It would seem that not the simplest question of how to enlarge a room, there are a lot of solutions. Playing with color, texture and lighting, you can significantly increase the lack of space in the room. These techniques are especially relevant in standard city apartments and Khrushchev buildings. Most suitable for decorating a compact apartment scandinavian style, minimalism, hi-tech.

What colors increase the space?

It is a well-known fact that the lighter the shade, the larger the object appears. The same technique works in interior solutions. In order to visually increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, it is worth using finishing in light colors: white and cold pastel shades. Furniture should also be used in a light color, but different in tone from the walls, ceiling and floor. For example, it can be a delicate pastel palette.

In the photo there is a compact kitchen in Khrushchev. In order to visually increase the area, the room was decorated in light colors.

How to decorate the walls?

What wallpapers enlarge the room

Using some finishing tricks, you can expand the boundaries of the room and visually enlarge the room.

  • Vertical stripes stretch the space, making it taller;

  • Wallpaper with horizontal stripes will increase the width of the room;

In the photo, the wall is decorated with wallpaper with horizontal stripes, given view finishing visually increases the width of the room.

  • One of the walls can be pasted over with wallpaper with a pattern or ornament, this technique will make a long room more proportional;

  • Flashy bright colors should be avoided;
  • The walls can be decorated with wallpaper with a shiny surface;

In the photo, the accent wall in the bedroom is decorated with golden wallpaper with a shiny surface.

  • You can use wallpaper with a small pattern or a discreet pattern, they will increase the volume.

What drawings enlarge the room

Seemingly simple drawings and geometric shapes miraculously affect our perception. The same pattern for different colors, scale or location radically change appearance premises.

  • Volumetric drawing on one of the walls (photo 1). A large drawing shortens the room, visually bringing the wall on which it is located. This type of finish is suitable for long, narrow spaces. The image will shorten the length and expand the space.
  • Small patterns (photo 2). A small drawing of a light shade on the contrary visually enlarges the space, making it three-dimensional.
  • Horizontal stripes (photo 3). Transverse stripes can increase the width and stretch the walls. However, a low ceiling effect may occur. In the case of wallpaper with horizontal stripes on only one wall, the room will appear shorter.
  • Vertical stripes (photo 4). On the other hand, vertical stripes stretch the space, making it taller. The thickness of the stripes enhances this effect.
  • Horizontal stripes on the floor (photo 5). As with wallpaper, horizontal stripes make the room wider but shorter. This finishing method is suitable for disproportionate rooms.
  • Longitudinal stripes (photo 6). Vertical stripes deepen the room, making it longer. As with wallpaper, the width of the stripes enhances the effect.

Wall murals enlarging the room

The image can enlarge or vice versa reduce the area of \u200b\u200bthe room.

  • Wall murals with an image receding into the distance will make the room larger;
  • An unpromising image will reduce the area of \u200b\u200bthe room;
  • Wall murals with images of different textures will create a play of light, which will also add volume;
  • Wallpaper with a shiny surface will increase the area due to its reflective properties;
  • Wall murals with an image moving from dark to light shades will make the room taller;
  • You should not paste over all the walls of the room with photo wallpapers, they will have the opposite result, one or two will be enough.

Methods for increasing due to the ceiling

The simplest and most popular way to enlarge a room with a ceiling is to make a tension structure with a glossy surface. The mirror material doubles the space due to its reflective properties. An interesting solution there will be a combined ceiling, a combination of matte and glossy materials can create an unusual composition, increasing the precious square meters.

In the photo, the ceiling in the living room is decorated with a tension structure with a glossy surface.

A disproportionate room can be leveled by combining colors. A strip of a darker shade across the elongated room will make it wider. The same effect can be achieved with ceiling beams, several straight wooden beams will be sufficient.

Another way to increase the space is to photograph the sky.

Choice of flooring

The flooring, like other surfaces, is made mainly in light shades. For the living room, you can use laminate, linoleum or carpet, it is better to choose a single color or with a small discreet pattern.

Laminate and parquet flooring can be laid out diagonally or in the herringbone pattern, so the room looks more spacious.

The already familiar stripes are also used, the direction in any of the sides will enlarge the room in the desired direction.

