There are a few tricks that architects use to make spaces appear bigger – and you can use them too. Here are some of the most popular hacks, according to interior designer Kirsten Day.
Research shows humans don’t like being caged in, preferring to be in larger, more open spaces. And different factors – such as the shape of rooms, the colour of surfaces and the positioning and brightness of lighting – all influence how we perceive space.
These are the elements designers and architects consider when creating spaces. And there are several tips you can use yourself to make your apartment, or any living space, seem roomier.
Extending space
If your apartment has outside views, you should use these. By facing living areas and furniture towards the window or balcony, the outside landscape becomes an extension of the inside space, increasing the perception of the room’s size.
Architects (including Frank Lloyd Wright in his famous work Fallingwater) have long used this tactic to draw the eye outside, as a contrast to smaller spaces with low ceilings. A window doesn’t need to be large to create this effect, but some research has shown it needs to take up about 20% of the wall to improve satisfaction with the interior space.
You can also place a mirror opposite that view, which will reflect the outside and contrive another illusory kind of “outside”. A mirror’s view into another room would have a similar effect.
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