How to visually enlarge a room: learning to play with space and colors. How to visually enlarge a room: tricky design tricks to visually expand the space Tricks to expand the space

Sometimes, in order to increase the space in a small room, we do not have the opportunity to replace the furniture, but there are ways to make the room visually more spacious. To do this, there are some tricks, for example, put a mirror, change the wallpaper or choose compact furniture. Let's take a closer look at them!

1. The presence of mirrors

The first place in the list of ways to increase space is occupied by mirrors. To visually expand the area with their help, you need to select several mirrors at once and set bright lighting.

Instead of mirrors, you can diversify the space with various mirror objects: mirror elements in cabinets, tiles. Mirrored frames in paintings or photographs on the walls are also a good option. Placing mirrors in front of a window will not only make the room appear wider, but it will also let in more light into the room. Recently, many install a mirrored ceiling to increase space. A non-standard idea for a narrow room is to make one of the walls completely mirrored.

2. Gloss on the walls

Gloss sparkling on the walls can also visually expand the room. Even if one wall is decorated with gloss, then, for example, in a narrow hallway, the area will visually increase. This creates the effect of a bifurcation of the boundaries of the room. You can use wallpaper with a small pattern.

3. Stretch ceiling

Also a good option is to install a glossy stretch ceiling. And if you build several lamps into it, then this will visually increase the area even more. The lamp reflects light throughout the room and thus creates the effect of space. Try not to use huge chandeliers. In a room with a low ceiling, you can use vertical striped wallpaper.

4. Wallpaper

5. Light coloring of the walls, play on contrasts

The most wonderful and reliable option is to paint the ceiling and walls the same way so that there are no lines between them. This will create the effect of increasing space. The ideal color would be blue, green or grey.

The walls are painted with light paint, but it is not recommended to use a pronounced white color, which can narrow the room. Do not use too bright colors, they can also visually reduce the room. It is better to choose curtains, furniture and bedspreads in the same range. It is better to choose a floor in a monophonic style, without drawings. Well, if its shade is also light.

6. Drawings in the form of various stripes in the interior

Horizontal stripes are beneficial for lengthening the walls of a room. In our case, wallpaper with patterns in the form of stripes, as well as decor elements in stripes of various colors, are suitable. The ideal option is to hang horizontal shelves on the walls that will help optically expand the space. In addition, various items can be stored on the shelves.

But the vertical stripes on the wallpaper visually increase the length of the room. It is better to use them not on all walls, but on two (not necessarily opposite), then the room will look neat and spacious.

7. Proper lighting

As you know, the more light in a small room, the more comfortable and spacious it will seem. It is better to install light bulbs on the ceiling, which will give brightness to the room and visually increase the area. In the absence of proper lighting, the room will look not only uncomfortable, small, but also gloomy. You can also put a floor lamp in the corner.

8. Furniture in light colors

It is better to purchase compact furniture made of light wood, which also gives the effect of space. Arrange furniture along the walls, not in the middle of the room. The most suitable option would be to use built-in furniture. As you know, low furniture optically lengthens the room.

9. Zoning of the premises

Another way to increase the space would be to use folding or sliding doors. They are suitable for visually highlighting any areas in the room, and they also create coziness and originality. You can use them to separate the room from the hallway or bathroom.

1. How to visually enlarge a room with wallpaper? Make one of the walls dark, then the zone will fade into the background.
2. More mirrors! They reflect light, create depth and space.
3. Use large and bright prints only in accents, and not on large items.
4. Choose glass, acrylic surfaces. They are looking through.
5. Use light in at least three corners of the roomso that there are no blind shaded places.
6. What colors visually enlarge the room? Paint the bookshelves the same color as the walls and match the curtains. They will merge, creating a single, more airy space.
7. A small room with miniature furniture seems smaller than it actually is. Don't be afraid of large items!
8. Hang curtains from ceiling to floor to make ceilings appear higher.
9. Add furniture without backs: ottoman, ottoman, bench do not create visual clutter.
10. How can you visually enlarge the room even more? Lay a large carpet: the eye itself will be attracted to its outer edges, which will give the room a sense of volume.

