Wallpaper expanding the space in the interior for the living room. How to change the size of a room using wallpaper. The power of glass and mirrors

Not every apartment can boast large sizes, spacious rooms, high ceilings. But who likes to feel squeezed between walls instead of feeling spacious in their home? But in many ways, our perception of space is formed by optical effects that create pieces of furniture, colors and shapes of the interior. And our task is to deceive our subconscious and, using simple techniques, transform and expand the rooms.

Raising the ceiling

Taller and longer

It seems that in a room with high ceilings you can even breathe easier, and achieving this effect is not so difficult. The most obvious trick is to stick wallpaper on the walls with vertical pattern. It is better for the pattern to be discreet, but only a small area can be highlighted with bright stripes or an active pattern. Narrow cabinets and whatnots, long vases, wall mirrors and paintings in high frames also visually lift the ceiling. And it’s better to hang them a little higher than usual.

It seems that in a room with high ceilings you can even breathe easier, and achieving this effect is not so difficult.

Game of color and light

To create a high ceiling effect great importance has its lighting. You need to choose a small chandelier or lamp with beams of light directed vertically upward. But you shouldn’t use wide curtain rods - they visually make the ceiling line lower. It makes more sense to make a hidden cornice and hang plain curtains that reach the length of the floor.

Cold and light shades visually increase the height of the ceiling. You can also paint the ceiling and walls the same color, but make the ceiling a little lighter in tone. Gloss paint creates a more pronounced height effect than matte paint.

Size matters

If the room has rather low furniture, then the ceiling seems visually higher. Bright carpets on the floor have the same effect: they attract attention and create the illusion high ceilings in the room.

Pushing the walls apart

Color and light

As you know, light colors make an object visually larger, while dark colors visually make it smaller. In small rooms, it is better to use light shades for walls and furniture, and so that they do not merge with each other, you can take colors that differ in tone and color scheme. Strong contrasts, flashy colors, bright spots eat up part of the space, so it’s better to stick to pastels neutral shades and cool colors that expand the space.

How brighter room, the bigger it seems. Therefore, to let in as much natural light as possible through the windows, hang them light curtains and air curtains, and also free the window sill from large indoor plants.

Wall decoration

In small rooms it is not recommended to use wallpaper with large contrasting patterns; you should also avoid patterns that are too small - they can ripple in the eyes. In this case, you can cover one of the walls with wallpaper with a contrasting geometric pattern, and leave the other three in a neutral color scheme. Thanks to this technique, the room will be perceived wider than it actually is. In this case, it is important to remember that a vertical pattern makes the room appear taller, while a horizontal pattern lowers and expands the space.

Photo wallpaper pasted on one of the walls also visually expands the boundaries of the room. The greatest effect is obtained by depicting the landscape in perspective: the horizon of a field or sea, mountain peaks or forest edge, view of the city at night.

The right furniture

To make a room seem larger, you need to leave as much as possible in it. free space. All sorts of folding sofa beds, tables, built-in wardrobes and shelving will help with this. Furniture should be small-sized, with strict, laconic forms, and it is better to place it along the walls or in the corners, so as not to visually divide an already small room into parts. .

Minimalist style, laconicism in decoration and furniture, lack of open shelves, a single color scheme with several accents - all this makes the space of the room unified and voluminous. All kinds of figurines, candlesticks, photographs in frames, small paintings distract attention and cause a feeling of clutter. It is better to replace several small paintings with one medium-sized one, and open shelves free from unnecessary decor.

The power of glass and mirrors

It's no secret that mirrors are the best helpers in expanding space. The room reflected in the large wall mirror appears twice as large. It is better to hang it on a long wall so that, when reflected, the room does not become even longer, but turns into a square.

Furniture with glass surfaces It also visually expands the space and makes massive objects weightless. Tables with glass table top, a wardrobe with translucent inserts on the doors, stained glass windows, glass lamps - they all seem to dissolve into the interior and become less noticeable to the eye.

Furniture with glass surfaces also visually expands the space and makes massive objects weightless.

Flooring

The color and structure of the floor also matters for the perception of the size of the room: it is also better to use light colors for it. Parquet or laminate laid diagonally not only visually increases the area of ​​the room, but also hides the irregular geometry of the walls.

There is another one trick, helping to visually enlarge the room. You need to place a beautiful bright object - a flower, figurine or vase - in the farthest corner of the room. Guests' attention will immediately fall on this item, and they will have a feeling of greater perspective.

