you make some mistakes, most of us have at some time looked at a wall colour and thought “did I choose that!”

Big Rule for finding the right colour for walls is ….Test Test Test

Using Tone on tone colours for furnishings is another great way to add to the illusion of space, i.e a cream (neutral) sofa against a dark cream wall, the sofa will blend in and recede. In other words select furnishings that blend in with the background colours of the room. Big dramatic red or purple sofas are best used in large room where they can’t swamp the room.

So by now maybe you are thinking… but I don’t want a bland neutral room full of receding colours!!! I want individuality, flair even Drama…. The Wow Factor (I hate that phrase!)

This is where accent colours come in

Accent colours can be used as a complementary colours . They can be used in small quantities to lift or to give a ‘wow-factor’ to a colour scheme.

An accent colour work best if it is a bright, vibrant colour. If you are scared of using a strong colour, accent colours are perfect as you can simply add a splash of colour and compliment this with matching accessories such as cushions, a throw or a vase.

Try to keep your most of your room in shades and tones of one single colour. Choose a number of items in a harmonious colour and then pick out a few objects to be painted in an accent colour.

If you want even more Drama Try Clashing Colours

Clashing colours used to be a ‘big no’ but when they are used carefully, then can look fabulous. Make sure they are of equal tonal strength, you can mix them together. You don’t have to stop at two clashing colours, you can use three or four but be aware that if one colour is paler or weaker, then the rest may get lost in the overall look.

Interior décor is a expression of self so…..

Use your own treasures as points of focus and drama.

Invest in a display unit or Curio Cabinet. Rather than hiding all your childhood memento’s, holiday or travel souvenirs vintage finds in drawers, display them.

Light it artfully to pull focus onto the pieces and away from aspects of the room that are less attractive.

(10) Wall Art

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