In the photo, horizontal stripes make a narrow kitchen visually wider.

A self-leveling floor with a reflective effect will double the space.

How to increase the height of the room?

There are several ways to make the room higher. One of them is wall decoration. Vertical stripes or wallpaper patterns will "stretch" the wall. It can be wallpaper, paint or hand-painted.

Wall murals with a perspective image, such as a receding path in the forest or a high waterfall, will have the same result.

The photo shows a wallpaper with a perspective image (receding pier), which helps to visually increase the height of a small bedroom.

You can increase the height of the room using tall doorways and window openings... Curtains or tulle in a straight cut from ceiling to floor will also contribute to this.

Mirrors are a stylish way to significantly increase the area, for example, a tall mirror on the wall or a composition of small mirrors on the ceiling.

How to visually expand a narrow room?

Expand narrow room can be done by fairly simple means, without resorting to construction works... What if you got a room of imperfect proportions? It is necessary to start “fixing” them already at the stage of repair and finishing.

  • Elements that will help to visually expand a narrow room guiding the look "across" space. Floor covering with pronounced stripes, such as laminate or patterned linoleum, is best directed along the short wall or at an angle. Such coverings laid along a long wall will further narrow the room. Another option is to use a single-color coating, for example, carpet, linoleum without a pattern, cork.
  • Covering the walls will also help expand a narrow room. Feel free to use horizontal strip on end surfaces... Wide stripes and skillfully chosen colors help enhance the broadening effect.
  • Alternatively, try paint short walls bright, rich colors, and long ones - in neutral ones, or use wallpaper with an inconspicuous pattern on them. This technique will help to "squeeze" the room in the right direction, it will become more "square".
  • Ceiling beamsparallel to the short sides of the room will also help to perceive it differently, visually expand the narrow room. They can be purely decorative, made of drywall. This decision is very appropriate in the Mediterranean style of housing design that is popular today.
  • Try abandon the standard rectangular space... For instance, suspended ceiling an irregular shape can change the appearance and expand a narrow room. Painting the walls not with planes but with curly elements will support this effect. But such complex options it is better to entrust the design to professional designers.

If you do not plan to do repairs, but you want to visually expand the narrow room, you can use simple and accessible techniques for everyone.

  • If possible, remove furniture from long walls, do not be afraid to put furnishings across, for example, a wardrobe at the end of a short wall or place furniture against a wall with a window - you can put desk, it is functionally convenient and allows you to visually expand a narrow room.
  • Divide the total volume into functional areas using a rack that is open on both sides and placed perpendicular to a long wall - this technique will allow you to fragment the space and correct unfavorable proportions.
  • Play with light. It is better to refuse a standard chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Spotlights placed in the center of the ceiling will help to expand the narrow room if their light is directed onto the walls.
  • Hang a picture, a spectacular poster or a large decorative element (for example, a clock with a large dial) on the end wall, this will attract attention, the rest of the walls should be in neutral colors.

Make the room bigger with mirrors and glass

Reflective surfaces are the most common and effective way to expand the boundaries of space. With the help of mirrors, even the smallest room will seem spacious.

In the photo, the accent wall is framed with mirror canvases, which make the bedroom visually more spacious.

A high mirror, starting from the floor itself, will add volume to the room, forming a passage to another room without any obstacles. It should be borne in mind that covering more than one wall with mirrors is not the best good option, instead of a stylish living room or bedroom, you get a real ballet studio, devoid of comfort and homely atmosphere.

Mirrors can have different shape and framing, with unusual frames, they will also play the function of a decorative element of the apartment. Curly mirrors can make an unusual composition on the wall or ceiling, they will subtly increase the volume.

Another common way to increase space is stretch ceiling with a glossy surface.

An excellent solution would be to install mirror or glossy furniture.

A false fireplace with a mirror on the inner wall will become interesting design solution... Such decoration takes up a minimum amount of space, while creating the illusion of a passage to another room.

If it is necessary to separate rooms, the wall function will be performed glass partition... It will not create the impression of a closed space, but will divide the room into zones.

Photo of compact furniture and decor

When choosing furniture for a small room, you should give your preference to low items. For example, instead of high bar stools, put a stool or ottoman, a bed without a high headboard or a sofa with a low back.

