How to Decorate a Room So It Seems Bigger

Decorating sleight-of-hand can stretch the perceived dimensions of a room. Here are some ways to help a small room live large.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ample Light Fixtures
• Large-scale Tiles
• Light-colored Wall Paints
• Simple Window Treatment
• White Water-based Paints For Ceiling

1. Open up the room by maximizing views of the outdoors or of an adjoining, more spacious room.

2. Keep the walls light in color, as light colors recede.

3. Provide good illumination, which will enhance the sense of space.

4. Paint moldings, doors and the like in the same color as the walls. Strongly contrasting elements chop up the space.

5. Put away some of the tabletop bric-a-brac. It makes the room seem cluttered, busy and crowded.

6. Paint the ceiling white. Rooms have a greater sense of space with high ceilings, and white ceilings seem higher than darker ones.

7. Run linear flooring such as wood strips and ceramic tile on the diagonal. This creates the longest straight lines possible in the room, and the eye will follow them.

8. Use the same flooring material throughout the space to unify it and make it seem more expansive.

9. Select ceramic tile that's oversized - even in small bathrooms.

10. Use furniture that is scaled appropriately to the room. For example, an oversize sofa will eat up too much space in a small room.

11. Decorate windows simply. Besides being the wrong scale for a small room, show-stopping treatments such as billowy draperies encroach into the space of the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Floor-to-ceiling mirrors definitely increase the sense of volume in a room. Keep in mind, however, that this is a look that comes and goes in popularity.

[soyouthinkimfat]

on 8/7/2007 keep furniture low to the ground

[Reccie]

on 2/22/2007 Full walls of mirrors do come and go in popularity; however, you can choose a style that "reflects" the times. Instead of a full wall of mirror or mirror tiles, opt for a large mirror that suits you design style (modern, traditional, shabby-chic) and lean it against the wall instead. This technique will give the same affect, but can be changed as your tastes change.

on 11/22/2005 Simply by placing mirrors on the wall of a small room will give the illusion of being in a larger room. Keep the walls painted or papered in light tones, and consider using blinds as window treatments. You can roll the blinds up during the day and allow lots of light in the room.

on 11/22/2005 Paint one wall a different color, perhaps the main wall. Paint the other walls a paler color. Use this main wall color as your focal point, and in your accessories also.

on 11/22/2005 Photomurals are those huge prints that cover a wall from floor to ceiling. With the proper lighting, scenes of canyons, waterfalls, mountains, etc. can give a sense of depth to any small room.