4 TRICKS TO MAKE YOUR SPACE FEEL BIGGER
When we were little, we imagined cartwheeling around our future homes with plenty of space to spare. As adults, however, we understand the dance between size and style and know that finding a home that we love may mean contending with smaller rooms (and putting our cartwheeling dreams to bed). Even if you have to scale down your dreams of a home or apartment with airy, light-filled rooms, you can make the most of your livable space without knocking down walls or making other huge, costly structural changes. Read on for 4 tricks that will help make your space seem bigger.
1 CREATE SOME CONTRAST
Craft a high-contrast interplay between walls and ceilings through paint color. The difference will create a tromp l’oeil that makes the floor drop and the ceiling look taller. Using a glossy white or a light color for one of these elements also makes the space feel brighter and bigger.
2 GO MONOCHROMATIC
Concentrating on one color creates an endless space that eliminates borders and helps the eye move effortlessly around the room. Don’t be afraid of adding color variations, however, as long as the chosen shades are close in tonal value. Depending on what colors are chosen, a monochromatic room can look modern (think of a kitchen blacks, whites, and/or grays), playful (a Pinkalicious-worthy child’s room) or soothing (a bedroom that’s a study in blues).
3 FOCUS ON THE FLOOR
Congruent flooring helps to create the feeling of smooth, polished, open space. Rooms will appear to flow seamlessly into one another, eliminating the boxy, chopped up feeling that can pervade when individual and small rooms each have their own floor design.
4 CHALLENGE THE SPACE WITH DIMENSION-DEFYING FURNITURE
Choose a large-scale piece of furniture to trick the eye. The space itself might appear small, but picking an oversized sofa or chair will make visitors and homeowners alike feel like the space has “grown” to accommodate its size. Just make sure to pick a piece that you adore-it will likely become a major focal point of the room. And do a little measuring and sizing up BEFORE the piece is delivered to ensure it actually does fit!