Five ways to fake a bigger living room
Moving into a bigger living space isn’t always an option, so here are some simple tricks to make even the dinkiest lounge feel open, writes Mikaela Wilkes.
Spaciousness is about size and perception. It’s not always possible to take out walls, especially if you’re renting, but there are a number of little decorating tricks you can use to visually elongate a living room.
The right combination of colour, light and furniture can transform a claustrophobic living room into a cosy and inviting area.
Make the most of reflection
Placing a large, framed mirror opposite your windows will optically double the size of your living room.
Mirrors bounce light around, giving the impression that even a cramped space is open. They don’t have to cost a small fortune, even a minimalist mirror will do the trick.
Glass or lucite furniture will have a similar effect. Furniture you can see through will make anything beyond it appear further away, so ditch the timber coffee table for a glass one.
Undress your windows
Any room feels bigger when it is well lit, either by natural or artificial means. Coloured or thick curtains can make a room feel enclosed. Remove them to let in as much sunshine as possible, or replace with some sheer fabric.
If the lounge is lacking in organic vitamin D, pop down to a department store or your local opshop to pick up an extra floor or table lamp.
Additional light will make the living room look immediately larger.
Create the illusion of height
We’re fortunate in New Zealand that a large number of our houses, especially the older ones, were built with high ceilings.
If you’re apartment-dwelling, or otherwise unlucky in that department, you can fake it.
In the same way that vertical stripes on clothing help short people to appear taller, artwork or shelving mounted in the top half of a wall helps a wall. Drawing guests’ eyeballs upwards will help it feel loftier.
Another way to trick your eyes is to raise curtain rods above window frames.
If it’s outward space you’re lacking, the same trick can be applied to the perimeter of the lounge.
Shuffle furniture that’s pressed against walls inward by a few centimetres to create space.