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Colors :
In general, favor cold and light colors: light blues, pearl grays, powder pinks, etc. Warm colors will tend to make the room heavier, and make the space more intimate, and therefore smaller. However, you can also play with a contrast of light and dark colors. With the aim of giving more or less depth to a room. Indeed, a dark color at the back of the room gives it depth. While a dark color on the sides will have the effect of widening the room.
If necessary, make vertical stripes on your walls, using strips of paint or a strip of wallpaper for example, to give height to your room. As long as you opt for fine stripes, you will visually lengthen your wall in relation to the floor and gain an effect of depth.
Beyond the walls, the same goes for floor coverings which must be chosen light. Choose large tiles and wide floorboards. Consider laying the floor diagonally, or in the opposite direction of the room, so as to push back the walls.
Good to know: if you have a room that lacks ceiling height, install plinths in the color of the wall and not the floor, so as to stretch and lengthen the wall.
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The furniture :
Of course, opt for unimposing furniture, again in rather light colors. The most suitable for small spaces is obviously convertible furniture, which will allow you to reduce it when you are not using it. Modular tables and consoles , bed cabinets with desk, integrated sofa or table, convertible sofa … Multiply this type of furniture suitable for small spaces.
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The accessories :
Well-known tip: mirrors, which make a room look bigger. Don't hesitate to place them opposite each other, so that they reflect each other endlessly. Choose them as big as possible. If you have a wall occupied by a large bay window, you can install a large mirror opposite. It will provide a second source of “natural” light and reflect the exterior.
Lamps and lights will also be your allies in making a room bigger, so multiply them! Shadow areas tend to make space smaller. Be aware that lights directed downwards will tend to settle, unlike those directed towards the ceiling.
Choose recessed spotlights rather than ceiling lights, to distribute the light more harmoniously. Create different spaces with accent lighting, for the office, above a bookcase, inside your shelves to give them depth, etc. Also remember to bring lightness to your hanging furniture, by placing a light strip underneath, along the entire length to accompany the look. Select tone-on-tone curtains and sheers, in the same color as the wall where you hang them, for more lightness.
Increase hidden storage as much as possible, and above all tidy up: a small, cluttered room will be synonymous with visual fatigue. Choose closed cupboards and shelves, or don't overload them.
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To sum up :
For narrow rooms : parquet laid widthwise and dark color on the side walls. Shallow rooms : parquet laid diagonally. Even lengthwise if you really want to add depth to the room, and the back wall is darker than the others. For rooms with low ceilings : a few narrow stripes, placed vertically on the walls. Lights directed towards the ceiling and baseboards in the color of your walls.
And the great outdoors is yours, or at least the illusion of the great outdoors :)! Also discover our article: how to change the decor of your interiors according to the seasons of the year.