Weightless transparent furniture performs its direct functions without overloading the space, it can be plastic chairs and a table with a glass surface.

The photo shows a transparent dining group in the interior of a small kitchen.

Furniture items should be placed along the walls so that the central part of the room remains free.

Interior details and accessories are best used in a vertical shape. Such techniques will help to visually increase the height of the ceiling.

As for decorative elements, there should not be many of them, otherwise you can get a feeling of clutter.

Choice of curtains

Window decoration plays an important role in apartment design. The selected material and cut will fill the room with spaciousness or, on the contrary, overload it.

  • Tulle white from ceiling to floor will visually enlarge the windows, accordingly fill the room with light and stretch the space;

  • Light textile curtains with small patterns are suitable for decorating living room and nursery windows;

  • Roller blinds or roman blinds will save space and will be ideal for a kitchen or nursery;

  • Some styles allow you not to use curtains at all, for example: minimalism, loft, Scandinavian.

Choosing the right lighting

In conditions small apartment it is worth using diffused light. Bright chandeliers with transparent shades or open light are not suitable for a small room. It is more appropriate to use lamps and chandeliers with shades from frosted glass or a light shade.

To increase the width of the room use the system spot lighting around the perimeter.

An interesting effect will be given by backlighting from an LED strip. A tape recessed in a two-tiered structure will give the impression of a floating ceiling.

Same led strip furniture items can be finished.

In the photo, the bed in the children's room is illuminated by an LED strip.

How to make a bigger bathroom visually?

In a small bath best idea will be wall and floor decoration tiled tiles light shades. White tiles will fill the bathroom with light as much as possible and visually increase the area.

By combining the two colors, a horizontal line with a brighter shade is a good option, this will expand the walls.

Ceiling trim with mirror-finish metal panels will increase the space.

A large mirror above the sink will also play a role.

In the photo, white tiles fill the bathroom with light, the mirror above the sink visually increases its area.

For lighting, it is worth choosing spotlights and mirror illumination.

Furniture plays an important role, such as recessed shelves and a narrow sink. You can save usable space by placing washing machine under the sink.

Even the most compact apartment can be made comfortable by placing everything you need for life. Modern technologies allow you to create miniature appliances and mobile furniture that save the maximum amount free space... And repairs in the right shades will increase the space and make the house cozy.


Large rooms have their own laws and rules, therefore, the principles of their design differ from all others. We offer simple ideas that will help make the room harmonious and comfortable.


1. Potted flowers. You need to choose and arrange flowers in flowerpots around the room. It is better to put tall trees in a room with high ceilings or unfilled "dead" corners. True, you definitely need to pay attention to the lighting of plants.


Tall plants are necessary to draw attention to themselves and emphasize the height of the ceiling, but sometimes the opposite effect is necessary. If the walls are painted in two tones, it will not only make the room more attractive, but also visually reduce the ceilings.


3. Ottoman. The huge soft corners sometimes look rather empty and isolated. This is because there is too much distance between the sofas and the coffee table. If you put a large ottoman instead of a table, it will eliminate the feeling of emptiness and add some softness.


4. The couch. In a huge living room, one soft corner may not be enough. Therefore, it is best to divide the room into two zones, limiting them to furniture that does not interfere with the view. It can be a couch, bench, chest.


You can also divide a large room with a side table. True, in this case, the couch should be placed in the center of the living room.


Large modern living rooms are perfect for the L-shaped seating areas. This sofa is simply a symbol of comfort.


On the other hand, such furniture is perfect as a zone divider. It will look organic between the living room and the dining room.


7. Dead zones. In spacious rooms, many zones often turn into "dead", depriving living rooms of coziness and comfort. It is better to get rid of such zones. To do this, it is best to move the furniture away from the walls, forming a cozy corner in the center of the space. However, another problem is possible. The walls will now look bare. It can be solved with a side table and a couple of benches, or you can arrange a gallery.


8. Chairs. If suddenly, after arranging the furniture, it turned out that there are a lot of bare walls in the room, you will have to purchase several additional chairs. A side table between a couple of nice armchairs, a large mirror, the picture will always look stylish and original. If necessary, the chairs can be moved closer to the guests.


