YARDLEY, Pa., March 9, 2011 — People often ask home builders to expand their living areas, but few homeowners know the simple interior design ideas to make any room look and feel larger without having to call in a construction crew. Philadelphia interior designer Donna Hoffman knows how to create larger feeling living areas for her clients without moving walls.
"There's applied science to design," explains Hoffman. "There are key interior design principles that can push out walls, lift ceilings, expand windows and improve architecture. And, it can be done on almost any budget." Here are six savvy, budget-wise tips to make rooms larger without wielding a sledgehammer.
- Color 101. Dark colors eat up space and move toward you; light colors move away from you. If you love cranberry, get it off the walls and instead go neutral on the walls to push them outward. Instead, move your beloved cranberry through the room on accent chairs, throw pillows and with fringes, tassels and accessories.
- Print 101. Banish large-scale prints on large furnishings. Like dark colors, large-scale prints eat up space visually by moving toward you. Keep large pieces of upholstery in soft, solid colors. Rooms open up and drama can come by sprinkling exciting prints on throw pillows and one accent chair, tops.
- Draperies 101. Keep drapery color very close to the wall color and watch windowed walls push outward. Raise ceilings by avoiding cornice boards with their low, horizontal lines. Opt for lush panels hung at least 6" above the natural window to create striking vertical lines that lift the eye. Think "columns made of fabric."
- Focal Point 101. Rooms with no focal point close in quickly because the eye never rests. Hint: Architecture drives your focal point. Most commonly the focal point will be the fireplace or windowed wall. Play up these areas, quiet down others and watch your space grow.
- Kill the Clutter. Collectors this means you. Lots of itty-bitty things in a room creates clutter fast, which makes interiors feel smaller. If you can't part with your mother's perfume bottles or the pictures of all the cousins, organize in one location on a silver tray for high impact and clutter control.
- Magic Mirror. The French figured it out centuries ago: Hang mirrors to increase "luminescence" in a room. Hang between windows and the feeling of "an extra window" is gained. Hang mirrors near windows or over a fireplace and light is augmented, as is the perception of space.
Follow these simple decorating ideas and you can make any room look and feel larger, no sledgehammer need apply.
ABOUT INTERIORS BY DONNA HOFFMAN
In-demand Philadelphia interior designer and former QVC show host Donna Hoffman has been featured in Real Simple, Country Accents and TV. She heads up the Bucks County-based interior design group that specializes in home interiors that have 10+ years of staying power. Marrying smart design to your individual design fingerprint — your "interiority" — leads to the rooms clients love to live in, look at — and never want to leave. What's inside matters most. Additional information found at http://www.interiorsbydonnahoffman.com.
Contact: Donna Hoffman, IDH 215-736-8693
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