The rooms can be moved apart. How to visually enlarge a small room: the correct use of color and lighting. Wallpaper for expanding space

For many residents of the former USSR, the issue of at least a visual increase in living space is very acute, because after the communist era, we inherited many houses with standard small-sized apartments. To visually increase the space and create the illusion of spaciousness, simple, accessible techniques will help.

Increasing space with mirrors

A mirror placed close to the floor will help to add volume to the room; an interesting effect can be achieved if you use mirrors instead of a curb. Perfectly able to cope with increased space and mirrored ceiling... And today it is not at all necessary to use a mirror for this. Necessary effect can create stretch ceiling... In order to expand the space, they can occupy almost the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe ceiling, or only a small part of it.

Wallpaper - is it possible to visually enlarge the room

Most used finishing material for residential premises - this is wallpaper. In interior design, they play an important role. This or that wallpaper pattern can significantly change the appearance of a room, including visually reducing or expanding the space of a room.

To make the room seem larger, it is recommended to select wallpaper in light colors. If there is a picture on them, it should be borne in mind that large images significantly narrow the space. For small rooms, a small or small ornament is more suitable, it visually removes the surface, as a result, the room seems larger. A good effect can be achieved by combining wallpaper.

First, let's figure out how a drawing is able to change the optics of space.

Large drawing (image 1) brings the surfaces closer, and, therefore, visually reduces the room, if it is located only on the back wall - the room is shortened.

Small drawing (image 2), especially in light colors, it seems to expand the space, thanks to which it enlarges the room.

Transverse stripes (image 3) pushing the walls apart, making the room appear lower. If they are located only on the back wall, the room is shortened.

Vertical stripes (image 4) lengthen the wall, making the room appear taller, and the wider the stripes, the more noticeable the effect will be.

Cross strips located on the floor (image 5) visually the room is made shorter and wider.

Longitudinal stripes located on the floor (image 6) lengthen the room, and the more pronounced their color and the wider they are, the stronger the effect.

Ways to expand the space using wallpaper:

• To even out a long and narrow room, you can use wallpaper with a horizontal pattern, or bring the far wall closer with wallpaper in a warm dark shade.
• Wallpaper with vertical stripes visually increases the height, but reduces the volume of the room. To avoid this effect, the walls can be decorated with contrasting narrow stripes.

• Wide stripes that are too bright will make the room look squat, so try to use subtle colors. It is recommended to include bright pictures only in places, for example, to highlight areas.
• To enlarge the room with wallpaper, you can decorate smaller walls with a large pattern, and large ones with a small one. Large patterns are also good for zoning a room, highlighting any part of it.
• Wallpaper without a pattern (plain) or with a barely noticeable image creates a depth of perception, due to which it emphasizes interior items well. Such wallpapers (but only in light colors) will not only increase the space, but also create an ideal basis for further wall decoration with photographs, paintings, etc.
• To increase small rooms with low ceilings and poor lighting, you can arrange the lower part of them in darker tones, the upper part with light ones, and make a horizontal strip at the junction.
• To make the ceiling appear taller, stick the wallpaper only close to it. Wide borders on the walls, which have the color of the ceiling, make the room lower, so it is better to refuse them. Only very thin curbs can be used.
• You can visually remove the ceiling by adding length to the walls. In this case, they should "go" a little to the ceiling. Just apply the wallpaper starting from the ceiling or paint the ceiling near the walls in the same color as the walls. As a result, a strip with the same color, texture and pattern as the walls should form along the perimeter of the ceiling. The size of such a strip should not exceed thirty centimeters; for small rooms, five centimeters will be enough.
• You can raise the ceiling using photo wallpaper. If you decorate one of the walls with such wallpaper, the area of \u200b\u200bthe room will visually increase. But remember, wall murals that increase space should only be with a perspective pattern, that is, they should not be depicted, for example, brick wall, and the water surface, a field, a road going into the distance, mountain peaks, etc.

Expanding the space with color

Scientists have long proven that color can influence a person in the most amazing way. Some shades soothe and give peace of mind, others, on the contrary, irritate or even make a person aggressive, others increase appetite, etc. Color can also affect the visual perception of space.

Consider how paints can optically change space:

Dark floor (image 1) in conjunction with light walls and ceiling, moves the room up and to the sides. The room will seem especially large if the walls and ceiling are the same.

Blackout floor and ceiling (image 2) will make the room wider and lower, its area will be perceived more than in reality.

