Bigger is always better right? Wrong. You may think having a large space would pose no problems whatsoever - all of your furniture fits, there is plenty room for entertaining, what more could you ask for? Everything is just peachy until you actually move your furniture in, and then you realize your room seems completely empty.
So as promised, here it is ladies and gents: tips and tricks to make your huge enormous space feel a little less huge and enormous. There are literally thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of websites, magazines, and articles that are solely dedicated to making your small space feel larger - but making a large space feel smaller? Now that's a different story.
I did a little research, and came up with a few ideas of my own...and here are my top tips to make your space feel cozier.
1. Paint! Those stark white walls not only lack character, but they do nothing in terms of making a space feel cozy. Instead, try using warm colors (or colors with a golden undertone). This will make your space feel more comfortable and inviting. Also, dark colors can help to make the room feel smaller...but I would use caution when painting all four walls very dark. Perhaps try painting one a darker hue as an accent wall. Lastly, the ceiling can be painted a slightly darker shade to help feel the room feel more enclosed.
2. Group furniture into functional clusters. When your space is ginormous, one of the things that will help to give it definition is to break it up into different areas. For example, you can distinguish a living room from a dining area by using the couch as a divider.
Also, you can create even smaller clusters within these spaces. Say for instance you have a big empty corner - why not put two comfy chairs next to a small table and create a little reading nook? PS - don't you just LOVE that bookcase too?
It is important that you don't place all of your furniture against walls. By allowing it to "float" in your space, it will actually feel more anchored (go figure), because it creates visual interest and definite "rooms."
3. Go buy (or make) a rug! I have this phenomenal plan brewing in my brain about how I am going to craft my own rug...so maybe look for it in our new home or in a later post! Regardless, rugs help give definition to a space, and they also help to add warmth to a space. Choosing a rug with coordinating colors will help to pull your space together. You could distinguish two different spaces by using two different rugs, using a rug only in one space, or physically changing the flooring between the two spaces. A common thing you will run into is a large space that holds a dining room and living room, although the dining room has hardwood floors and the living room is carpeted. This material change instantly helps distinguish the two rooms.
4. Use a room divider. Your room divider doesn't have to be one of those typical tri-fold room dividers you see at Pier One. While those can work, in a large space, chances are you'll need something a little bit more grandiose. There are a variety of ways you can create the sense of division, while still maintaining a visual connection between rooms. One of my favorite ways is to use shelving to divide space is by using shelving. The key to this is to resist the temptation to fill every shelf with nick-nacks, because the effect is far more successful when you maintain that sense of transparency.
Curtains are a great way to section off spaces, and hanging artwork can have the same effect. I absolutely love the effect created in the bottom image.
5. Keep scale in mind. When you are filling your large space, it is important to consider the scale of the items you are putting in the space. On a large wall, you wouldn't want to hang a small, 8.5" x 11" piece of artwork. Instead, opt for a larger piece that fills the space, or use multiple smaller pieces.
You can also feel free to buy that large sectional you've been eying - but as a warning - just because your space is large doesn't mean EVERYTHING should be large. It's great to have one or two large pieces, say a large couch and large dining room table, but then the remaining pieces of furniture should be smaller. Remember, moderation is key.
So as promised, here it is ladies and gents: tips and tricks to make your huge enormous space feel a little less huge and enormous. There are literally thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of websites, magazines, and articles that are solely dedicated to making your small space feel larger - but making a large space feel smaller? Now that's a different story.
I did a little research, and came up with a few ideas of my own...and here are my top tips to make your space feel cozier.
1. Paint! Those stark white walls not only lack character, but they do nothing in terms of making a space feel cozy. Instead, try using warm colors (or colors with a golden undertone). This will make your space feel more comfortable and inviting. Also, dark colors can help to make the room feel smaller...but I would use caution when painting all four walls very dark. Perhaps try painting one a darker hue as an accent wall. Lastly, the ceiling can be painted a slightly darker shade to help feel the room feel more enclosed.
Before
After
Walls have been painted a warm brownish hue and ceilings have been painted a light taupe.
2. Group furniture into functional clusters. When your space is ginormous, one of the things that will help to give it definition is to break it up into different areas. For example, you can distinguish a living room from a dining area by using the couch as a divider.
Also, you can create even smaller clusters within these spaces. Say for instance you have a big empty corner - why not put two comfy chairs next to a small table and create a little reading nook? PS - don't you just LOVE that bookcase too?
It is important that you don't place all of your furniture against walls. By allowing it to "float" in your space, it will actually feel more anchored (go figure), because it creates visual interest and definite "rooms."
3. Go buy (or make) a rug! I have this phenomenal plan brewing in my brain about how I am going to craft my own rug...so maybe look for it in our new home or in a later post! Regardless, rugs help give definition to a space, and they also help to add warmth to a space. Choosing a rug with coordinating colors will help to pull your space together. You could distinguish two different spaces by using two different rugs, using a rug only in one space, or physically changing the flooring between the two spaces. A common thing you will run into is a large space that holds a dining room and living room, although the dining room has hardwood floors and the living room is carpeted. This material change instantly helps distinguish the two rooms.
Maybe I'm biased because we all know how I feel about blue...but I just love love LOVE this room.
4. Use a room divider. Your room divider doesn't have to be one of those typical tri-fold room dividers you see at Pier One. While those can work, in a large space, chances are you'll need something a little bit more grandiose. There are a variety of ways you can create the sense of division, while still maintaining a visual connection between rooms. One of my favorite ways is to use shelving to divide space is by using shelving. The key to this is to resist the temptation to fill every shelf with nick-nacks, because the effect is far more successful when you maintain that sense of transparency.
Another thing you can do (and this is a little more permanent solution), is to actually drop the ceiling in the walkway, or add columns of some sort on the side to create a threshold as you move from space to space. The two images below incorporate this idea with the shelving idea previously noted.
Curtains are a great way to section off spaces, and hanging artwork can have the same effect. I absolutely love the effect created in the bottom image.
5. Keep scale in mind. When you are filling your large space, it is important to consider the scale of the items you are putting in the space. On a large wall, you wouldn't want to hang a small, 8.5" x 11" piece of artwork. Instead, opt for a larger piece that fills the space, or use multiple smaller pieces.
This large sofa is complemented by the small throw pillows and coffee table.
In both this image, as well as the image below, large sectionals are paired with smaller pieces of furniture to complete the room.
So with that, I wish you all happy decorating, and as soon as we close on our house, I will get some pictures posted!
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