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Ditch These 7 Things to Make Your Living Room Feel Bigger
Feeling cramped? These sitting room mainstays could be making your space seem smaller
Did you know there are certain design details that could be shrinking your living room? From mantelpieces and curtain poles to legless furniture and what you put in your alcoves, read on to discover some of the most common space-stealing culprits and how to make a room work without them.
2. Visible curtain fixings
Consider ditching your curtain pole, because ‘invisible’ ceiling-mounted tracks or a discreet pelmet that covers the top of your window dressing are a popular interior design trick that can make a room feel taller, as demonstrated here.
As with the paint suggestion above, the idea is that you lose lines that might otherwise visually break up a surface. This is especially true when the colours of the walls, ceiling and window dressings melt together, as the effect visually stretches the space.
Often the idea is seen with tracks recessed into a clean, flat new ceiling, but here, Pineapple Interiors has added period-appropriate cornicing and hidden the tops of these pale, gauzy drapes behind it. They seemingly disappear, and curtains and ceiling appear almost as one. It can also be effective with window dressings in a contrasting colour.
To retrofit something like this, have your tradesperson construct a pelmet from slimline MDF or wood and fit it just in front of the top of your blinds or curtains, then paint it to blend into the walls and/or ceiling.
Easily find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
Consider ditching your curtain pole, because ‘invisible’ ceiling-mounted tracks or a discreet pelmet that covers the top of your window dressing are a popular interior design trick that can make a room feel taller, as demonstrated here.
As with the paint suggestion above, the idea is that you lose lines that might otherwise visually break up a surface. This is especially true when the colours of the walls, ceiling and window dressings melt together, as the effect visually stretches the space.
Often the idea is seen with tracks recessed into a clean, flat new ceiling, but here, Pineapple Interiors has added period-appropriate cornicing and hidden the tops of these pale, gauzy drapes behind it. They seemingly disappear, and curtains and ceiling appear almost as one. It can also be effective with window dressings in a contrasting colour.
To retrofit something like this, have your tradesperson construct a pelmet from slimline MDF or wood and fit it just in front of the top of your blinds or curtains, then paint it to blend into the walls and/or ceiling.
Easily find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
3. Furniture without legs
Solid, to-the-floor sofas, chairs and storage can sometimes have the effect of shrinking a room, because they take up chunks of the limited floor space.
Instead, in a small room, try swapping pieces of that ilk with furniture mounted on legs. It’s a style you often see in midcentury modern pieces and, here, Abstract House has gone for vintage elegance to show how the effect works. Quite simply, if you can see the floor beneath a piece of furniture, your brain is tricked into sensing more space.
Solid, to-the-floor sofas, chairs and storage can sometimes have the effect of shrinking a room, because they take up chunks of the limited floor space.
Instead, in a small room, try swapping pieces of that ilk with furniture mounted on legs. It’s a style you often see in midcentury modern pieces and, here, Abstract House has gone for vintage elegance to show how the effect works. Quite simply, if you can see the floor beneath a piece of furniture, your brain is tricked into sensing more space.
4. The mantelpiece
Few would suggest you rip out an original period fire surround, but if your home doesn’t have one, or it’s already been removed, think carefully before reinstating this lovely feature if your living room is small or your ceiling low.
Rees Architects has kept this chimney breast clean and simple, with nothing protruding into the room from its surface. Having no horizontal shelf cutting the chimney wall in two makes the space feel larger and the ceiling higher.
Few would suggest you rip out an original period fire surround, but if your home doesn’t have one, or it’s already been removed, think carefully before reinstating this lovely feature if your living room is small or your ceiling low.
Rees Architects has kept this chimney breast clean and simple, with nothing protruding into the room from its surface. Having no horizontal shelf cutting the chimney wall in two makes the space feel larger and the ceiling higher.
5. Alcove storage
Consider whether you really need alcove storage. Removing it entirely, as interior designer Emma Tutill has done in this top floor living room, can open up a small space.
In the place of cupboards or shelves, there’s room here for a sleek wall-mounted TV, set back. Beneath it, the omission makes way for a whole new zone – a comfy chair and little side table, handily next to sockets should media or a lamp be required.
Consider whether you really need alcove storage. Removing it entirely, as interior designer Emma Tutill has done in this top floor living room, can open up a small space.
In the place of cupboards or shelves, there’s room here for a sleek wall-mounted TV, set back. Beneath it, the omission makes way for a whole new zone – a comfy chair and little side table, handily next to sockets should media or a lamp be required.
6. A large coffee table
There’s something aspirational about a long, two-tier coffee table, heavy with beautiful hardback books, and in larger rooms, it can work nicely. But if you’re at risk of daily shin bruises and a regular side shuffle to pass your own coffee table, let this room by Studio Fabbri inspire you to give it up.
The table here is not only little, it’s also round, which can be helpful in a tight space, because, well, no corners jutting out. It’s also flexible and can move up and down the sofa, be used as a side table for an armchair, or simply be stacked out of the way. A piece of furniture that you can see you could pick up with one hand also lightens the look of a room.
There’s something aspirational about a long, two-tier coffee table, heavy with beautiful hardback books, and in larger rooms, it can work nicely. But if you’re at risk of daily shin bruises and a regular side shuffle to pass your own coffee table, let this room by Studio Fabbri inspire you to give it up.
The table here is not only little, it’s also round, which can be helpful in a tight space, because, well, no corners jutting out. It’s also flexible and can move up and down the sofa, be used as a side table for an armchair, or simply be stacked out of the way. A piece of furniture that you can see you could pick up with one hand also lightens the look of a room.
7. An extensive colour palette
Yes, this room by Foxglove House is full of many pieces you could remove, but if you like having lots of things, take note of the space-enhancing effect of the restricted palette. There’s very little floor space, but the room feels cosy and welcoming, rather than chaotic.
There’s colour, but not too much variety. The green of the walls ties into the green in the curtains, which almost feel like an extension of the walls. The white of the fireplace ties into the window frames and seating.
The coral in the curtains, meanwhile, chimes with the cushions and many of the accessories for a cohesive, calming feel.
Tell us…
What, from this list, would you remove from your living room to make it feel more spacious? Let us know in the Comments.
Yes, this room by Foxglove House is full of many pieces you could remove, but if you like having lots of things, take note of the space-enhancing effect of the restricted palette. There’s very little floor space, but the room feels cosy and welcoming, rather than chaotic.
There’s colour, but not too much variety. The green of the walls ties into the green in the curtains, which almost feel like an extension of the walls. The white of the fireplace ties into the window frames and seating.
The coral in the curtains, meanwhile, chimes with the cushions and many of the accessories for a cohesive, calming feel.
Tell us…
What, from this list, would you remove from your living room to make it feel more spacious? Let us know in the Comments.
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Enveloping a room in just one hue – skirting boards, dado rails, window frames and all – rather than picking out these features in, say, white paint, can have the effect of smoothing out the room’s architectural edges and creating a space that feels more expansive.
These features will still be visible, but they won’t stand out and visually divide the space, which can be the case if you have a lot of them in a small room.
Even if you’re using an off-white shade, it will make a difference carrying the paint across surfaces. You might want to use a different paint finish for a subtle, textural deviation.