Is the living room, kitchen or bedroom in your rental small and cramped? If we can’t push the walls, we can still make it more spacious. Declutter the room, clear the space with storage, dress the walls or floors, choose your light … with a few tips and even a small budget, you will work miracles. Caroline Vitte, interior designer, offers us her recipe.
WHAT MAKES ONE PART LOOKING SMALLER THAN ANOTHER?
For the same size, this is undoubtedly the way it is decorated. A dimly lit room, overloaded with furniture or objects, dressed in dark shades will always appear smaller. The fittings, the furniture, the rugs, the color of the walls … all this contributes to the space effect.
On the other hand, a bright room , in which we play on depth and relief, will be a room in which it is good to live and evolve, where one does not feel at home. ‘narrow.
ARE THERE ANY RULES REGARDING SPACE?
You have to take everything into account: the brightness, the shape – whether it is rectangle or square. If your room is all in length , you will have to work on its width, and vice versa. If it has a low ceiling , it is its height that will have to be studied. An example: if you put the floor on the ground, lay it in the opposite direction of that of the room – if it is in length, it will have to be laid in its width.
Above all, declutter the rooms , keep only the essentials. And the main thing does not mean that the functional: a single beautiful object with a little design will give it character.
CAN WE EXPAND YOUR HOUSING WITHOUT SPENDING FORTUNES?
Absolutely. Most of the time, it is just decoration and you can work on walls, furniture, rugs, paintings or light inexpensively . It is also possible to consider breaking down partitions if they are not essential. This is a bit heavier work, but you will gain in perspective.
IN FRONT OF A SMALL ROOM, WHAT WOULD YOU DO FIRST?
I would take care of the walls first and I would do a stroke of paint in neutral tones – beige, blue gray, verdigris… I could paint a wall a little darker to create relief, or to put wallpaper on it, or even a panoramic photo that will bring depth . The stripes can be effective, but in the direction of the width if you have a narrow room, or in height if it is low ceiling.
WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER FOR FLOORS?
Parquet or tile is preferable to carpet . And opt for the large format with small joints for the tiling. More even, your floor will actually make your room look bigger. Choose a medium for the baseboards that you can paint the same color as your walls.
You can put a nice rug . It can be striped, for example.
A WORD ABOUT THE CHOICE OF FURNITURE?
They should not be too big , of course, and rather clear. I would rather choose a convertible sofa and small nesting tables for the living room, for example.
If I need storage, I would prefer a piece of furniture that runs the length and height of the wall and that is the same color. And more shelves than a library. A few cubes to modulate as you wish on a wall …
AND FOR DECORATION?
Not too many items! Candles on a small piece of furniture or a table. A beautiful vase, cushions…
On the light side, we should avoid ceiling lights or pendant lights, to which we will rather spotlights integrated into the ceiling – a little more budget – or wall lights, table lamps … not hesitate to multiply the points of light.
I wouldn’t clutter the windows either. I would put blinds there, either boat or plain, or even nothing if you don’t have a face-to-face. If you want curtains, why not, but there must be sufficient ceiling height.
Don’t put too many plants , one or two is enough, and rather small. One or two cacti – watch out for the children! – or succulents that do not require too much maintenance.
Also consider the large mirror , but be careful what it reflects. It is best to place it facing a window – and especially not a door.
As for paintings, one can be enough.
ARE THERE COLORS TO PREFER?
The light shades, of course, and neutrals with which you will play to create shades. Be careful though: too white, your accommodation will appear cold and soulless. Prefer beige, taupe, gray if it is clear enough and exposed in the light … which does not prevent you from adding a few touches of bright colors. Cushions, for example, a lamp, a painting … A colored painting on a light wall can have a very nice effect.
IN SUMMARY
A bright, light room will always appear bigger
Take the shape of the room into account: if it is more rectangle, you will have to work on its width; low ceiling, it will be its height
Choose light and neutral tones that can be brightened up with a few touches of bright colors
Prefer a refined decoration and declutter the room by keeping only the essential
To discover:
The website of Caroline Vitte, interior designer: https://www.cvdecoration.fr