How to visually enlarge a room is something that every third resident of our country has thought about. Have your own corner, not rented apartment, everyone dreams. And if you are lucky enough to have own apartment, no matter what size and parameters it is. IN modern world correct any planning errors possible using minimum costs, simply by correctly using certain decorative means.

How to visually enlarge a room? It's actually not that difficult. In order to expand, lengthen or extend a room, you need a very small amount of funds and their reasonable use. Of course, you can expand the space in the room by removing partitions, but these are drastic measures. We will advise you how to do this more humanely. The basic principles of creating visual space in decor include:

  • Play of colors and optical illusions.
  • and other prints on the walls can visually both lengthen and narrow the room.
  • Mirrors or glossy surfaces will significantly expand, if necessary, the space. But their use should be approached very responsibly and carefully. After all, it’s important not to overdo it here. An abundance of reflective materials can create discomfort for people present in the room.
  • Play of light and shadow.
  • Furniture and its correct location.
  • Decor elements.

To achieve the desired goal, you can use any of these methods separately or combine them.

Wallpapers and prints for rooms

Wallpaper is perhaps one of the most available ways expanding the space of the room. But not everyone knows how to do it visually correctly. The first thing you should pay attention to is the drawing. It can play a cruel joke if you don't know how to choose it correctly. It is important to remember a few rules:

  • A strip or other pattern is characterized by its thickness, diameter, and the distance between them. Very thick lines can cause the opposite effect to what you wanted. Thin lines will not only help make the room taller, but if used correctly, they will visually open up the walls. Drawings that are too large can significantly reduce space.

Choice finishing materials not for repair large room- not such a simple matter, especially if you want to at least visually enlarge the room with wallpaper. And here you cannot be guided by any one principle of visually expanding the walls and raising the ceilings. In real life, the desired effect can be achieved only when the color relationships and overall gamma, proportions and lighting work together. Interior designers also use some finds that give an additional spatial effect, which is worth talking about in more detail.

Techniques that create the effect of increasing space

In modern city apartments, residents feel that there is not enough space in one room or another. Traditionally, the most “deprived” of free square meters are:

  • hallway;
  • bedroom;
  • children's;
  • kitchen;
  • bathroom

But also in a large apartment or country house There is always a room that it would be desirable to make larger, at least visually. Redevelopment is not always effective, especially by combining a room with narrow balcony- additional meters filled with furniture and large plants only clutter this place. When there is too much furniture and small objects in the house, even wallpaper that visually enlarges the room will not help. And mirrors, which traditionally expand the space, will only increase chaos and disorder in any room.

Tip: Use glass shelves and folding furniture, and small items should be sorted and organized by placing them on racks and shelves.

In a house filled with cabinet furniture it always seems that it is cramped and there is even not enough air, but in a half-empty and well-cleaned room it is even easy to breathe. In part, this is not only a sensation, and oxygen is absorbed by the microflora that lives and actively reproduces in old things. So getting rid of old things is useful not only for the sake of visual increase space.

When updating a room, even before making repairs, it is advisable not only to remove the old bulky furniture, but also to replace it with new, lighter ones. But when purchasing new interior items in small room important to consider:

  • general style of the apartment;
  • functionality of the room and its lighting;
  • age of the occupants of the room;
  • general color scheme and shade of wallpaper, increasing the space of the room;
  • the number of family members, their interests and preferences.

Often, expanding the space is solved in the most obvious way - removing the partition or partition between adjacent rooms. It is also recommended to replace them glass doors, folding stained glass windows or a transparent wall.

Curtains play an important role - voluminous multi-layer curtains with draperies cut off part of the space. But transparent tulle seems to dissolve in the air and lets in a lot of light and air. And it was also noted that big window expands rooms with any wallpaper.

How to use wallpaper to visually expand a room?

When choosing wallpaper for a small room, it is important to focus not only on the type of wallpaper, but also on the features of the room itself. Usually, the narrowest wall needs the most increase in area, but it can be “doubled” with mirrors on the adjacent plane, and the room can be papered light wallpaper warm colors.

Blue ceiling wallpaper, increasing the space of the room, as if opening the sky above your head. In this case, do not use ceiling chandeliers. But this technique is not suitable for people with a fear of open space. But such a ceiling with branches of cherry blossoms or hanging pine needles on photo wallpaper looks very picturesque. Then you get not only the effect of expanding space and open sky, but also creating a feeling of closeness to nature. The effect of a starry sky on the ceiling is also appropriate in the bedroom.

