An empty room almost ALWAYS looks smaller than it really is. People have no imaginations and let's face it, how could buyers intuitively even know if furniture will fit into a space.
Empty rooms actually look smaller than furnished ones (even we have to measure up sometimes after all these years to make sure our chosen items will fit). Carefully selected furniture gives buyers a measurement of scale to compare their items to – “my dining table is bigger than this one but I can see it will fit”.
The greater the distance between the top of the sofa and the ceiling, the taller and larger your room will feel. Along the same lines, think leggy and light. A sofa with visible feet will slim down a space more than a skirted sectional.
Dark colours absorb light and therefore will make a room appear smaller. Select warm, deep tones and perhaps consider painting your ceiling a darker colour to visually lower it. You can also experiment with heavy, textured fabrics in rich colours as well as bold, dramatic window treatments.
Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms. Here, we dive deeper into this topic with 5 specific painting techniques to make rooms look bigger, brighter, and more beautiful.
Wide Planks
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
Slide 1: Too Much Furniture Makes Room Look Smaller
The fewer pieces of furniture you have cluttering your rooms, the more spacious your place will feel.
Baseboard moulding can be used to create a finished look to a room and also to visually enlarge the space. By using a taller baseboard moulding, you can give the impression of higher ceilings and more space. This is an easy and affordable way to add character and sophistication to a small room.
Using a wide-angle camera lens allows for wider shots that give a better sense of depth. It also makes small spaces appear bigger.
As Brianna Untener has commented above, couches that are raised off the ground can actually help a room feel bigger by creating more space. Interior designer, Jeanette Fusco, also supports this and says, 'a couch with legs or a raised base can create the illusion of more floor space. '
Beware that paint holds the power to merely elongate a room, rather than make it feel bigger overall. 'Using a lighter shade on the end wall, furthest away from you as you enter the space, alongside darker walls either side create a sense of depth and work to elongate the room' says Ruth.
Big furniture can put the squeeze on arranging small bedrooms. If you have closet space, tuck your chest or dresser in the closet. You'll free up valuable floor space, make your room appear larger, and have your clothes in one convenient spot.
Floating furniture means that you place it from the center out. The backs of the furniture aren't against the walls. This technique creates a more intimate seating arrangement while freeing up the wall space that gives the illusion that the room is larger than it actually is.
So yes, it IS okay to place a couch in front of a window,' says Lucy Searle, Editor in Chief of Homes & Gardens. 'However, I would always advise that it is low-slung so that there is a clear view of as much of the window as possible. It's also practical because it will make it easier to open and close the windows.
There are no set rules on whether your trim should be lighter or darker than your walls, it completely depends on your overall design and vision for your chosen space.
Here is a great rule of thumb: A standard 8-foot wall typically has a baseboard 3 to 5 inches tall, while a 10-foot ceiling calls for 5 to 7 inches. As a designer, I love adding height for drama. And the taller baseboards create a modern yet elegant finished look.
A general rule of thumb for your baseboards is the 7 percent rule — they should equal 7 percent of the overall height of your room. So, if you have 8-foot ceilings, your baseboards will look best at around 7 inches high.
Kitchen. The kitchen is the hub of family activity and a high-traffic space. Therefore, it's often the most cluttered room in the home. If you've ever had to move something from one flat surface to another just to start supper, you need to rethink how much stuff you're storing in your kitchen.
Clutter: Possessions are disorganized and may accumulate around living areas. Collecting: Possessions are part of a larger set of items. Display does not impede active living areas in home. Hoarding: Possessions become unorganized piles preventing rooms from being used for their intended purpose.
Block out the rest of your crazy house, and make a beeline to the bathroom. Why? Because the bathroom is hands-down the best place to start decluttering, especially when you're too overwhelmed to start.
Contrast is one of the core rules of any style or decor, so the easiest way to match furniture and floors is to go with dark furniture on light floors or light furniture on dark floors.
The best flooring for resale value: The ROI on wood floors
They're durable, versatile, and most buyers love them. According to real estate experts, the average ROI for installing hardwood floors is about 70% to 80%, and wood floors can boost the sales price of your home as much as 2.5%.
Mouldings and other floor accessories can make the floor look expensive with an inexpensive price tag, which is a great option to achieve a “luxurious” look and atmosphere without spending a fortune.