Blackout back wall and floor (image 3), in this case, the floor will be emphasized even more, this will move the room to the sides.

Blackout rear wall and ceiling (image 4) will make the room visually shorter, but at the same time expand to the sides.

Blacked out walls and floor (image 5). In this version, the floor connects the walls and seems to pull them together, because of this, the room becomes smaller and lengthens.

Blackout back wall (image 6) deepens the room, besides that it is also a good background for furniture and interior items that need to be highlighted.

Darkened side walls (image 7) make the room narrower, it moves towards the back wall, floor and ceiling.

Blackout back and side walls(image 8) expand the room up and down, but at the same time make it closed.

Blackout side walls and ceiling (image 9) the room expands towards the back wall, it seems narrower and longer. At the same time, the light floor does not give the feeling of reliable support.

Colored back and side walls (image 10) make the room enclosed, but at the same time it seems taller.

Neutral floor and colored other surfaces (image 11) make the room cramped and cave-like.

Colored all surfaces (image 12) greatly narrow the room, making it gloomy.

Consider a few design tips on how to visually enlarge a room with color:

• Best of all, light pastel colors expand the space.
• To make the room more will help the design of the ceiling and walls in one color. Also, the top can be made the same as the walls, but only a couple of tones lighter.
• If the style of the room allows, you can visually raise the ceiling, and therefore increase the space, using the beams located on it. At the same time, it is recommended to make them white, and the ceiling itself is smoky, slightly darkened.
• If you want to enlarge the space with color, and significantly, use blue tones, but keep in mind that such shades do not favor a long stay in the room. Any light cold colors can be an alternative to blue.
• On the farthest wall of the room, place some bright decor item, so you can create a perspective effect and the room will be perceived as spacious.
• Try to paint low ceilings only in light colors, best of all in white.
• To lengthen the room, decorate the opposite wall with a lighter, cooler shade.
• To increase the space, you can also use the following technique - make the floor and decorative elements in the same color, and decorate the walls in a calmer tone.
• The overall furniture that you plan to put along the walls, try to pick up in a color close to the walls, so the room will be visually smoothed.
• You can move the walls apart by painting the shelves to match them and choosing the curtains of the same color. All of these elements will merge and create a more airy space.

Starting the renovation, we want not only to update the interior of the house, but also to adapt the space for ourselves, so that small rooms seem larger, brighter, and ceilings - higher.

For large rooms, the reverse task is how to make the room not look like a ballet hall.

Everyone wants to have a large apartment, and there are cozy and spacious rooms in it, but not everyone is available and possible. To expand the space, you can break the partitions, but why start a big renovation when visually expanding the area of \u200b\u200ba small room, some simple design solutions will help.

When asked how to visually enlarge the space in a small room, the answer is simple, use the available tricks of optical illusion (optical illusion). Such visualization methods are effective and very important in design, they are often used by architects, interior designers and fashion designers.

Visually enlarging a room, even a very cramped one, can be achieved by combining such techniques as play of light, harmonic of color and its shades, correct selection wallpaper, increasing reflective mirrors in the room, the use of murals and photo wallpaper. This should include the correct planning and selection of furniture, interior items, the location of the cornices and correctly matched tulles, curtains and curtains, as well as the use of textiles in the room, creating an atmosphere of freshness, softness and lightness.

First, let's remember the basic principles that guide designers:

• Light colors increase space, dark colors decrease space
• Every time you draw a line, it breaks the space apart.
• Every time you use a contrast spot, it visually reduces the space.
• Any large object in small space reduces it even more
• The fewer objects in the room, the more it looks.

As you know, any small room can be made visually more spacious by using an effective and accessible method for everyone - an optical illusion. There are many ways, tricks and tricks that can turn even a very tight space into a spacious hall. For tiny apartment owners looking to create the illusion of spaciousness and grandeur, these 11 actionable design tips will help you make the right choice.

Recently, a lot of techniques have been developed that allow even a small room to become wider, taller, lighter and more spacious without destroying existing niches and partitions, as well as expensive redevelopments and repairs. They allow you to cope with this problem on your own, without resorting to the help of specialists. You just need to follow the main rule - do not violate the proportions and do not overdo it, otherwise you will get the opposite result.

1. Contrast spot

Everyone knows that color plays a dominant role in the interior, and if you make a mistake with the choice, then an unsuccessfully chosen color scheme will simply "swallow" the available area. And this is an unaffordable luxury for owners of small areas.