Wallpaper that visually enlarges the room

If you are thinking about how to visually enlarge a room with wallpaper, remember that small patterns make the space look larger, while large ones do the opposite. Try not to use borders, especially in the center of the wall. Give preference to wallpaper with vertical stripes or plain light wallpaper. One wall can be made darker.

What colors visually enlarge the room

Still not sure how to visually enlarge a room? Another tip is to use more light colors. The less furniture, dark corners and heaps in the house, the more it will seem. Prefer beige, cream, light pink, light green and blue objects and flowers for wall decor. Dark heavy shades will definitely not make your room look bigger.

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 a modest one-room apartment in a panel house. But if we are not able to change the footage, then filling our home with light and at least visually making it more spacious is available to everyone.

Choosing a wallpaper

With the right 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 monophonic, 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 wallpapers with a calm landscape.

A room with a low ceiling will become visually higher if you take wallpaper with vertical stripes. But in their use there is a small nuance. To achieve the desired effect, walls are pasted over with such wallpaper up to the very ceiling, laying a narrow, laconic design, white ceiling plinth along the contour. 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 that are very different from one another, and to cover the junction with a noticeable border.
But almost the same technique will help to increase the height of the ceiling, if you take the wallpaper of the same color, but for the upper part - plain, and for the 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 seem higher, during the repair, before painting the walls or sticking wallpaper, round the joints between the ceiling and walls. Then you will not have to resort to various tricks so often.

Laying the right floor

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

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

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

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

Don't skimp on mirrors

With the help of mirrors, you can create a real miracle, because the space reflected in them is doubled! Of course, it’s not worth turning an entire wall into a solid mirror, 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 become different.

Do you want your living room to look not only fresh, but also balanced? Place the mirror so that your favorite plants are reflected in it: 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. A light monochromatic tile will enhance the effect.

We hang curtains

In a small apartment, “clothes for windows” must obey all the same requirements - be plain or with a discreet pattern and, if possible, translucent. Too voluminous, with heavy folds and a complex pelmet, the curtains will make an already small room even cramped.

In the design of windows, try to avoid layering. Transparent tulle with light curtains can be successfully replaced with a denser material without adding anything to it.

If you are uncomfortable in a too open room, you can limit yourself to Roman blinds or textile roller blinds. By the way, it is not at all necessary to supplement them with ordinary curtains, and tulle will be completely 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 under the ceiling, allowing lush folds to freely fall to the floor.

Did you have 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 you should not use this technique if you have windows of a standard size: it is impractical, washing and ironing such huge curtains is very inconvenient, and hanging them is a real torment. In addition, a long horizontal strip of 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 material from which the furniture is made. Coffee tables of the same size and shape, the tops of which are made of glass and wood, look completely different: wooden - solid and heavy, glass (though often heavier) - almost weightless.

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

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

Life hacks for expanding space for different types of rooms

And finally, one more piece of advice: without neglecting the words of professionals, listen to your own feelings. Designers' recommendations are of a general nature, but only you can make your home, even a small one, cozy and unique.

In a small apartment or in a spacious house, there is always a place that you would like to do more. Be sure to take into account all factors: the age and number of family members, their habits, taste preferences. In some cases, removing interior partitions solves the problem of how to visually enlarge a room. But more often than not, this is not the best solution. Other effective methods can be used.

Color spectrum

Colors evoke different sensations, and each of them has its own purpose. You can visually enlarge a room with wallpaper. The main thing is to choose them wisely. Warm shades - yellow, beige, peach - give a unique comfort. These wallpapers are perfect for the living room. Bright rich colors drive away depression, fatigue, energize.

It should be remembered that if the question is how to visually enlarge the room, then it is necessary to avoid too saturated and dark colors - they "take away" space and light. Delicate pastel colors of pink, pale green, light blue soothe and relax, so they will be a great option for a bedroom or nursery.

What wallpaper enlarges the room

The room will look more spacious if you use plain wallpaper in pastel colors, a small pattern is allowed. Large images in a small room are out of place. Vertical stripes on the wallpaper make the walls look much taller. This is a great solution for small apartments.

In a room with a low ceiling and poor lighting, it is recommended to use a design technique: the walls below should be finished in dark tones, and the upper half should be light. At the junction of materials there will be a horizontal strip in place. You can also combine wallpaper with any other wall materials.

