Make Your Home Grow: Learn To Create Larger Rooms Through Interior Design

Here are my five favorite ways to make small spaces feel larger:

1. Open up a wall/add a bigger window/paint a view.  Views of the outside or into other rooms, whether real or faux, make spaces feel larger than they are. In the above photo, we hired an artist to paint the view and then made a valance that hides the kitchen and enhances the illusion.
2. Add a sliver (12 inches wide by the height of the wall) of mirror to the wall directly perpendicular to the window.  Your eye will be fooled that the windows continue beyond the wall, an optical illusion that surprisingly works!  Larger expanses of mirror do not work, primarily because if you see yourself, you know it’s a mirror.
3. Direct the eye away from the walls.  That means if you paint the walls and upholster the furniture in a soft monochromatic neutral, you will get an amazing effect from a bold piece of art or pillow on the sofa in a bold color. You will notice the accents more, and the size of the space less.
4. Be selective and curate what you put into a small space. Lots of small pieces of furniture and “tchotchkes” will be busy and feel claustrophobic, whereas a few normal sized furniture, fewer extra items, and a sense of quiet, will expand the feel of the room. Take things out!
5. Go for it: Paint the walls and ceiling in a high gloss saturated color (the opposite of #3).  If you have the confidence to try it, it will be a room that not only makes a statement but it will be a place that makes the rest of your house seem bigger.  This is a great idea for that extra den, not necessarily for your primary living space.

Hope these tips make you want to rethink your current spaces.  Give us a call or email and set up a virtual initial consultation. We’ll have ideas that are specific to your home and lifestyle.