Huge living rooms are most often designed to receive large numbers of people. But guests do not come every day. Therefore, a corner for personal leisure can be organized near an empty wall. A small table, a couple of chairs - and you can read a book or chat with someone alone. Designers advise using decorative tape on the wall to mark this spot.


10. Recreation area. In a large living room, even after arranging all the main furniture, at least one unfilled corner will certainly remain. Surprisingly. But it can be turned into the main recreation area, a favorite corner.

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It often seems that it is impossible to create a decent interior without a lot of money and expensive help from a designer. This is not true. It is just worth knowing about the basic solutions that will make the design of the apartment more stylish, while not requiring huge costs from you.

We are in website collected for you useful ideas, proving that even with a limited budget, you can make your apartment truly luxurious.

Add art objects to your interior

Objects of art will make the interior visually more interesting: as bright accent they will divert attention from modest renovations. There is no need to buy several paintings or sculptures at once in one room - one painting is enough, but of high quality and impressive size. Alternatively, place a plaster head in a prominent place, which can be purchased at any art store. We subconsciously perceive sculptures as an attribute of luxury.

Buy fresh flowers

A bouquet of fresh flowers, matched to the interior, can become the best decoration your living room. You don't need to spend a lot of money to buy flowers: a large bouquet of field daisies or carnations will look more dignified than expensive roses. Sometimes it's helpful to create a mood in a boring environment.

Find some vintage items

Take a stroll through flea markets or rummage through the boxes on the mezzanine for beautiful antiques to bring your interior to life. Vintage items, which have already lost their practical functions, give the interior an atmosphere of uniqueness. Many of them are easy to give new life: the antique chest can be used as a coffee table, and the table from sewing machine - as a console in the hallway.

Buy a screen

An almost forgotten piece of furniture that will bring an atmosphere of luxury to your home. Screens are associated with oriental charm and expensive interiors of Japanese emperors. A self-made screen will give the apartment a special uniqueness. In addition to the aesthetic function, do not forget about the practical purpose of the screen: it will elegantly separate the working space from the living room or help zone the dressing room in the bedroom.

Add light to the interior

When choosing curtains and drapes, it is better to give preference ceiling cornices: This will make the ceiling appear taller and the window opening larger. IN luxury homes usually high ceilings and huge windows, so you need to create a similar impression. Open the windows as much as possible so that there is as much light in the room as possible, do not store unnecessary and ugly things on the windowsills, do not close the windows with heavy curtains.

Set the table

Sometimes the luxury is in ritual. We try to save time by not setting the table, but we lose the aesthetics of the moment and lose the pleasure of what is happening. Try to get out of the closet the very expensive set that is waiting in the wings - for no reason, just to brighten everyday life. Beautiful table creates a festive atmosphere, improves appetite and cheers up.

Get rid of excess

Clean up your apartment and free your shelves and bookcases from unnecessary things. The semi-empty shelves create a sense of volume and space. It is better to use the vacated space for really favorite and beautiful things or art objects that can be changed according to your mood.

Arrange furniture symmetrically


The repair cannot be completed. It can only be suspended.

Lifehacker told you about. Remember Christian Schallert's 24 sq. m.? And the apartments, similar to the monastery cell, are only 15 sq. m.?

If you also have a small apartment, this article is for you. We will tell you about some of the tricks that you can use to visually make your home look bigger.

Walls

Interior designers are magicians who can create optical illusions using color and light. We'll talk about light later, but for now there are three golden rules for working with color in small rooms:

  1. You cannot use dark colors (black, brown, dark blue, etc.) - they "eat up" up to 40% of the space. The brighter the room, the larger it appears.
  2. Bright contrasts should be avoided: blue + orange, purple + yellow, etc. Such combinations enliven the interior, but make it visually smaller.
  3. Pure white is also bad. Better to use cream, pastel shades (light green, sky blue, etc.). Cool colors give more space than warm colors.

You can also use photo wallpaper - on one wall, carefully choosing a picture. Great solutions - a spacious lawn, a road stretching into the distance, a sunset on the sea.

In terms of texture, embossed wallpapers and glitter wallpapers create a good play of light.

In addition, the visual illusion of space is created by zoning the room using a combination various materials or wallpaper prints. Thanks to zoning, you can make several from one room. For example, to separate the bedroom and working area... The main thing is to maintain the color scheme. Colors should be close to each other and harmoniously combined with each other.


