Most homes in the city are not known for their enormous amount of square footage. Nevertheless, it hasn’t stopped people from wanting to live there. Designing for small spaces can be quite challenging. There are plenty of creative ways to make a small room look larger and less crowded. The question is, are you creative enough? Searching for inventive and resourceful ways to add more area to a space doesn’t have to be complicated if you remember the basics of design. By using paint, lighting, window treatments and accessories you can achieve the illusion that you have a greater area of living space.
Calming Periwinkle Walls
Start with Wall Color
Painting the walls is one of the easiest ways to transform the look of your room and make the greatest impact. Plus, it’s inexpensive. You can find all sorts of paints that will broaden and brighten any room. Lighter shades of blue and green are very serene colors. These can bring a relaxing tranquil feel. Bright yellows bring energy, liveliness and warmth. Then there are unique shades of gray and white. If used with the right design theme, these choices can add that airy and open feel without being stark and industrial.
More Light Means A Larger Room
Proper Placement of Lighting
Lighting can make a dramatic change by illuminating areas of a room that you want to highlight. Recessed lighting is extremely popular especially above art work, corner reading nooks and hallways. Pendant lighting can be great for small kitchens and above cozy breakfast bars. Hang pendant lighting above the night stands in your bedroom. These can take the place of traditional lamps. Remember, lighting will always draw your eye to a certain place in a room so it’s important to highlight areas that show off the architecture, book shelving and entry ways. Don’t forget to find lighting that has dimming options. Soft lighting will always compliment a space.
Long Drapes Expand the Room
Window Treatments
You’ll want to select fabric that is similar to your wall color. For instance, use a caramel or honey taffeta curtain against a pale yellow wall. This will keep the color of the curtains consistent with the color on the walls. Too much contrast will draw the eye to a break in the wall. You don’t want to shorten the length of your walls with a distracting panel of bold fabric.
If you have windows that are not as tall as you would like, hang your curtain rod a little higher than your window. The trick is to accent the height of your windows by giving the illusion of taller windows and ceilings. This will help the room seem larger.
If you don’t have an option to install a window, why not paint an outdoor scene on your walls? Using a painting that creates the illusion of another room tricks the eye. Hang an old window frame above a bed or sitting area. You’ll be amazed how this will create depth and character.
Mirrors Make the Room Appear Larger
Choosing the Right Interior Accessories
You’ll want to choose items that carry a certain amount of weight to the room but don’t overwhelm it. Use an attractive fruit bowl on a dining table, add a pillar candle to your coffee table and hang large artwork above your fire place to give your room a focal point. Mirrors are ideal for small spaces because these work like a window. Windows can create the appearance of another room. You can’t go wrong if you remember to keep the room simple and don’t overwhelm the space.