Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (II): Raise the Ceiling & Colours

In the last edition of "Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (I)", we talked about giving your tiny space the illusion of space through window dressing. Next, we're going to look at raising the ceiling visually and choosing the right colours so your home won't look so cramped.

All Raise, Ceiling!

If you have a low ceiling, make it look higher with these tips:

• Paint the ceiling a light colour.
• Another way is to paint the ceiling in a colour that matches your wall, the crown moulding should match too. Or you can consider painting the ceiling a shade lighter.
• Avoid installing a ceiling fan or pendant lamp, if possible, for a less cluttered look.
• Low chairs can make the ceiling feel higher (just sit in one and look up to get the feel!) while tall bookcases and armoires (standing closet) draw the eye upwards and create the illusion of height.
• Keep the crown moulding and ceiling medallion around the lighting fixture in proportions that are in scale with the size of the room so they don't appear overwhelming.

Colour me Good

How do you go about choosing colours for your small home? Too much colour or patterns will overpower your room, but it doesn't necessarily have to be whites or bland neutrals either. The key here is to think of the walls, furnishing and accessories as one big family. While different, they should complement one another. Remember, too, that colours can influence your mood so choose wisely.

• If you want a dramatic and intimate look for your room, then go for dark colours but use a crisp white trim as an accent.
• Otherwise soft yellows, pinks, greens or greys will infuse the room with an airier ambience.
• White doesn't always have to be sterile either, add some variety with different shades of white like Barley White or Rose White.
• Choose your furnishings for the room first and let your favourite fabric inspire your wall colour, you can choose one of the three options: a matching colour, a lighter shade or a darker shade.
• Don't be afraid to experiment with diverse colours in your accessories for variety and depth, but keep repeating them everywhere in the room so it won't be chaotic or too random.
• If you have lots of busy patterns (plaids or stripes) in the room, ground them using large sweeps of colours that calm the senses and eyes. Just make sure to repeat the colours throughout the room.
• White walls can also be spiced up by dashes of bright colours and patterns in small does.
• If your windows afford you a beautiful view of the azure skies or greenery outside, you might want to consider painting your walls to match the scene. In this case, your furnishings can be in pristine white with dashes of lively colours or patterns for depth.

  You can read more on this topic;

• Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (I): Window Dressing
• Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (III): Furniture Placement
• Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (IV): Art & Wall Decor
• Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (V): Fabric
• Make Your Small Home Look Bigger (VI): Light