Make That Small Space Look Big

IT is a natural to start a new year with the desire and hope for a better life and living. Shelter, which is one of the basic needs of man, is a crucial aspect of this desire. You may be having an apartment or home, whichever you choose to call it, but that may not fit into the level of your taste for its lack of space. Without moving into a spacious apartment, you can still do something.

You do not need all the space in the world to make a section in the home look big. Just by being imaginative in the use of various designs, you can create that illusion of grandeur you have always craved for.

The first thing to identity is the main shortcoming of a particular space and the effect you want to achieve. For instance, one may have a small room but would have preferred a bigger one or a ceiling that is higher than what is presently in place. People in rented apartments face this situation most times.

Some decoration patterns will go a long way to help in making visually enhancing spaces. To play up the cosiness of a small room requires the use of deep colours on the walls and design changes that will expand it visually, say decorators.

Using a colour or pattern and stopping at some point will make the edges of a room visible. But it is better to make it continuous. Colours of high contrast and sharp decorations make very obvious the limit of a room. A way to fool the eye is to follow it all through with smooth lines, patterns that are related, and tints, which harmonise.

Dark colours, experts say, tend to advance a room while light ones retreat when their effect is looked at from a corner. For instance, cool tones such as green and blue appear to disappear more than warm colors, like red and yellow. As such, white will make a room appear larger than it really is while low ceiling can be made to appear higher by painting it with a shade lighter than the walls.

Also, space seems to flow when the floor walls and ceiling are all treated in pale shades that are compatible. Wall-to wall carpeting rather than area rug is recommended. Lean towards designs that present loose, light and random motif instead of flat geometric designs is preferable.

Horizontal and vertical designs emphasise the width or height of a room. Soft vertical stripes will make a room seem higher, but narrow and highly contrasting bands tend to close it in.

Light can also be used as a space-enhancing tool. Try using light-catching surfaces to create airy mood. These include glass, and polished metal surfaces. In a place like the bathroom, such effect can be brought about by using glossy ceramic tiles that extend from the floor up to the side of the bathing tub.

Furthermore, lighting also affects the perception of any given space for both day and night. To achieve a more expansive area, use modulated light instead of highly illuminated light.

Light along the walls will highlight the height of the ceiling while also creating a softer look.

A small room should have no place for heavy window treated with big swags and valances. Such adornments make the place look too full. Choose fabrics that share the pastel quality of the walls even if the colours do not match perfectly.

The furniture should be chosen, bearing in mind the scale of the room. Low-backed sets seem less obtrusive and also make the ceiling look higher. Use of upholstered furniture like sofa should be confined to the type that does not have big arms and fat back, which take up floor space without necessarily increasing the size of the seat.

Transparent pieces, wrought iron or glass-topped tables appear lighter, and they create the illusion of occupying small space.