Sometimes the home or workspace we invest in will be chosen due to location and budget, and this may mean that the space we are working with may have smaller dimensions than we desire.
This includes not only the floor space but also looking at the horizontal and vertical space leading up to the ceiling.
If you’d like to achieve the feeling of a room that has more breathing space, and you can’t knock down any walls, here are five ways you can achieve a greater sense of space.
Paint Choices
Just like in fashion where we may be led to wear darker colours to make ourselves feel slimmer, the use of light paint colours – even all white can help to make a room feel larger.
Replacement of darker colours on walls and extending a white normally found on ceilings throughout the room can help. White has a reflective property with light, allowing a room to feel more open.
This can be particularly effective when you have exposed timber beams and a ceiling replacement is not in the budget. Painting them white can help add volume to the room.
Furniture Choice
You want your furniture to fit with the look and feel of the room, however, there are ways that you can choose furniture that can help the feel of a room. Consider pieces that are lower to the floor if you need to add volume to the walls leading up to the ceiling.
If you happen to have a room with small floor space, and quite high ceilings, consider the option of using lamps that are long and lean (think fine Danish lines). Emphasizing the vertical dimension can help your room appear larger, while you may want to make sure your furniture is functional and minimal, and consider its placement.
Furniture Placement
When working to create the feel of a bigger room, consider the placement of your furniture, and even artwork on the walls. Have a look at how your eye line travels. Having a clear pathway through the room can be helpful, as can having your eye focusing on a collection (art or furniture) that leads to an area that creates either the feeling of height or width, or leads into another open space – think of a skylight in a ceiling, or an open window.
Lifting The Ceiling
If budget and surrounding tenants allow, lifting the ceiling is a great option to provide additional space into a room. Working with a professional means that they can talk you through ceiling options, and what would work to add volume (and potentially light) into a small room.
Ceiling replacement can literally open up options for your small space in terms of design and functionality. If storage is an issue, think of additional vertical space that can be utilised within a wall leading up to the ceiling.
It also allows you to work with a larger number of lighting options, including beautiful pendant lights that can act as a statement piece with a higher ceiling and also bring personality into a room, allowing anyone walking in to focus on the vertical.
Connecting Spaces
The flow of one space to another can also help create the feeling of a bigger room. This can be achieved either by knocking a hole in a wall to create a view to another area, or even looking at how the ceiling height changes between spaces.
Some homes tend to have one room with a higher ceiling, and thanks to their original architecture and design, a high ceiling does not extend into the connecting space.
Sometimes a ceiling replacement may work out to be a more affordable option than refitting a space with fancy new low to the ground furniture. After all, if you are not considering a full-scale renovation, the floor space is unlikely to change, but you can still get that larger room feel with very little space.
To explore what this may look like, why not speak with a professional ceiling contractor who can help your room feel bigger.