In a small room, the arrangement of colors from bottom to top also plays an important role. The floors are preferably darker, plain or with a natural wood pattern. Dark ceilings always seem to hang visually, and when light floors there is a feeling of being “upside down”. This is a special design technique that is appropriate in an avant-garde interior or for solving some other artistic problems. Sometimes in a small square room striped wallpaper is glued diagonally on the shelf, and this is also special creativity, as if expanding the room.

A combination of wallpaper of similar shades or the same color, but different in texture, looks original. However, only professional designer interior design can predict the final result. So there’s no point in experimenting, especially when you don’t know which wallpaper will visually enlarge the room. But even if you want to try your creative inclinations, it is better to use classical techniques. For example, dark shades should be in the lower plane or first third of the walls.

A dark, large pattern on a light background of wallpaper often looks impressive only in rolls, but in a small room it is too colorful and creates unnecessary ripples. But rare large flowers on wallpaper are very impressive only on one wall, the others should be light, and the background of all rolls should be of a common shade. Then a large drawing seems to push this plane further, for example, when large lilies or poppies are drawn behind the head of the bed in the bedroom.

A very large wallpaper pattern requires sufficient space, otherwise it will narrow the walls or, as it were, break the room into fragments. A light large pattern on a dark background looks elegant and noble. A very effective combination of golden pattern on a burgundy background or white and golden curls on blue was often used in palace interiors. The bet on contrast must be done very carefully.

Successful examples of which wallpapers make a room look bigger - photo:

Plain wallpaper with a jacquard effect also looks good, that is, a glossy pattern on a matte background or vice versa. It is perceived as 2 different colors, while the space is not overloaded with patterns. Due to glare and high light reflectance, dark color in a glossy design it is always perceived as lighter, even when the wallpaper is black. This technique is widely used in classical and historical styles.

It is traditionally believed that striped wallpaper visually lengthens a room, that is, it raises ceilings and increases the length of walls. But this does not always work out; it all depends on the width of the stripes, the frequency and pattern. Large stripes break up the space, and small stripes often create an unpleasant ripple effect in a small room, especially if this is not justified stylistically. Sometimes alternating segments has an expanding effect striped wallpaper with plain ones.

An interesting effect can be achieved if you use photo wallpaper with a 3D effect, when a distant perspective on one wall leads to nature, and on the other side it imitates a door. True, you will get the feeling of a walk-through room, but it will seem much larger than it actually is. Even more impressive are artistic wallpaper collages and visual illusions where the three-dimensional image seems to be moving all the time. However, such wallpaper is contraindicated for suspicious and fearful people, as well as individuals with mental disabilities.

Selecting wallpaper colors

If you are interested in how to make a room bigger with wallpaper, pay attention to the properties of color. Everyone's perception of shades is individual, but there is general principles. For example, the cold part of the spectrum expands the space, the warm part narrows it a little. But this does not apply to very light shades, which are always perceived as giving space, light and a lot of clean air.

Pale and light shades of yellow, peach, caramel, milk and beige colour. They lift your spirits, stimulate your digestive tract and stimulate your appetite. Pale green, gray, light blue and silver metallic, on the contrary, suppress appetite, relax, and make you drowsy and apathetic. They are not recommended for people prone to depression and mood swings. Bright colors Although they help fight depression and chronic fatigue, they sometimes overload the nervous system.

Light pastel and transitional colors - perfect solution to increase space, especially when there is no need to focus on the pronounced “cold” or “warm” part of the spectrum. The greatest effect can be achieved when all the objects in the room are the same color and there is a minimum of furniture in the room. The following shades are great for this:

  • color of natural sheep wool;
  • light sand;
  • milky or creamy;
  • ivory;
  • pale yellow;
  • soft peach;
  • pale orange;
  • light beige;
  • light pink;
  • shades of light wood, etc.

Light, cold shades not only visually expand the space, but also give a feeling of emptiness and are sometimes even perceived as unwelcoming. Therefore, when choosing wallpaper, you should listen to the advice of your family and close circle, and not just rely on personal preferences. For example, lilac or pale purple shades and aqua blues are not a pleasant atmosphere for everyone. But it’s easier to visually enlarge the room with just such wallpaper.