Professionals know how to visually enlarge a room. To do this, you need to paste over one of the walls with wallpaper with a geometric pattern, and leave the rest of the plane in a solid color. This turns on the effect of optical illusion, the room is perceived as more spacious.

It should be remembered that a contrasting large pattern "takes" space and spoils the overall impression. Small drawing also requires attention. If it is too miniature and often repeated, then it begins to ripple in the eyes.

Wallpaper is recommended to be used in details and decor items, while avoiding voluminous drawings. Multi-colored wallpaper separated by a border will make the room narrower, just like dark ones. Using wallpaper with a large pattern on one wall, and with a smaller image on the other, you can expand the space. This method of combining textures and colors is a good choice for a small cluttered space.

How to expand the space

How to visually enlarge a small room with furniture if it takes up almost all the free space? Pay special attention to the organization of space. Furniture placed around the perimeter and bright accessories in the corners will expand the room.

In small rooms, multifunctional furniture should be used, which can be folded if necessary. A sofa bed, a variety of tables, wardrobes are perfect. It is very important that such furniture significantly saves square meters without creating inconvenience to the owners.

A great option for small spaces would be high-tech style. Glass surfaces, chrome and metal create an airy atmosphere.

Not high enough

In a room with low ceilings, wallpaper with a vertical stripe is ideal. They visually stretch the room, the ceiling will immediately appear higher. Suitable wallpaper with a medium-sized ornament. The color of the ceiling is better to choose the lightest shades, glossy will reflect the sun's rays, filling the room with light. In such an apartment, you can use it by painting them white.

How to visually enlarge a room: a bathroom and a bathroom

In rooms such as a small bathroom and a bathroom, it is recommended to use wall panels. They are very easy to care for and are not afraid of moisture, which is important. The ceiling can also be sewn up with panels or How to visually enlarge the room even more? For the walls in the bathroom, it is recommended to use glossy panels, and sheathe the ceiling with mirrored ones.

Mirrors in the interior

The mirror effect is one of the most popular design ideas that really shines in small spaces. A mirror on the wall always creates the illusion of extra space. It reflects the light and the whole environment, thereby visually making the room more spacious. However, if there are small children in the house, then you should not hang a mirror that is too large. A rectangular room can be visually turned into a square by hanging a mirror on the wall that is longer.

The role of competent lighting and flooring

The visual perception of the room depends on the size of the windows. The more natural light, the more spacious the room seems. Small windows should not be hung with dark textiles; blinds, Roman or light air curtains will be in place.

If it is possible to make windows without partitions, then it should be used. Solid glass completely changes the perception of the room.

How to visually enlarge the room when finishing the floor? It is necessary to use a uniform coating or with longitudinal stripes across the width of the room. Various rhombuses, squares and other decorations on the floor visually reduce the space. A multi-colored carpet is also not welcome, as the texture of the floor will create a squeezing effect. Any other coatings should be chosen without obvious patterns, it is recommended to pay special attention to shiny elements. It is good if the doors and frames do not stand out too much, but match the color of the walls.

Basic ways to increase space

By choosing textiles to match the walls, you can visually expand the room.

A large ornament on the wallpaper significantly narrows the space, and plain wallpaper with a vertical pattern makes the room much higher. To increase the total volume, three walls can be pasted over with plain wallpaper, and one can be made contrasting.

Do not forget about modern finishing technologies: stretch with excellent reflectivity can increase the space of the room. And for those who like bold ideas, we can recommend making a mirror ceiling, which will significantly expand the boundaries of the room.

Designers advise owners of small-sized apartments to decorate their homes in a minimalist style, to get rid of trinkets placed on the shelves. Various figurines, photographs, vases scatter attention and hide space. Instead of many small paintings, it is better to hang one medium-sized one, and clear the open shelves of unnecessary decor. A great idea would be to stick photo wallpaper on one of the walls. Visually enlarge the room wallpaper with an image in perspective, for example, the horizon, the sea, a field, mountain peaks or a forest path, a city view.

The designers of "Khrushchev" and standard concrete boxes least of all thought about the living space. It was important to accommodate a family of three in the notorious minimum footage. How to visually increase the space in a small room without a major overhaul is not an idle question. Changing the layout requires paperwork and significant investments. There are easier ways to visually add a few "squares" and transform a modest apartment.

