When you live in a small space, like an apartment, small house, or other compact space, it can be difficult to figure out the best way to make your narrow rooms appear wider, especially without having to knock down your walls or gut completely remove your furniture from your spaces, which risks giving the impression of a bland and empty room.
Without taking such drastic measures, there are plenty of ways to make your rooms appear larger and wider, without having to ditch all your favorite decor items.
To give you a helping hand, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite little interior design tips that will help you make your rooms look more spacious...
Make the length of your narrow room an advantage!
A good way to take the focus off the size of a narrow room and make it appear larger is to think carefully about the decor you use.
By adding a large piece of wall art or an oversized decorative item like a vase to the mantel or coffee table, you essentially create a focal point in your room.
This will distract from the actual size of the space and make it appear much larger.
1. Choose your wall color wisely
Choose colors that make your room feel larger, such as a neutral tone such as beige or white.
Another strategy used by experts is to create depth in a room by using darker colors, offsetting them with lighter colored furniture.
This adds a stark contrast between the two, creating depth and inevitably making your spaces more dynamic, as the focus is no longer on the size of the space, but on the most visible elements of the room.
2. Place lighting fixtures in strategic locations
Natural light expands the interior of any room. This is great if you have natural light. But if you don't have one, don't be discouraged.
Add creative lighting effects using lamps , spotlights, light rails . You'll be amazed at how much of a difference these little additions can make. We have also put together a specific article for you on our blog to find out how to choose the right bulbs.
That said, if you benefit from natural light, bringing it into your home through large windows will instantly connect the room to the outdoors, no longer limiting your space.
Use sheer curtains, or remove them completely, to let in more light.
If eyesight is poor, put plants or flowers near windows and use lamps to illuminate the space.
If space is too limited to use a wide variety of lamps in a narrow bedroom, which does not have much space as often around the bed, one option is to install pendants or wall sconces above or below. each side of your bed.
They will replace bedside lamps or floor lamps and will allow you to save space on the floor or on your bedside table.
This solution is not only functional, it is also very elegant and gives a unique look to your room.
If you have a long and narrow living room, consider placing light tracks either near the floor or near the ceiling.
You can hide them with a strip of wood painted the same color as your wall. This will blur the lines about the boundaries of your room. And the light that will reflect on the wall will give a feeling of additional space.
3. Use lamps and lighting that diffuse light harmoniously
Lighting plays an important role in not only how a room looks, but also how it feels. And in the case of a narrow room, having only one light source can make it feel dark and oppressive.
This inevitably gives the feeling of being cramped. To remedy this, we recommend installing more than one light source, in order to evenly distribute the light throughout the room and visually expand its dimensions.
One way to achieve this is to install several small LED spots on the ceiling, spaced evenly to diffuse a nice lighting atmosphere.
Another suggestion: Place several table lamps or floor lamps around the room, making sure they illuminate all edges of the space. Not only is this a much more economical way to achieve the desired effect, but it is also a chic and elegant way to add a pleasant atmosphere to the room.
The light placed in this way pushes the boundaries of your space.
4. Optimize space
Adapt your furniture to the size of the room. Place larger furniture against the walls to maximize open space and make the room appear larger.
Don't block the passages either. If furniture and accessories block the view in a room, it will appear cramped.
The longest straight line in a room is the diagonal. When you place your furniture in a corner, it guides the eye along the longest wall.
Take care to choose furniture that is appropriate for the size of your space. And above all, arrange your largest furniture first. The same corner sofa can eat up your entire space in one direction, but if you turn it 90 degrees, it can change everything.
You may not find the ideal location the first time, but don't be afraid to experiment with layouts and try things you're not used to. You might be surprised at the results!