Often on design sites or in a magazine, it is advised to use light colors. However, this technique only works in rooms larger than 8 square meters. meters, on smaller areas with such a design you will achieve only similarity with a ward in a hospital or a bathroom.

Therefore, there is a very interesting option decoration - darkening one or more areas. For example, if you focus on the back wall and paint it in a dark color, the room will visually deepen and a feeling of spaciousness will appear. This method must be correctly applied, paying attention to the shape and height of the room, because inappropriate selection of the plane can further worsen the situation.

2. Winning wallpaper pattern

Cleverly selected wallpapers can turn your room into a more spacious and luminous one in a moment, provided that you take into account the shape and height of the room.

If the apartment has low ceilings, then use wallpaper with vertical stripes, this solution will visually significantly increase the space.

If you paste over one of the walls with wallpaper with a large geometric pattern, and the rest of the walls are plain, then the optical illusion of spaciousness will be provided.

When choosing wallpaper with a small pattern, make sure that it does not cause ripples in your eyes. But even a very large, and even more so a multi-colored pattern on the canvas will not add either space or beauty to your interior.

3. Wallpaper or murals

Thanks to modern technologies very high quality and original photowall-paper appeared, as well as extraordinary photo-paintings that can not only transform appearance rooms, but also create the illusion of unreal space.

Even the smallest bathroom area of \u200b\u200b1 sq. m. are transformed beyond recognition.

4. 3D - modern techniques

Modern techniques for creating volume are able to create a very realistic picture in any area of \u200b\u200bapplication and interior design is no exception. 3D technologies are able to visually enlarge the space even better than the usual mirrors, color, texture, etc.

If you use wallpaper, stretch ceilings or floors with 3D-technology of drawing a picture, you will be able not only to visually enlarge the room, but also to achieve a stunning result in the design of the entire interior.

5. Mirror surfaces

Everyone knows the ability of mirrors to multiply light and reflect objects around them, while creating the illusion of grandeur and spaciousness. Therefore, in decorating the interior of a small room, they should become the main element that will help you not only decorate the room, but also increase its visual area.

If you install a large mirror or a sliding wardrobe with a mirrored surface opposite the window, then an abundance of light and space will be guaranteed. The main thing is to make sure that straight sun rays do not fall on the mirror itself, as this will lead to a tarnishing of the surface and the appearance of spots.

If you install a mirror surface on one wall, you will achieve an amazing effect, the room will immediately transform, become brighter and larger.

6. Lighting

Even the most sophisticated and expensive interior can fade if the room is not properly lit. With skillful lighting of all corners, you can turn a small room into a spacious hall. In this case, you need to adhere to only a few rules.

As strange as it may sound, it is in a small room that the installation of a large chandelier is an excellent option. Its bright and voluminous light will not only fit into the interior of the room in an original way, but also create the illusion of spaciousness.

LED and halogen backlights installed on bookshelves, cabinets, mirrors. Not only do they perfectly illuminate the room, but they also visually enlarge the room.

And if you install the backlight along the wall, then the depth and space in the room will be provided.
It is better to illuminate all dark corners separately, using floor lamps or wall sconces. Such a trick to add volume small room and make it more comfortable.

7. Textiles

Of course, first of all, you need to take care of curtains or curtains, which will also help you increase the visual space of the room. Therefore, give up bulky dark curtains in favor of lighter and more airy ones.

You can visually increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe room if you collect the curtains in the form of an accordion, while they must be up to the floor. It is better to purchase a cornice wider and install it under the ceiling itself.

If you have a small room, in no case leave a tablecloth on the table, because it focuses attention on itself, which visually narrows the space.

8. Carpets

If you love comfort and warmth, then the carpet will become a must-have interior item. And the final result depends on what size and color you choose. Dark colors and massive patterns not only make the interior heavier, but also absorb the already small space.

And the choice of size depends on which room it will be in and in what condition the floor itself.
If this is a bedroom, then it should be on the entire floor area, and if a living room, then it is better to visually delimit the recreation area by placing on it upholstered furniture.

In a narrow corridor, a small walkway would look much better than a covering completely covering the parquet floor.

9. Color solution

As much as you would not like to have a colorful sofa or a dark-colored wardrobe, it is better to abandon this idea if it will be in a small room. Dark and bold colors can absorb space.