The easiest and most affordable way to change the proportions of the room and shift the spatial accents is to update the color of the walls. An exciting activity is akin to a puzzle, the solution of which is comfortable living conditions with the feeling that there is a lot of air around. What should be the wallpaper for a small room:

• Bright hues. Calm pastel colors create the illusion of an increase in area and volume, pushing the walls apart and raising the ceiling. It becomes not only lighter - warmth and peace come.
• No large items. Large drawings hide space, attract too much attention. Large details contrast with the main background. The accented print "eats" the light background, it is lost and does not fulfill the main function. It is not excluded the introduction of tackiness and disharmony of the surrounding space into the interior.
• Additional decorative elements. The once popular wallpaper is experiencing a real renaissance. With the right choice of plot, they can be transferred from Khrushchev to the Latin Quarter or straight to the shores of the azure sea. Filling with air and perspective are the main factors of choice.

In a small kitchen, light wallpaper with a small pattern looks good.

No less important in increasing the area and volume is given to the ceiling. Few apartments can boast that the height of the walls meets the expectations of the owners. It is recommended to avoid borders, moldings and other ceiling decorations. Calm plain wallpaper or paint is the best choice.

Do not clutter up the room with furniture, especially dark ones. A large number of items hides the place. It is advisable to free the center of the room and give preference to functional furniture. Transformers and shelves instead of bulky cabinets are ideal.

Transforming furniture in combination with a successful design forms a large volume

Be sure to pay attention to the windows. Lambrequins, lush curtains and meters of pleated tulle are not suitable for decorating an opening. The lighter and more concise the decor, the more air and light, which is important for a small room.

The best option for decorating windows is the use of blinds or roller blinds.

It is important to know! For a small room, a window design that matches the overall tone of the room is preferable. Roman blinds and light curtains to match the wallpaper are an excellent interior solution.

How to choose decor for a small room

Manufacturers offer an unlimited number of options for finishing apartments. In the construction supermarket, a slight panic covers - what to stop at. Wallpaper for a small room, which visually enlarges the space, narrows the options and at the same time allows fantasies to run wild.

Monochromatic wallpaper

The discreet decor is distinguished by conciseness, calmness, and the absence of contrasts that irritate the eyes. When designing, they are based on personal color preferences - warm or cold colors.

Warm ones include:

• light green or light green;
• yellow;
• beige;
• apricot;
• cream.

Choose muted soft shades. They relax, soothe and perform the function assigned to them. The room fills with air.

Cold ones include:

• light blue;
• light gray;
• light pink;
• white.

What wallpaper color enhances a room the most? White is the most effective color for pushing the walls apart, but it is demanding to maintain cleanliness and formality. Delicate bluish or pinkish shades, as well as a calm gray-silver, are quite suitable for solving the problem.

An example of a successful design in cool colors

Cozy nursery in cheerful shades of green with abstract wallpaper

Wallpaper with prints and patterns

Monochromatic options attract with restraint and conciseness. Often you want more than looking at an undiluted wall every day. However, the choice of drawings and prints is approached carefully and the relevance in the interior is assessed.

An almost universal option is vertical striped wallpaper. Usually, in addition to solving the problem of a small area, you have to think about how to raise the ceiling. The vertical pattern easily pulls the walls up and at the same time does not hide the space.

Excessive contrasts should be avoided and related color combinations should be selected. Blue goes well with white, and light yellow or beige with apricot.

Another possible solution is light wallpaper with a small, unobtrusive pattern. Preference is given to plotless motifs - floral, abstract, without sharp geometric shapes.

Laconic horizontal stripes of warm shades expand the room, and open bookshelves bring airiness and lightness.

dark wallpaper

The decor in dark colors is almost a taboo if you need wallpaper that increases the space of the room: photos indicate the failure of such decisions. However, in some cases they are used for contrast, if necessary, to stretch the room or, on the contrary, to make it more square.

This technique is implemented as carefully as possible, only for one wall or even a section. They prefer gradient colors or wallpaper with prints and refuse monochromatic solutions.

Most often, the space is distributed in this way, the working or, conversely, the sleeping area is separated. To smooth out the effect of dimming and narrowing, additional lighting is installed.

