Not all of us are blessed with huge houses or are lucky enough to live in mansions. Especially people who live in cities often have to make concessions concerning the amount of space they can use; the world population is still growing so apartments become smaller every day and it takes some serious skills to make a house appear large when in fact it’s not. If you would like to change some elements in your own little palace to make it appear brighter, we have some very nifty tips for you!
Reflection hides imperfection!
One very simple method to optically enlarge a space is to strategically place reflecting elements in it. The most obvious object would be a mirror – preferably a large one! Just make sure the mirror faces an open space, this will have the best effect.
Various light sources
Use a wide variety of lamps and sources of light. If you only hang a lamp from the ceiling, you risk casting long shadows in the room which will make the room appear darker and therefore smaller. It’s better to choose a few interesting smaller lamps and place them on multiple levels. One on a table, one in the corner of a room and a lamp next to glass or a mirror is also a good idea since the reflection of the lamp will make the light even brighter. When you use different sizes and levels, you automatically circumvent the issue with large shadows. Instead, the room will have some nice warm elements that you can change to your own liking.
Matching colours
Try to use colours of the same palette in the room. There are tons of websites that offer free services in this department. You could start with one colour and find one or two matching tints, which you can use as a base for the walls and furniture. Obviously lighter shades do well and darker shades will only make a room appear smaller, so try to keep it light. If you are fond of colours, you can always purchase fun and colourful accessories to give the room some zest!
Visible edges and corners
Make sure that it’s possible to see the other side of the room from every angle. If you place large furniture in a corner, you break the line of sight so to speak, which will make any space appear smaller. It’s best to place furniture in a spot that is large enough to still allow the edges and corners to be visible. Horizontal lines make a room appear larger, whereas vertical lines can make a room appear higher. So try to enhance the visibility of straight lines in the room. One way to easily accomplish this, is to buy furniture on (high) legs: a sofa on legs; a dining table with thin legs instead of robust ones.
See-through materials
If you want to divide a room, it’s best to do so with clear material. This is most relevant to bathrooms. If you want to separate some elements in the bathroom, for instance the bath tub or walk-in shower, it’s best to use clear glass panels. Otherwise you end up dividing an already small room in even smaller parts!
Of course, these are all just tips and the way you implement them is entirely up to you… But they should all contribute to making your small room appear brighter and larger, without expensive renovations!
Article posted on behalf of HayOnlineWInkel.com – Dutch Design Furniture Shop
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