Floor

The floor, like the walls, should be light. It is recommended to lay parquet and laminate flooring diagonally or in a herringbone pattern - this will not only visually expand the space, but also hide the incorrect geometry of the walls.

As for the carpet and linoleum: it is better if they are plain or at least without large patterns. The same with carpets. Nothing fancy and colorful. If you want to lay a carpet, then let it be light (to match the walls), plain or striped.


Ceiling

Needless to say, the ceilings in a small apartment should also be light? Ideally, snow-white. But, if you don't like pure white ceilings, remember the rule: the ceiling is 1-2 tones lighter than the walls.

Many divide the walls and ceiling with fillets and panels. But you shouldn't do this if you want to visually raise the ceiling. It is better when the walls and ceiling are the same color and are not separated from each other by anything.


In addition, shiny glossy ceilings add volume. A good option - suspended structures... But remember: their installation will require several centimeters from the height of the room. If the ceiling is so low that it is impossible to sacrifice even a centimeter, then it is better to abandon stretch ceilings.

Doors and windows

Swing doors eat up a lot of space. The furnishing of the room depends on their location (you can't put anything special next to the door). Interior designers recommend installing sliding doors in small apartments.

By the way, even such a trifle as door hardware can play a role in visually enlarging the room. Shiny handles and hinges reflect light and expand space.

The visual perception of the size of the apartment also depends on the windows. Large windows visually enlarge the space, small ones compress it. The more natural light, the more spacious the house appears. Therefore it is not worth installing window frames with doors and vents. Frame color should be light.

Curtains, especially massive ones, made of dense fabric, with lambrequins, create the effect of tightness. If you are to hang curtains, then light, transparent (tulle, organza, etc.), slightly in the assembly.

There is another curtain trick. Nail the curtain and hang the curtains not directly above the window, but under the ceiling. In this case, the curtains should be long - to the floor. This will create the illusion that the room is taller than it actually is.

Shine

As already mentioned, optical illusions in interior design are created using color and light. To visually expand the space, there must be a lot of light.

But that doesn't mean you have to buy a huge 16-light chandelier and hang it in the center of the room. On the contrary, bulky lamps should be discarded. Instead, it is better to use small LED bulbs around the entire perimeter of the room.


Don't forget about the walls: sconces add volume, and tall floor lamps accentuate vertical lines.

Furniture

The more objects in the room, the smaller it looks. Therefore, in the selection of furniture for a small apartment, the main principle is minimalism.

3 key tips:

  1. Audit and throw away anything you don't need. Leave only really necessary pieces of furniture.
  2. Use multifunctional furniture (convertible bed, sofa with drawers etc.).
  3. Buy light colored furniture. It is desirable to match the walls.

An excellent solution is glass furniture (tables, cabinets with transparent inserts, etc.). It allows light to pass through, which means it “creates” additional space.


Upholstered furniture and it is better to choose cabinets on legs - they seem lighter and smaller.

Another life hack: if you want to visually raise the ceiling, arrange a tall, but not wide cabinet or rack along one of the walls - from the floor to the very top.

Wardrobe - floor to ceiling

As for the arrangement of furniture, there is also a trick here. The arrangement of furniture along the walls is not always justified. Try to place large furniture in the background and small furniture closer to the exit.

Mirrors and decor

Mirrors also deftly deceive our eyes. A room with a mirror appears brighter and more spacious. Therefore, designers strongly recommend - more mirrors and more mirrors!

Looks good big rectangular mirror or mirrored cabinet surface. In the first case, massive frames should be avoided and remember that a rectangular mirror hanging horizontally expands the room, and vertically lengthens it.


As for other decorative elements, here, as with furniture, it is worth sticking to minimalism. Less items means more space.

You should not hang large paintings in solid frames on the walls - family photos (no larger than A4) look much better in a small room. Don't buy big figurines floor vases and antiques. And remember: no arches, columns or moldings!

As you can see, even a modest-sized apartment can be turned into "mansions" if you know how to outwit the visual perception.

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 must 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 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 very carefully necessary to work 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 medium 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, arrange 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 a 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.


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