Interior designers use a variety of techniques to make small rooms look much larger. These same techniques can be used by the apartment and condo dweller to open up their living spaces. Here are some ways to use color, light and accessories to make those small places feel more open and inviting.
Using Color and Contrasts
Color can guide the eyes through a room or hold them in one place. Browns, grays and earth tones let the eyes move through a room from one end to the other. This gives the feeling of a larger space. Accent colors should be only slightly lighter or darker than the foundational color. A much brighter or darker color stops the eyes in the room, making it feel smaller. When brightly colored accessories are used in the room, place them at either end. If they are in the center of the room, the eyes will stop there and the room feels smaller.
Using Vertical Accessories
To make a room feel taller than it really is, look for draperies in Arvada that run from the floor to the ceiling, regardless of the height of the window. The vertical flow of the draperies draw the eyes from floor to ceiling and give the appearance of a much higher room. Use vertical blinds if that is the preferred window treatment to get the same effect.
Tall floor lamps enhance the appearance of height. When wall hangings or other artwork is placed on the walls, use a vertical format where the primary object of the piece is at eye level. The eyes will start at that point and move upward, creating the feeling of a higher ceiling in the room.
Using Lines and Reflections
Patterned rugs should have lines that lead the eyes through the room from one end to the other to create a feeling of depth. Furniture should be placed so a pathway is left for the eyes to traverse the room. A cluster of furniture in the center of the room will stop the eyes and the room will feel more confining.
Mirrors on the walls at both ends of the room will make it feel longer. Place mirrors so they reflect the natural light from the windows back into the room. Other reflective surfaces, such as glass top tables and curio cabinets, will reflect the light throughout the room to make it feel more open.
Using Light
Dark areas in a room contribute to it feeling smaller. Use light colored window treatments that let as much natural light in as possible. Full spectrum halogen lights should be used in rooms with no natural lighting to brighten up the space. Lighten up any dark corners to make the room feel less confining.
Any room can be made to appear larger with the proper use of design elements. Rooms treated this way feel become more pleasant living spaces.
Windo VanGo – Hunter Douglas Gallery
1140 US Highway 287 Unit B
Broomfield, CO 80020
(303) 420-3788