In a culture where many of us are working to slim our waistline, we begin to develop our own personal “bag of tricks,” methods and apparel that give our bodies the appearance of being something other than what they actually are.
As an interior designer, I am often faced with a similar challenge that relates to room size. More often than not, one of the first questions a client poses during my initial home visit is: “What can I do to make this room seem larger?” Obviously this is the opposite goal when it comes to our waist lines, but when it comes to room size, it seems that the appearance of bigger is better.
The desire to make a small room feel larger comes up so often with clients, that in my 25 year career, I have developed my own “bag of design tricks” that can magically transform a space and add virtual square footage.
Out of my bag, I’ve pulled my top three space-enhancing tips that will have you and your room livin’ large in no time.
1. Forget the white paint.
No matter what your mother told you, painting a small room white will not make it feel larger. Paint alone won’t do the trick. Light colors do have the ability to create a sense of airiness. However, just painting your room a basic white, without some extra effort, will do little to achieve your goal. If white and light tends to be your thing, make sure that every other element in your room is similar in tone. This sort of approach is referred to as monochromatic. In a monochromatic room, white or off-white walls would be paired with a white or off-white upholstery fabric. Wood finishes would be bleached or raw. Accessories, pillows and rugs would also follow the “keep it light” rule. The key here for success is varying the textures and finishes–mix shiny with matte, smooth with rough, and keep any accent color soft and to a minimum.
The white upholstered headboard and nightstand essentially disappear into the walls of this tiny dormer bedroom.
2. Be Bold.
Even in a home with a subtle palette, a small room is the perfect opportunity to pull out all of the stops with pattern. One of my signature design elements is to take a tiny powder room (you know, the ones that are often no larger than a coat closet) and envelope them in a dramatic oversized wallpaper pattern. The result is an exciting space. An oversized pattern has the ability to trick the eye and blur where walls and corners meet. The other advantage to this design trick is that it alleviates the need for a lot of art and accessories in the space. Just a beautiful mirror and some simple sconces and, voila, we’ve turned what was a tiny, boring space into something that your guests will be talking about all night… and trust me, they won’t be talking about how small it is.
Classic and on trend all at once, this graphic oversized wall covering eliminates the corners and makes a super tiny powder room feel large and luxurious.
3. Paint It All and Make it Dark.
We’ve all been trained that woodwork has to be a consistent color throughout the house or painted a lighter shade than your walls. When talking about a small space, those traditional rules go out the window. A deep rich wall color, much darker and more saturated than you might typically choose, has an amazing ability to create shadows. These shadows specifically in corners make it difficult for the human eye to perceive a room’s depth and therefore, subconsciously feels bigger. Go one step further, and paint all of your woodwork the same deep, rich color… and I do mean all of it. Crown molding, window frames, doors, light switches – basically everything in the space is the exact same shade. The result – instant luxury and a sense of infinity. This is one trick that always works, and although a little daring, is one you won’t regret.
In this room, picture molding, wainscoting, and chair rail are all painted in the same rich chocolate brown.
So go home tonight, enjoy a big bowl of pasta alfredo, and embrace the luxury of livin’ large.