A glass table or even a chest instead of a coffee table looks very interesting and advantageous in the interior of a small room. After all, they not only fulfill their direct function, but also do not "take" space, because glass allows you to look at objects through it.

11. Furniture size

The size of the furniture is also of great importance, because small areas are not recommended to clutter up at all. Therefore, it is better not to think about massive wardrobes, sofas and armchairs at all, even if you are a lover of majestic forms.

It is better to design such areas in hi-tech style, which assumes a minimum amount of furniture, straight lines, glossy surfaces with chrome accessories and light cool colors. Therefore, choose furniture that is laconic, compact in size, preferably made of light materials, and also give preference to mirror or glossy surfaces.

If you have a small apartment, then the kitchen will be the same size. It will be especially problematic to put everything you need if it is a Khrushchev. But the following

Armed with these techniques, you can easily create a spacious and voluminous interior in your room.

1. The very first thing is color. When choosing materials, choose light pastel colors without bright and dark elements.

2. If you need to lengthen the room, then the opposite wall must be decorated with a colder and lighter shade. If you have some kind of print on your wallpaper, then you need to remember that a large drawing brings it closer, and a small one lengthens.

3. If the room is long and narrow, then it can be expanded using wallpaper with a horizontal stripe, as well as visually bringing the opposite wall closer with wallpaper or paint in a dark warm shade.

4. Wallpaper with a small floral print will visually enlarge the room, and if you combine and glue the same wallpaper only with a large flower on the opposite narrower wall, you will also be able to expand the room.

5. Low ceilings can be leveled using light, or better white, glossy ceiling or, more extreme, “mirrors”. If the height allows, then you can “play” with a multilevel plasterboard ceiling... The ceiling and floor should be as light as the rest of the walls in the room. A light floor with longitudinal lines will also help increase the space. Also, light glossy tiles will help with this.

6. It is necessary to work very carefully with curbs in a small room, there is a risk of further reducing it.

7. Nice tool, with the help of which it is always possible to increase or expand the space - mirrors. But the main thing here is not to overdo it.

8. Light and light textiles on the windows will also visually increase the space and make the room more airy and light.

9. Choose furniture that is simple, preferably with straight lines and functional. It is desirable in color that it does not differ from the general colors rooms. Avoid bulky furniture. It is better to put a middle sofa and one small armchair than a full-fledged soft corner.

10. By placing some bright decor item in the farthest corner of the room, you will create the effect of a great perspective, and the person who enters will perceive the room as spacious.

11. Brighten the room with additional lighting. In addition to sunlight and central lighting, use indoor lighting and additional sources Sveta. Sometimes, just with the right lighting, you can create stunning visuals. If you are not confident in your abilities, contact professional designers.

12. In a small room, many small decor items (trinkets, candlesticks, figurines, etc.) will look ridiculous and visually clutter up the space even more. Therefore, try to remove all unnecessary.

13. Do not occupy space in the center of the room, place furniture along walls and in corners.

14. Look for “transparent” furniture with glass surfaces.

15. Use mirrors. With their help, you will create depth in the room. Mirrors also brighten and brighten the room by reflecting natural and artificial light.

16. If you need to divide the room, highlighting a certain area, use “shelf” and glass partitions.

17. Instead of ordinary doors, a glass partition can also be installed in the room.

18. When selecting household appliances give preference to narrow options. Fortunately, today there is a very wide selection of flat-panel TVs and narrow monitors.

19. Having made a niche with circular illumination in the wall, you will visually move the wall further, which will increase the volume of the room.

20. And finally, if you have the opportunity to combine rooms by removing partitions, use this method as well, but then you have to work hard and run around in all instances to agree on the redevelopment of the apartment.

Who among us has not dreamed of a cozy cottage or an old estate like those where the heroines of Jane Austen's novels live? Alas, the reality is harsh: many have to be content with modest one-room apartment in panel house... But if we cannot change the footage, then filling our home with light and at least visually making it more spacious is available to everyone.

Choosing wallpaper

With the help of correctly selected wallpaper, you can transform any room beyond recognition and even make a miniature room visually spacious.

You can increase the space of the room if you paste over the walls with light wallpaper of soft cold shades - blue, silver-gray, mint, ash pink.

It is better if they are monochromatic, with a small discreet pattern or embossing. Wallpaper in large roses or with wide stripes will create the opposite effect - they will turn an already cramped room into a box.

