Does your current living room set-up shout ‘shoe box’, more than it shouts ‘spacious’? If you haven’t been blessed with a tonne of space in your lounge, fear not. Before you pick up the sledgehammer and start planning on expanding your space with an expensive extension or by knocking through into another room, try these easy tips to make the room feel much bigger.
1. Draw attention to the corners
Making a room look and feel bigger is all about tricking the eye and creating illusions that expand the sense of space around you. In a living room, rather than drawing attention to common features that normally get the spotlight, such as the chimney breast, instead think about concentrating on drawing the eye outwards towards the corners. This can be achieved through the way you arrange your furniture and decorations, but also in the finishings you choose. Transform the alcoves at either side of the chimney using light-coloured reclaimed brick tiles, such as our London Yellow Brick slips, to create focal points in the corners of the room rather than at the centre.
2. Scale down and scale back
In a room lacking in size, it’s important to choose furniture that’s the right size and shape. In a small lounge, a single, oversized sofa that dominates the floor space will increase the chances of the room feeling cramped. Instead, opt for a couple of smaller sofas and lounge chairs that are an appropriate scale for the setting. Simple furniture on tall, slim legs can help create an airy, spacious feel compared to heavy, thick-based items. Clutter can also make a small room feel overcrowded. Take some time to sort through your things, and only keep decorations you truly love on display.
3. Draw your eye upwards
As well as creating the illusion of space by tricking the eye into thinking it’s wider than it is, you can also make a room feel bigger by creating the illusion of height. There are a number of tricks to achieving the high-ceiling effect; start by ensuring the darker colours in the room are lower down than the lighter tones. A dark floor contrasting with a lighter ceiling colour will draw the eyes skyward. The positioning of your decorative details can also help draw your attention upwards. Hang shelves and frames a little higher than you usually would in a larger room, and ensure curtain poles are hung as high as possible, rather than sitting just on top of the window. Long vertical lines also help, so think floor-to-ceiling curtains in a light fabric rather than dark slatted blinds.
What tips do you have for making a room look bigger? Leave a comment or share your ideas on the Reclaimed Brick-Tile Facebook page.