Advice: Do not overuse golden color- an excess of “gilding” often looks vulgar and vulgar, as if emphasizing the mercantile interests of the owners of the house.

When choosing the color of the walls, they also focus on where the windows of the room face. If the room is on the south side, then use matte wallpaper cold colors. Accordingly, when the windows of the room face north, it is better to choose light warm shades with a glossy effect.

It is also taken into account that the color of the wallpaper will differ in daylight and artificial light. For example, pink wallpaper With lilac shade will appear warmer and darker during the day, and the room will appear slightly smaller than its actual dimensions. But in the evening they will be more beautiful and cold, with a blue tint, but such a room looks a little more spacious.

How does the texture of wallpaper affect spatial perception?

Shimmering and shiny wallpaper always gives more light and seems to push the walls apart. It has been noted that walls with a mother-of-pearl effect have this effect, Venetian plaster or silk-screened wallpaper. The effect can be enhanced by stretch glossy or mirrored ceilings. But this only works when light walls, and there shouldn’t be a lot of stuff in the room small parts, otherwise they will “double”.

Textured wallpaper with a small pattern is preferable for a small room, while smooth wallpaper with a small pattern is more suitable for a large room. Beautiful relief patterns in themselves distract attention from the volume of the room, since visual analyzers seem to glide along intricate lines. In this case, the ceiling must be a tone lighter than the wallpaper with a pattern, which visually enlarges the room.

When the design of a room is based on contrasts, in which it is supposed to combine different wallpapers, then the unevenness of lighting is also taken into account. So, for example, the wall farthest from the window looks darker, and in order to balance the proportions, it is better to make it lighter, with an interesting texture. The combination of different textures of wallpaper in one shade always looks more noble than smooth rolls of different colors.

Tip: If during renovation there are a catastrophic shortage of several rolls of wallpaper, and it is not possible to buy more, use the effect described above, or make an unusual collage from different wallpapers.

You can, for example, cut out large silhouettes of a male and female face from different wallpapers, as if trying to kiss. Such a romantic plot will look like an art object - without a hint of a lack of finishing materials. And such a drawing will also subconsciously distract from the real volumes of space.

There is no need to re-paint the entire room or hide the lack of wallpaper behind bulky furniture or outdated wall carpets. It's better to do original panel from wallpaper on a central solid wall without a window, or hang a large picture with a perspective, like on the canvases of Levitan or Shishkin. This will expand the space better than the other one. And indoors, where appropriate marine theme, it is recommended to hang a large picture with an endless expanse of water against a background of blue or blue wallpaper blurry shades. This will also visually expand a small room.

1. If you had the opportunity to use at least some of these tips, but there was no desired effect, you should reconsider your preferences for the style of the premises. Some styles look a little empty, for example, minimalism. It also assumes bright space With large windows and a minimum of furniture, and this The best way"extensions" of the room.

2. Use secret cabinets, sliding screens and partitions, behind which it is easy to hide all the small things that literally “absorb” the space. Although it seems that it is inappropriate to “cut off” a whole piece of the already missing square meters, they will help to visually expand the space cleared of trash. Complete a small room with large or long and narrow mirrors - the effect is guaranteed.

3. B small room appropriate multifunctional furniture such as transformers or samples with folding planes. If necessary, it will be possible to remove the tabletop, fold the sofa to the most compact state, or place chairs one-on-one.

4. Photo wallpaper is a popular way to increase the volume of a room, but it all depends on the picture itself and its location.

Armed with these techniques, you can easily create a spacious and voluminous interior in your room.

1. The very first thing is color. When selecting materials, choose light ones pastel shades without bright and dark elements.

2. If you need to lengthen the room, then the opposite wall should be decorated with a cooler and lighter shade. If you have some kind of print on your wallpaper, then you need to remember that a large pattern brings you closer, and a small one lengthens it.

3. If the room is long and narrow, then it can be expanded by using wallpaper with a horizontal stripe, as well as visually bringing the opposite wall closer using 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 paste 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 preferably white, glossy ceiling or more extreme - “mirrors”. If the height allows, then you can “play” with different levels plasterboard ceiling. The ceiling and floor should be light, like the rest of the walls in the room. A light floor with longitudinal lines will also help to increase the space. Light glossy tiles will also help with this.

6. It is necessary to work very carefully with borders in a small room, there is a risk of reducing it even more.

7. Good tool, with the help of which it is always possible to enlarge 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 enlarge the space and make the room more airy and bright.

