Lighting

Jun 03 2017

Designer tips to make your ceiling seem higher

This kitchen and dining area has high ceilings, but we are not all so fortunate! Some of our small rooms can feel cramped! When you don’t have a lot of square footage in a space, you can help it along with a few ‘tricks of the trade’ to at least make a room seem like it is more spacious!

You can create the illusion of higher ceilings – and achieve a more spacious atmosphere with these four valuable tips:

1. Use taller baseboard molding

Larger molding on the floor makes the walls look higher.Standard baseboards are about 4 – 7 inches in height, but you can find these moldings up to a foot high. There are many materials and styles from which to choose.

2. Paint the ceiling to match the walls

Most homeowners assume that the ceiling should stay white to make the room seem larger. However, if the walls have color and the ceiling does not, there is a strong visual break where they meet. This accentuates the low ceiling. If you paint your ceiling to match the walls, it fools the eye, and the ceiling will appear higher.

3. Make sure you have adequate lighting.

This basement, as with most, had a low ceiling, so careful consideration was given to drawing the eye to certain areas, and away from others. Position adequate lighting in all the corners and extremities. A dark corner won’t appear, thereby making the wall seem shorter.

4. Use vertical lines

To create a taller appearance in a room, use vertical lines – and avoid horizontal lines – wherever you can. Choose window treatments that draw the eye upward, like fabric panels installed from the ceiling to the floor (see the first photo in this article), long cascades, or vertical blinds.

Look for wallpaper or furniture that has vertical lines or you can paint a tone-on-tone striped pattern on the wall for an elegant look that adds height.All of the gorgeous wallpapers and fabric featured in this article are available through Versa Style Design.

For more information on our offers please pick one of the following services.

Walls that make a statement

Organized
Small Spaces

May 03 2016

Design Strategies for Making Any Room Seem Larger!

Part 1

I meet many clients each week and it hasn’t happened yet where one of them tells me ‘I have too much space, please make it seem smaller’. Inevitably, in every home there seems to be at least one dysfunctional zone that needs to be tweaked and re-thought. This seems to be increasing with the trend toward more compact urban lofts, condos and town houses.Even in larger traditional homes, in the majority of renovation projects I demolish certain walls in order to create that open and airy layout that is in such high demand. But this is an expensive strategy and definitely disturbs your regular lifestyle for a little while. This is the reason I always begin with exploring with my clients options that are far simpler, more accessible, and definitely more economical!

Regardless of your budget, if you want to give the impression of more space you do not have to transform your home or office into a construction zone.

Here are a few simple ideas that will allow you to create a much roomier and cohesive living or office space.

The strategic use of tones and colours.

In this hotel room at the Casa Angelina in Amalfi Italy, there really isn’t a lot of room at all. In fact, I would call it tight, but this fact doesn’t seem very apparent nor would it be too bothersome. With the absence of contrasting lines, pattern or color, our focus is not drawn to the lack of space but rather the abundance of light and serenity. Here is the benefit of the monochromatic palette (different shades of the same hue), the absence of excessive patterns or contrasting lines. It is a calmer and more seamless look and this contributes to the spacious feel.

Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls

It works with the white bedroom, but this also works with a vibrant colour. You have surely heard the recommendation to paint the ceiling a lighter tone, but I would like to show you AN EVEN BETTER STRATEGY, which is precisely AVOIDING the creation of a ‘line’ of demarcation between the walls and ceiling.In this gorgeous bedroom with turquoise walls, the ceiling is also painted in the same shade. I know it’s darker than we are accustomed to seeing, but it still doesn’t seem heavy or suffocating.

We often hear fashion stylists telling us to wear one shade, like black, from head to toe so the silhouette line remains ‘unbroken’ and fluid. The same principle applies with living spaces. When choosing a color for a room, make sure to consult a professional who will help you make the selection in the space itself.

Integrate multifunctional furniture

This Evo storage coffee table from Structube plays many functions. A piece like this is essential, functional and stylish in any small space. Other examples include sleeper sofas, Murphy beds and ottomans that flip into tables and contain storage.

Use a round table instead of rectangular

Round tables are fabulously inviting. Everyone is face to face and there are no awkward corners to navigate around. If you have a super tight eating space, go for round, with the option to extend it into an oval for the occasional larger gathering.

Use light strategically

Try to remember that the more (artificial or natural) light you have in the space, the roomier it will seem. And it seems every lighting professional you speak to these days all agree on one thing: avoid lighting the room from ONLY a single ceiling source. Quite the contrary, try to integrate varied sources of light, and at different levels such as aptly placed table lamps, floors lamps or recessed lighting that will add depth.

