3 Ways to Make Your Space Look Larger
Our homes are all unique in their own ways. Whether it be the exterior style and materials used, the internal layout, or room sizes! It’s one aspect of being an interior designer that makes the profession so interesting – we get to see lots of different spaces!
Your home is likely to contain rooms that are too big, too small, or just right. And with those spaces that are on the smaller or larger side, they can prove extremely difficult to furnish and design. Many of our clients come to us because they have tried everything they can think of to make the space work, but it just never looks or feels right for what they need.
So how can we make a space look larger? There are a number of strategies to do this, but we’re going to focus on our top 3 Ways to Make Your Space Look Larger in this article!
Let’s explore 3 Ways to Make Your Space Look Larger!
1 – Strategic Contrast
By using contrast strategically, a space can appear larger than it is.
The most effective way of doing this is through paint colors! This helps to guide the eye around the space.
In this bathroom project below, we introduced a deep blue paint, Sherwin Williams Indigo Batik, and paired it with Sherwin Williams Westhighland White to create interest and draw the eye around the space. By using white on the lower portion of the wall on the new beadboard accent, we were able to encourage light to be reflected around the space too.
We also used a larger format tile on the floor in a light color with pops of bright color for contrast so this space felt much larger than before we designed it. We repeated the deep blue in the valance above the toilet to continue to lead the eye around the space.
All the finishes and colors selected for this bathroom were strategic in order to make it feel much larger than it actually is!
2 – Light Colors and Layered Patterns
It’s important to understand that darker colors absorb more light, and lighter colors reflect more light. Therefore, when a space has more light, it’s often perceived as a larger space than it really is. Avoid using darker colors if you can, and stick with lighter shades instead.
When laying patterns into the space, this increases the sophistication level and further helps a space to appear larger. You can do this through patterned tile, wallpaper, or decorative accessories.
In addition to redesigning the lighting in this bathroom (on the right), we also replaced the dark tile with a lighter tile in various patterns to create visual interest (in addition to the plaid wallpaper). This also helps to reflect more light, thus making the space appear larger.
Top Tip: We also removed an awkward wall which further opened the bathroom up visually so it appears larger.
3 – Built-Ins
There’s a misconception that large furniture or built-ins make a space feel smaller, but that’s not the case! A built-in that’s designed to respect the architecture in a space has the power to make a room feel spacious and large.
When designing a built-in, I like to create vertical interest by leveraging the full height of the space. Floor-to-ceiling built-ins will make a space appear much larger than built-ins without shelves above. By also spanning the space, a room can also feel wider.
When we designed this built-in below, we also incorporated a vertical beadboard behind the shelving to further enhance the vertical aspect of the space. We lightened the color to reflect more light, and added a mirror above the mantle to further make the space appear larger.