9. Choose simple furniture, preferably with straight lines and functional. In terms of color, it is desirable that it does not differ from the general color scheme of the room. Avoid large furniture. It's better to put medium sofa and one small chair than a full-fledged soft corner.


10. By placing some bright decorative item in the farthest corner of the room, you will create the effect of great perspective, and the person entering will perceive the room as spacious.

11. Make the room brighter with additional lighting. In addition to sunlight and central lighting, use interior lighting and additional light sources. Sometimes, only through the right lighting, you can create stunning visual effects. If you are not confident in your abilities, contact professional designers.

12. In a small room, many small decorative items (trinkets, candlesticks, figurines, etc.) will look awkward and visually clutter the space even more. Therefore, try to remove everything unnecessary.

13. Do not take up space in the center of the room; place furniture along the walls and in the corners.

14. Choose “transparent” furniture with glass surfaces.

15. Use mirrors. With their help you will create depth in the room. Mirrors also make a room appear lighter and brighter by reflecting natural and artificial light.

16. If you need to divide a room by highlighting a certain zone, use “shelves” and glass partitions.


17. Instead regular doors You can also put a glass partition in the room.

18. When selecting household appliances give preference narrow options. Fortunately, today there is a very wide selection of flat wall-mounted TVs and narrow monitors.

19. By making a niche with circular lighting 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, but here you will have to work hard and run through all sorts of authorities to coordinate the redevelopment of the apartment.

It would seem that there are many solutions to the not so simple question of how to enlarge a room. By 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-era buildings. Scandinavian style, minimalism, and hi-tech are most suitable for decorating a compact apartment.

What colors increase space?

Everyone known fact that the lighter the shade, the larger the object appears. The same technique applies to interior solutions. In order to visually increase the area of ​​the room, it is worth using finishing in light colors: white and cool pastel shades. Furniture should also be used light color, but different in tone from the walls, ceiling and floor. For example, it could be a soft pastel color scheme.

On the picture compact kitchen in Khrushchev. In order to visually increase the area, the room was decorated in light colors.

How to decorate the walls?

What wallpaper makes a room bigger?

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

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

In the photo, the wall is decorated with wallpaper with horizontal stripes; this type of decoration visually increases the width of the room.

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

  • You should avoid flashy bright colors;
  • The walls can be decorated with wallpaper with a shiny surface;

On the picture accent wall The bedroom is decorated with gold wallpaper with a shiny surface.

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

What drawings make a room bigger?

It would seem that, simple drawings And geometric figures miraculously influence our perception. The same pattern with a different color, scale or location radically changes the appearance of the room.

  • Three-dimensional drawing on one of the walls (photo 1). Large drawing shortens the room, visually bringing the wall on which it is located closer. This type of finish is suitable for long narrow rooms. The image will shorten the length and expand the space.
  • Small patterns (photo 2). A small pattern of a light shade on the contrary visually enlarges the space, making it voluminous.
  • Horizontal stripes (photo 3). Transverse stripes can increase the width and lengthen the walls. However, there may be an effect low ceiling. If you decorate only one wall with wallpaper with horizontal stripes, the room will appear shorter.
  • Vertical stripes (photo 4). Vertical stripes, on the contrary, stretch the space, making it taller. The thickness of the strips enhances this effect.
  • Horizontal stripes on the floor (photo 5). As with wallpaper, horizontal stripes make a room appear wider but shorter. This finishing method is suitable for disproportionate rooms.
  • Longitudinal stripes (photo 6). Vertical stripes deepen the room, making it longer. Just like with wallpaper, the width of the stripes enhances the effect.

Photo wallpaper that enlarges the room

The image can increase or, conversely, reduce the area of ​​the room.

  • Photo wallpaper with an image going into the distance will make the room larger;
  • An unpromising image will reduce the area of ​​the room;
  • Photo wallpapers depicting different textures will create a play of light, which will also add volume;
  • Photo wallpaper with a shiny surface will increase the area due to its reflective properties;
  • Photo wallpaper with an image transitioning from dark to light shade will make the room look taller;
  • You shouldn’t cover all the walls of the room with photo wallpapers, they will have the opposite effect, one or two will be enough.

Ways to increase using the ceiling

The simplest and most popular way to enlarge a room using a ceiling is to make a tension structure with a glossy surface. Mirror material due to reflective properties it will double the space. Interesting solution There will be a combined ceiling; a combination of matte and glossy materials can create an unusual composition, increasing precious square meters.

