Every room in our home can be enlarged if it’s “helped” by a couple of decorating tricks, which are very easy to implement. A new color for the walls, a more “supple” furniture or modern storage solutions are visually increasing any room and give the feeling of airiness and spaciousness.
Let the light in!
When the gallery is positioned beyond the window frame, up and sideways, you get more light in the house, while the eye is unconsciously directed outwards. “The windows are the eyes of the room” says Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, the author of the Apartment Therapy. “When you cover them, the space seems smaller”, he says.
Center the room!
“People who live in small spaces try to create their dream room, pushing the furniture along the walls”, explains Gillingham-Ryan. “But this kills off any trace of warmth”.
To give the space life, the expert suggests creating a “social triangle” consisting of a classic sofa, a chair and an upholstered stool, placed in the middle of the room.
A carpet in a neutral color, placed under the three pieces of furniture, give unity to the space, which can be enriched by adding a small table in the middle of the assembly.
Pick up the things on the floor
CDs, speakers or other things that are scattered on the floor are blocking the natural flow of the room, making it seem much smaller and crowded. A few colorful cardboard boxes, placed on a shelf, should release the entire floor and give the room an airy atmosphere.
Skip from closed to open
A living room that looks suffocated by the furniture gives a spacious feeling if you paint the walls in a light color (which must not be white!). The light color of the walls is accentuated if you paint the entrance hall of the living room into a darker color.
Create reflections
A mirror placed to reflect the light coming from the window makes the room more spacious. “Mirrors are a safe solution to open the space. It always helps a small room”, says Susan Zises Green, New York interior designer.
Another trick for a room that is too high is to place paintings above the eye level. “The most important thing is to direct the eyes up, not down”, says Matthew Dennison, co-author of the paper At Home With Color.
Multiple functions
A handy solution when you want to maximize space is to choose the furniture that can serve multiple functions – stools with inside storage, table with space for books and boxes for small things.