A bigger room or the illusion of more space can be achieved with changes here or there
Karen Turner
Sun
Not everyone lives in their dream home, and not every room in their home is quite as large as they’d like it to be. With space the ultimate commodity, sometimes people need a bit of design magic to make better use of it.
According to bbc.co.uk/homes, there are a number of design tricks that can create the illusion of space — especially in badly lit or poorly designed rooms.
The following tips can help improve the layout of everything from your bathroom and bedroom to your living room or office:
By replacing conventional nightstands with wall-mounted bedside tables, you have two fewer pieces of furniture taking up your valuable floorspace.
– Shelves: Extend your floor space by installing floating shelves that can replace otherwise bulky cabinets and end tables. In the bedroom, try wall-mounted bedside tables.
– Windows: Windows can be a major factor in determining the appearance of space in a room.
If you place an eye-catching object in front of a window, such as a plant or statue, it will draw visitors’ eyes toward it and naturally make a room seem larger.
– Colour: Certain colours expand a room, while others make it seem smaller. Aim for lighter colours, such as lilac or yellows in order to add illusionary space.
– Soften the edges: By placing a picture at the centre of a wall, you can draw people’s eyes away from a room’s edges. Another trick is to paint a wall’s skirting boards the same colour as your carpet in order to make the floor space appear larger.
– Furniture placement: Moving chairs and sofas away from the walls stops people’s eyes from looking at a room’s corners and can have the effect of making a room look bigger.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
