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7 Ways To Make Large Spaces Appear Cosy

Abstract architecture background, empty interior with concrete walls and cloudy sky in windows, 3d illustration

When you live or work in a small space, you long for more space. Ironically, when you have a large space, you want to find a way to break it up to create a sense of warmth and intimacy. The goal is to create the illusion of a smaller space, as this will create a comfortable look and feel to any large room.

A room may be large because of its width and height, or it could appear large because of high ceilings, or it could have a large square area and high ceilings, too. Fortunately, there are many crafty ways to either reduce the space or create the illusion that there is less spaciousness.

7 Simple, Elegant Ideas 

Let’s take a look at 7 ways to pull off some designer magic.

  1. Room Dividers.

Room dividers provide an elegant solution for shared space that needs to be split up. Once installed – and the setup can take minutes – they can create privacy for roommates or office workers. They are ideal for shared bedrooms, studio apartments, storage areas, or basements. They also work well for open settings, raised ceilings, lofts, offices, and multipurpose rooms.

  1. Use Decorative Screens.

What do you do if you don’t want to separate the two rooms, but merely want to make an open space appear a little more protected? In other words, you want the room to flow together rather than split apart. The solution is to use a decorative screen. In a living room, for example, it can be placed behind a sofa to separate it from the adjoining living room. Without the screen, the open space between the living room and the dining room would make it look like one big room.

  1. Optical Illusion.

Colors can be used to reduce the apparent height of rooms with tall ceilings. The trick is to have two-toned painted walls, with the painted colors only rising up half way up the walls. This creates the illusion that ceilings are much lower.

Another way to make walls look less austere is to find ways to make them look less bare. Use paintings or sculpture embedded in wall shelves will fill out the space.

Sometimes the right artwork can add warmth to a living room that appears too big, cold, and impersonal. A Homedit article entitled “How To Decorate A Large Living Room To Make It Feel Cosy,” explains how to make this work:

  • “In smaller rooms an eclectic display of several wall hung images works well. In a larger room a single statement, with an oversized picture, will usually do a better job. Single pieces of wall hung art work, dominating a facade, will make the entire room seem like it is more in proportion, even if it has not been filled with living room furniture. Alternatively, a single piece of functional sculpture, like a bespoke chimney flue, will help with the effect of making the room appear more cosy”.
  1. Potted Plants.

Plants add a touch of nature into a room, and they work very well if you don’t want to divide a room but merely want to make it look less empty. They work especially well for rooms with tall ceilings or that have lonely corners. The only requirement is that there is enough natural light for the plants to thrive.

  1. The Right Choice of Furniture.

Furniture that looks just right in a smaller room will seem almost tiny in a big room. There just appears to be too much floor space, or the walls appear too far away, or the ceiling feels too high.

In a larger room, for example, an oversize ottoman works much better than a coffee table. You can also add a 3 piece modern large tufted sectional sofa with your ottoman.

Another idea is to use an L-shaped sectional to elegantly divide up a large living room. It will work if there are two seating areas in a large room or there is an open space plan between the living and dining spaces.

  1. Breaking Up Large Seating Areas

If the room is huge, it may have enough space for two complete sets of furniture. The way to separate these two full seating portions would be to use a daybed to create two zones. If a daybed doesn’t work for the room, then try a chaise or a bench. If these still don’t work, then try a console table to create your zones.

  1. Create a Nook.

By separating how a room is used, you can reduce the sense of too much space. In a dining room, you can make a portion into a bar. In a living room, you can make a small reading room. Or in a bedroom, you can create a walk-in closet.

Shrink Space with Creative Thinking

While there are many other ways to fill up a large space, these 7 tips will stimulate your imagination on how to think about spaces. Simple and affordable creative touches can create an optical illusion, breaking up a large space into a room that looks smaller. The trick is to make the shift appear effortless, for the room to flow together in a seamless way.

 

Comments

  1. Mary Ambrosino says

    Thanks for some useful ideas.

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