Dark colors are best used in contrast with light wallpapers.

It is important to know! Dark colors negatively affect mood. A long stay in a dimly lit room is fraught with a general depressed state - a lack of light affects.

texture wallpaper

Texture gives volume and allows you to use effective design techniques. Textured brick-like wallpaper is a classic option that justifies itself in a small space.

Shades of white or light warm tones imitating brickwork contribute to solving the problem of visually increasing the area. Good for country style or kitchen design, where you want to feel rural comfort and relaxation, harmony, peace.

Textured wallpaper in a small room can be used in combination with solid colors for visual effects. For example, when including photo wallpapers or large paintings on the wall in the interior.

It is important to know! The color of the floor plays an important role in creating the effect of additional space. The colored floor works well - it makes the room taller and wider.

Textured design complements the life-affirming pattern on the back wall

Techniques for visual expansion of space

In addition to the area, the volume of the room is important. Filling with air enhances the feeling of spaciousness. The palm among the "expanders" of the boundaries belongs to the color of the walls and the presence of free space, not cluttered with bulky furniture. Additional factors are no less important than colors that increase the volume of the room:

• Mirrors. The reflective abilities of a mirror surface work wonders - they expand the space many times over. A wardrobe with a mirrored door is appropriate in a small room, as is a wall mirror. The ideal location is opposite the window.
• Using the perspective effect. Photowall-paper with a plot going to "infinity" will help well with this. Possible urban motifs, landscapes, pictures of the underwater world. Medieval streets and canals of Venice look great, lost in the distance.
• Visual change in the depth and height of a small room. The use of various color combinations when decorating the ceiling, walls and floor allows you to achieve the desired effect. With low ceilings, the side and far walls are highlighted with color - this way the height and volume visually increase. The side walls are “pushed apart”, highlighting the far wall with color.
• Natural and artificial lighting. The brighter the small room, the larger the volume seems. If the windows face the sunny side, there are practically no problems with illumination during the day. For the north side, a light color is required - otherwise you have to suffer from being squeezed in a “stone bag”. In the evening, it is necessary to provide sufficient artificial lighting and, in addition to the main source, provide additional lighting. Wall sconces, built-in ceiling "halogens" are suitable for this.

Mirrored surfaces lighten massive furniture - the wardrobe does not hang over the bed

Volumetric solutions are based on a light color palette and are enhanced by simple tricks. If you want more than a standard interior in soft neutral colors, you can resort to 3D design - an alternative to wallpaper that expands the space. A simple and win-win option is a stretch ceiling that imitates the sky. The decor is suitable for a child's room, adult bedroom or kitchen.

Juicy photo wallpapers expand the narrow kitchen and emphasize the style

It is important to know! Calm tones are especially important for a nursery. Children often fall asleep in the light, they should not be distracted by overly rich decor.

Perspective effect blurs boundaries in a small room

Large drawings and interior details: pros and cons

Does a large pattern on the wallpaper increase or decrease the area? In the building department of a supermarket, it is difficult to answer an important interior question. In a small bedroom or kitchen, large decorative elements hide space and reduce volume.

Large drawings or prints are colorful, often made in dark colors. The contrast narrows the spatial framework, there is a feeling that the image hangs and threatens to crush with its weight.

To revive a plain wall, a small decorative element is enough. The mission is perfectly fulfilled by a picture framed in a laconic frame, or a modular image on a light background.

When distributing free space, every detail of the interior is taken into account.

Large interior details also belong to the thieves of free space. Wallpaper that visually enlarges the space fails in competition with massive furniture and electronics. Therefore, the "plasma" is entered into the interior, and the rest of the audio-video equipment is placed in a pedestal or on shelves. It is preferable to choose devices in a light case - so they do not violate the overall style.

Video: tips from a professional for decorating a small room

Similar principles are followed when choosing accessories. Massive vases, decorative niches filled with knickknacks, trees in pots - the desire to decorate a small room turns into a loss of a vital area.

To avoid mistakes and disappointments, it is best to turn to interior designers. They know exactly how to visually enlarge a small room, and they will accurately select materials for decoration. The quality implementation of a good idea is cheaper than endless alterations in search of a dream design.