1. Bright idea
Lighting is key in creating the impression of space in cosier rooms. Spread out floor and desk lamps around the room - don’t just stick to one central ceiling light as this can leave areas in shadow; making it look as though the walls are closer than they are! See here for lighting inspiration.
2. Keep moving on up
Draw the eye upwards to create the impression of a higher ceiling! Position your shelves higher up, or even paint the ceiling in a different colour!
3. Mirror mirror…
Mirrors are another way of creating the illusion of space is positioning mirrors around the room. They will also help with keeping the room nice and light, and can be used as a statement feature piece too! See here for modern mirrors!
4. Lighten up
5. Mind the gap
Making it look like you have room to spare is key in making small spaces appear bigger, and a great way of doing this is moving furniture slightly away from the walls. This not only gives the room more depth but also provides a bit of extra storage space - as long as it’s kept out of view!
6. Keep it simple
Don’t go overboard trying to distract from the room’s petite size with lots of décor and knick-knacks - it actually will have the opposite effect! Stick to the essentials in smaller rooms: a couple of large statement pieces will look much more effective than lots of smaller ones!
7. Earn your stripes
Consider using stripes to elongate the room with a patterned rug, carpet or even wooden planks. This theory can also be applied to your walls - using vertically striped wallpaper on at least one wall will deceive your guests into thinking you have a higher ceiling; therefore creating the impression of a larger room!
***The Cosy Room edit***
Mirrors, lighting, simple storage, and light colours!
Products L-R:
- Cyclops Large Mirror - Gold, £46
- Silhouette Cotton Lampshade - Cole & Son The Woods, from £40
- Palm V2 Framed Print, from £47
- Mingle Floor Lamp - Grey, £75
- Umbra Woodrow Storage Stool, £100
- Stag Head Wooden Wall Art, £160
- Coy Plant Pot - Blue, £9.50
- Cream Window Wall Mirror, £99.5
- CorkFrame - Square, £70
- Geometric Rug - Pink, from £165
- Open Grid Fruit Basket - Copper, £14.50
- Umbra Mira Mirror, £80
- Karlsson Little Big Time Clock - Copper, £28
- Thomas Kent Arabic Clock Stonewash Blue - 20 inch, £89
Room image credits:
- http://www.greatertorontobuilders.com/colour-code-interior-decor-ideas/
- https://www.pinterest.es/pin/64246732162395013/
- http://www.nigeriaoc.org/striped-area-rug/
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/157063105735493150/