A square-shaped room will acquire the missing depth if the wall farthest from the entrance is pasted over with photo wallpaper with a calm landscape.

A room with a low ceiling will become visually taller if you take wallpaper with vertical stripes. But there is a small nuance in using them. To achieve the desired effect, such wallpaper is pasted over the walls up to the ceiling, along the contour having laid a narrow, laconic design, white ceiling plinth... Resist the temptation to run a strip cut from the same wallpaper along the top edge. This will make the ceiling in your room even lower.

Also, in a small room, it is undesirable to use wallpaper of two colors, which are very different from one another, and close the junction with a noticeable border.
But almost the same technique will help to increase the height of the ceiling if you take wallpaper of the same color, but for the upper part - plain, and for panels - with a pattern, or make the lower part of the walls plain, and the top and ceiling - striped.

And one more trick: if you want the rooms to appear taller, during the renovation, before painting the walls or pasting the wallpaper, round the joints between the ceiling and the walls. Then you will not have to resort to various tricks so often.

We put the correct floor

If you want to make the room seem more spacious, opt for light floor shades: ceramic tiles - for bathroom and toilet, laminate or parquet - for bedroom or living room.

Pay attention to how the tiles or parquet boards will be laid. Located longitudinally, they will help make the room elongated, and if laid diagonally, the room will seem much larger than its true size.

When choosing a carpet or a rug, give preference to monochromatic models in pastel shades. Catchy, with a contrasting pattern, visually reduce an already small space.

If you decide to visually expand the space, remember that longitudinal stripes look very elegant. By choosing flooring of this type, you probably can't go wrong.

We do not skimp on mirrors

With the help of mirrors, you can create a real miracle, because the space reflected in them doubles! Of course, turning an entire wall into a solid mirror is not worth it, otherwise the room will look like a ballet class.

A low room will make a tall (from ceiling to floor), but not too wide mirror more spacious. You will immediately feel that the room has changed.

Do you want your living room to look not only fresh, but also balanced? Position the mirror so that it reflects your favorite plants: three or four pots will turn a cramped room into a real greenhouse.

You can also visually enlarge the bathroom with the help of a mirror, which, according to the good old tradition, is hung over the sink. It is not only practical but also beautiful. Light plain tiles will enhance the effect.

We hang curtains

In a small apartment "clothes for windows" must obey all the same requirements - be monochromatic or with a discreet pattern and, if possible, translucent. Too voluminous, with heavy folds and a complex lambrequin, the curtains will make small room even closer.

Try to avoid layering when decorating windows. Transparent tulle with light curtains can be successfully replaced with a denser material without supplementing it with anything.

If you are uncomfortable in a too open room, you can limit yourself only to Roman blinds or textile roller blinds... By the way, it is not at all necessary to supplement them. ordinary curtains, and tulle will be superfluous.

Do you consider curtains an indispensable attribute of window decor? Well, your right! Just try and use it wisely. In a room with low ceilings, window curtains should be attached just below the ceiling, allowing the lush folds to fall freely to the floor.

Have you had the dubious "happiness" of living in a house with narrow windows? Outside, there is nothing to help here, but inside you can combine two such windows with a common cornice, and take a translucent dense tulle as a decor. The room will look much more harmonious. But don't use this trick if you have windows. standard size: it is impractical, washing and ironing such huge curtains is very inconvenient, and hanging it is a real torment. Moreover, the long horizontal stripe the fabric draping the entire wall does not decorate the interior at all.

We arrange furniture

Owners of small apartments need to pay great attention to the choice of the material from which the furniture is made. Coffee tables of the same size and shape, the countertops of which are made of glass and wood, look completely different: wooden - solid and heavy, glass (albeit often heavier) - almost weightless.

Glass shelves seem to be just as light and airy. The feeling of spaciousness will become even stronger if you place a white pots with a weaving plant (for example, cissus or Sprenger's asparagus) on such a shelf, and attach a large mirror in a discreet frame or without it to the wall.

Glass items are a win-win: they visually enlarge a small room. A well-kept aquarium in the living room, beautiful glasses or original form glasses in the kitchen, elegant photo frames in the bedroom are just a small part of where glass can be applied.

Life hacks for expanding space for different types of premises

And finally, one more piece of advice: do not neglect the words of professionals, and listen to your own feelings. Designers' recommendations are general, but only you can make your home, even small, cozy and unique.