It’s quite simple when you think about it, whatever remains in the shadows disappears and the room seems to shrink down to a much smaller zone…Especially in basements, where the natural light tends to be practically non-existent, the light plan must be well thought through. Because of the low ceilings in most basements, it is essential to brighten up the extremities, the corners as well as the ceiling itself in order for the space to feel cozy, spacious and inviting.

To conclude Part 1

As you can see, you need not become a victim of your lack of space, but rather slowly work toward integrating some of these principles. You will quickly discover their hidden potential as well as that of your working and living space!

Keeping reading: Part 2

Design Small Spaces

Aug 14 2013

Accessorizing and Personalizing Your Decor

How to accessorize with attention-grabbing groupings!

Near the end of your interior design project, a great way of successfully ‘pulling it all together’ is through the art of accessorizing. This phase adds the final touch and actually personalizes the space to make it yours. The room should, in part, be an expression of who inhabits it, as well as being extremely inviting for everyone. When it comes to adding the final touch to an interior decorating project, here are some of the tricks of the trade for making your accessories look ‘just right’…

1. Arrange objects into simple groupings called ‘Vignettes’

A vignette is a featured grouping of objects that is accentuated through the use of great lighting and is positioned on a surface that needed some decoration. A vignette makes a room look more polished and pulled together so it is filling a vital need in the decorating process! You can make a vignette on top of any flat surface: the floor, a dresser, table, fireplace mantle, bookshelf, counter top or window ledge. Think of it as creating a beautiful still life right where you need one!

You can use accessories like vases, mirrors, plants, candles, photos, objects brought home from abroad, flea-market finds or other personal belongings to create ambience and to add a personal and unique flavour to the room. It is also a wonderful way of integrating cherished items, your personal artwork and heirlooms into your design.

2. Display objects in odd numbers such as 3 or 5

Place several objects of similar shape, size and colour together in odd numbers for maximum impact. Groups of three or five work particularly well and are stronger visually than a group of two or four.

3. Add depth by layering the items

using candles of different size to create depth

Placing objects against a mirror, or leaning them against a number of different sized frames on a shelf, is an easy way to create a sense of dimension. Or, as in the case below, the layering was achieved with objects that stand alone and have enough variety in their sizes, colours and textures that the layering effect works!

Place objects from the back of the flat surface to the front instead of in a straight line the length of the surface. Position the smaller items in the front, staggered to the side just a little.

4. Vary the height, textures and shapes of the objects.

Mix hard and shiny accessories with rough and natural. Use weathered wood or iron architectural elements to introduce an unexpected texture. Photo frames, which come in finishes from shiny enamel to beaded, offer an array of texture options.

Use small pedestals to elevate items, or try stacking books to create a platform for smaller objects.

accessories used to decorate such as books

5. Let there be light!

There is a simple vignette on the mantle as well as a beautiful grouping on the floor.

Try integrating a lamp, candles or lanterns as in the photograph of the fireplace below. There is a small grouping on the mantle, as well as lighting within the ‘faux’ fireplace itself.

6. Symmetrical groupings for formal style, asymmetrical ones for casual…

If your room is formal, a symmetrical design works best, as in the dining room below where every object is positioned in a cohesive and structured manner. Symmetry is always more sophisticated looking…

Grouping items in a symmetrical manner creates structure formality.

7. Integrate the right colour to create that ‘Wow’ factor.

Placing a blue bowl in the table grouping ties in with the beautiful armchair. Photo: Elle Decor

Add an item to the vignette in a shade that complements the existent colour palette of the room. The photo below is a good example of a coffee table grouping being tied into the rest of the design because it is 95% white with a small hit of blue (the bowl) as is the rest of the room…

You can also use the vignette as a stand alone focal point. In the kitchen below, colourful vases grouped together in numbers were used to create a dynamic feel to the room, energizing it!

Use a vignette as a colourful focal point.

8. Stick to ONLY ONE theme in the grouping.

Great way of featuring thematic collections: Group them together! Photo: Burlap and Buttons

If the vacation photos are from the beach, add a seashell. If you happen to have a few collector items such as Vintage camera accessories etc, then go ahead a put them together. As a larger grouping they will draw the eye and create more of a statement than if they were spread out thinly here and there.

The creation of vignettes around your home will add value to your newly showcased belongings . Just remember to limit the quantity so they are captivating and draw a moment of appreciation as people walk by. Too many little items jumbled together are overwhelming . Just 3 or 5 items carefully placed in a simple group engage and draw the eyes, clutter is kept to a minimum, and all is well with the world, well, at least the inside the room!

Interior Design tips