1. Let the sun shine in
Lighting always opens up a room, so if you have a lot of natural light, don’t cover it up with heavy drapery. Keep window coverings simple. Grass Shades or Roman blinds, which are made with nearly transparent fabric or natural fibers www.castec.com are barely visible when open and allow plenty of light in. If your room doesn’t get a lot of natural light, fake it with a few lamps. I recommend using halogen light bulbs, which cast a glow similar to natural daylight.
2. Don’t fear mirrors
Relax—we’re just talking one or two of them. It won’t look like a tribute to disco fever. Hang a mirror on the wall that is opposite your windows to reflect natural light and give the room a brighter, more open look. Bonus: it will also reflect the outdoors, bringing the illusion of nature into your home. It often gives the promise of more space.This is an excellent use of mirror on a wall that had no impact prior. The drapery panels and mirror make the space feel larger and a window feeling is captured.
3. Buy furniture that is scaled to fit your space
You may be in love with that giant overstuffed sofa, but you need to shop for the room you have. When selecting furniture, keep scale and proportion in mind. Keep more open space for heavy traffic areas and keep it simple.
4. Use multifunctional pieces
When space is at a premium, make the most of the room you do have with furniture that does double duty. An ottoman can serve as a coffee table, a spot to eat snacks or a place to play your favorite board game. Little ottomans could double as end tables if you put a tray on top of them and when you need extra seating for guests they will perform double duty.
5. Embrace light color
Skip dark colors. Whites or light colors make a room seem bigger. Another Phil trick? Paint walls and ceilings the same color if you don’t have wonderful molding. It’ll trick the eye into thinking ceilings are higher than they really are. Think fresh spring or beach interiors colors. When implementing colors for beach interior design I try to use clear and fresh colors.
6. Resist the urge to over accessorize
Throw pillows, lamps and a few pieces of art are a great way to inject color and soft pattern into your room, but when adding your finishing touches, bear in mind that clutter will only make your space seem smaller. Avoid visual vibration.