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

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

Another way to increase space is to print photos of the sky.

Choosing a floor covering

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

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

They also use already familiar stripes; direction in any direction 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 a room?

There are several ways to make a room taller. One of them is wall decoration. Vertical stripes or patterns on the wallpaper will “stretch” the wall. This can be wallpaper, painting or hand painting.

Photo wallpaper with a perspective image, such as a receding path in the forest or a tall waterfall, will have the same result.

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

You can increase the height of the room using high doors and window openings. Curtains or straight-cut tulle from ceiling to floor will also contribute to this.

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

How to visually expand a narrow room?

You can expand a narrow room quite by simple means without resorting to construction work. What to do if you get a room of imperfect proportions? You need to start “correcting” them already at the stage of repair and finishing.

  • Elements that can help visually expand a narrow room include: directing the gaze “across” space. Floor coverings that have pronounced stripes, such as laminate or patterned linoleum, are best directed along a short wall or at an angle. When laid along a long wall, such coverings will narrow the room even more. Another option is to use a single-color covering, for example, carpet, linoleum without a pattern, or cork.
  • Covering the walls will also help expand a narrow room. Feel free to use horizontal stripe on the end surfaces. Wide stripes and cleverly chosen colors will help enhance the effect of expansion.
  • Alternatively, try paint short walls bright, rich colors, and long ones - neutral, or use wallpaper with an inconspicuous pattern on them. This technique will help “compress” the room in the desired direction, it will become more “square”.
  • Ceiling beams, parallel to the short sides of the room, will also help to perceive it differently and visually expand the narrow room. They can be purely decorative, made of plasterboard. Such a solution is very appropriate in today’s popular Mediterranean style housing registration.
  • Try it abandon the standard rectangular space. For example, suspended ceiling non-standard shape can change the look 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 don’t plan to do any renovations, but want to visually expand a narrow room, you can use simple techniques that are accessible to everyone.

  • If possible, remove furniture from long walls, do not be afraid to place furniture elements across, for example, a closet 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 by functional areas using a shelving unit that is open on both sides and placed perpendicular to a long wall - this technique will allow you to break up the space and correct unfavorable proportions.
  • Play with light. It is better to abandon the standard chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Spot lamps placed in the center of the ceiling will help to expand a narrow room if their light is directed towards the walls.
  • Hang a picture, a striking 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 a room larger with mirrors and glass

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

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

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

Mirrors may have different shapes and framing, with unusual frames they will also play the function of a decorative element of the apartment. Figured mirrors can form an unusual composition on the wall or ceiling; they will unobtrusively increase the volume.

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

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

A false fireplace with a mirror on the inner wall will be interesting design solution. This 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.

Photos of compact furniture and decor

When choosing furniture for a small room, you should give 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; these can be plastic chairs and a table with a glass surface.

Transparent in the photo lunch group in the interior of a small kitchen.

Furniture should be placed along the walls so that central part the premises remained vacant.

It is better to use vertical shapes for interior details and accessories. Such techniques will help to visually increase the height of the ceiling.

Concerning decorative elements, then there shouldn’t be a lot of them, otherwise you can get a feeling of clutter.

Selecting curtains

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

  • Tulle white from the ceiling to the floor, the windows will visually enlarge, respectively, filling the room with light and stretching the space;

  • Light textile curtains with small patterns are suitable for decorating the windows of the living room and children's room;

  • Roller or Roman blinds will save space and become ideal option for the 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 frosted glass shades or light shades.

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

An interesting effect will be achieved by LED strip lighting. A ribbon recessed into a two-tier structure will create the impression of a floating ceiling.

Also LED strip pieces of furniture can be finished.

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

How to visually make a bathroom larger?

In a small bath, the best idea would be to finish the walls and floor. tiles light shades. White tiles will fill the bathroom with light as much as possible and visually increase the area.

Combining two colors would be a good option horizontal line more bright shade, this will expand the walls.

Ceiling finishing metal panels with a mirror finish 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, and the mirror above the sink visually increases its area.

For lighting you should choose Spotlights and mirror lighting.

Furniture plays an important role, for example, shelves recessed into the wall and a narrow sink. You can save useful 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 equipment and mobile furniture that preserve maximum amount free space. And renovations in the right shades will increase the space and make the house cozy.