4 Tips to Make a

Space Appear Larger

As part of our newest project, we also designed the living room next door. The room presented a unique challenge: it was narrow and received a lot of indirect light, so we needed to find a way to make it appear more open.

In its original state, the room had a lot of beige, so we started by painting the walls a neutral white and contrasted that with floors in a warmer tone to add depth.

BEFORE

AFTER

When planning for furniture, we like to start by creating a space plan that outlines the recommended layout of pieces in the room. This helps hone in the rough size of each piece, when everything comes together, things feel balanced as a whole.

Tip 1: Be mindful of both the size and scale of pieces in a space.

When it comes to furniture, less is usually more.

Taping out furniture dimensions on the floor is a great way to check pathways and furniture sizes upfront.

Option 1: Here, the drapes sit higher on the wall and the vaulted ceiling is less noticeable

Option 2: In this option, the drapes sit lower on the wall and the vaulted ceiling remains a highlight!

Tip 2: Hang drapery higher up on the wall.

In this project, we created renderings to help our clients’ visualize their layout in the room. In the option at left above, they extend across both windows. At right, they cover just the lower window. Hanging drapery higher up on a wall creates an illusion that the ceilings are taller than they actually are.

In the renderings above, the vaulted ceiling becomes less noticeable as the drapes rise. We went with Option 2 to keep the beauty of that architectural feature highlighted. Which would you pick?

TIP 3: Add a mirror to reflect and bounce natural light.

We used a mirror above the fireplace in this room to reflect and bounce both natural and artificial light, which can help a space feel larger. The circular shape also helps break up the straight lines seen within the furniture and windows.

TIP 4: Layer the height of lighting across a room.

We’re big believers that lighting is one of the most transformative elements in a space! In the formal sitting room above, we layered a chandelier with floor lamps adjacent to the seating. Table lamps can also be mixed in. Layering light at different heights helps create a mood and distribute light more evenly across a room.