"Enlarging" Small Rooms

If you're tired of your home's small, crowded rooms, here are several decorating techniques to make them appear more spacious.

If you're tired of your home's small, crowded rooms, here are several decorating techniques to make them appear more spacious.

Color and arrangement

You may have heard or read that light, cool colors always make spaces appear larger. That's a myth. The key to designing larger looking areas is to effectively employ two design concepts: color contrast and clever furniture arrangement. Here's how these techniques work.

Little or no contrast

Matching window coverings, doors and trims to the wall color results in an immediate, spacious look. Blending large furniture pieces to the wall and/or floor colors also multiplies into a larger look. For example, a large recliner chair appears to take less space if its fabric blends into the backdrop. A backdrop includes the walls, windows and flooring treatments. If treated in solids or patterns that blend with each other, a more expansive look is created.

One dominating color

A sense of order and a larger appearance is achieved when 80 to 90 percent of the colors and patterns in a room are closely related. Although this sounds a little boring, if accent colors are used for accessories, the results will give an eye-catching but visually larger impression. For example, if a king-size bedspread matches the flooring color, the bed "disappears,” becoming part of the floor. This makes the area appear bigger.

More solids, fewer patterns

Solid colors give a room a less busy, calm and more roomy appearance. Once the room is designed with mostly solid colors, add a few interesting patterns with art, photos and throw pillows.

Arrange to lengthen or widen

Without sacrificing function, arrange long pieces of furniture to widen or lengthen a room. The ultimate room-size illusion technique is to install a floor-to-ceiling mirror on one wall. If that's too much, use a framed mirror or other shiny finishes, such as trading a glass and brass coffee table for one made of wood.

Get rid of junk

Rooms look larger if they're not crowded. Be sure the center of interest doesn't have highly noticeable or outstanding elements within the peripheral vision and allow plenty of eye-rests. Resist scattering bits and pieces around the room, such as too many florals or single wall hangings having no relationship with furnishings. The idea is to eliminate clutter and to strive for simplicity.

To lengthen the appearance of a room, place long pieces of furniture parallel to the length of the room and hang mirrors on the end wall. To make a room look shorter and wider, place the long pieces of furniture across the room's width. Enhance a fireplace as the center of interest with colorful accessories on the mantel.

Be in charge

If you have to place furniture where it doesn't produce the desired effect, choose pertinent blending or contrasting. For example, if the sofa has to be placed on a long wall but you want the room to appear shorter, contrast the color to the wall or floor so it acts like a "stopping agent.” Conversely, if a room has to have a sofa going across it but you don't want the space to appear wider, blend the sofa with the flooring color to minimize widening illusions.

Plan ahead

Before buying new furniture, experiment with arrangements and looks by using furniture on hand to stimulate ideas and to get a better sense of available space. Move it around and look it over. Remember, experimenting with design concepts before buying gives confidence—while saving time, money and worry.

Carol Bousquet Chop applies design techniques to her home in Florida.

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