To make a room feel larger, you need to make the ceilings feel taller. But what if you want a quick immediate fix, that can be done in one day? No problem! Interior designers use four methods that “trick the eye” and instantly make a room feel larger. In fact, the change is so amazing that client’s actually gasp during installs, saying things like “Wow! I had no idea it would make THAT much of an impact!”
Solution #1 to make a ceiling feel taller:
1) Add a tall focal piece!
A tall focal piece, just one….in this case a headboard, but you also add a large tall tree. Or if your focal point is already the fireplace, and it looks too short, you can make it look taller with a tall piece of art above the mantle. Something tall in the room can really make a difference! We don’t recommend a BULKY piece, like an Armoire or a massive hutch. Anything that is bulky will make a room feel smaller, because it could overpower the room. For example, if the bed below had a tall foot board, it would have overpowered this small guest bedroom.
After Above, Before, below
2) Replace those short drapes!
For a tremendous change, we replace drapes that are only 84″ tall with drapes that are hung all the way up by the crown molding. It never ceases to amaze people how much of an impact this makes! People comment that 8′ ceilings now feel like 9′ ceilings, or 9′ ceilings feel like 10′ ceilings….. it’s a great way to trick the eye, because it draws the eye up!
AFTER above, BEFORE below when a drape is hung all the way up by the ceiling,
it makes the room feel larger and the ceilings feel taller
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BEFORE
The drape is hung all the way up by the ceiling,
to makes the window seem taller which makes the ceilings feel taller
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3) Hang tall vertical art!
Replace horizontal or low pieces with a vertical or taller piece of art. Everyone dismisses this idea at first, until we hold up a vertical piece of art, then they instantly say things like “Oh – I didn’t realize it would make the room look THAT much bigger!”
Notice below the art draws the eye UP – to the arched transom above the front door in this foyer.
The short bench (in the before photo) stopped the eye at the 4′ tall level….much like a dark belt stops the eye on a short person.
Look around your room, are there several piece of furniture that are all waist high? Is the art horizontal? Do the drapes stop at the top of the window? If so, you can dramatically change how big the room looks through these 4 solutions. A combination of all 4 solutions will transform your room to make it look much larger.
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BEFORE
The short furniture “cut off” the room at 4′ tall height, which made the ceiling feel lower |
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AFTER
foyer with vertical art
Notice how vertical large art draws the eye up to make the ceiling feel taller in this small eating area!
 4) Accentuate your moldings and architecture!
In the above space, the beam ceilings and chandelier draw the eye up! If everything had been painted white, the eye would’ve stopped at the top of the drapes. Notice how the wood stained beams draw the eye up, to accentuate the height of this room! Ok, so maybe you don’t have beautiful beams you can stain, but perhaps you can paint your woodwork?
Why is it even important to accentuate the height of ceilings? Because it makes rooms feel larger! A spacious look allows you to have a sufficient amount of furniture to make the room functional, without looking crowded. And a drape hung high above a window accomplishes the same illusion of a larger room. Do you have a trick of your own for making a ceiling feel taller? Click the word “comment” below to share your thoughts!
5) Get furniture that has exposed wood legs!
This will make a huge impact to make your room feel larger. If your cocktail ottoman or chairs go all the way to the floor, upgrade at least a piece or two to furniture to ones that are up on legs.
Once you can see underneath furniture, you’ll be amazed how much bigger the room looks. Often we recover a piece of furniture and omit the skirt. If the legs are not pretty, you can paint them black or stain them a darker color. This may be the last item we’re mentioning, but it’s certainly not the least.
Not willing to recover a chair or ottoman? Then find end tables or a cocktail table that are not “dense”. Ask yourself – Can I see under it? Is it nice and airy? Or does it seem bulky and go all the way down to the floor? Designers and furniture store clerks rarely mention this and it’s one of the best quick fix solutions available to make your room feel more spacious! It’s important that at least two or three pieces in the room are up on legs!
For many more before & after designer room ideas, check out these:
https://www.interiordesigngreensboro.com/search?q=designer%2C+after
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Wow! I love what you did with the bedroom! It has a super clean and sophisticated look!
Where may I find the tall headboard that is in the photo?
It is breathtaking!