Your home can have rooms that are too big, too small, or exactly right – although that last may seem elusive. It may seem easier to fill a large space with more furniture than making a small space appear larger than it is. In this blog, we look at how to make a room look bigger, and in the process, make it function in ways you never imagined.

There are some benefits to having a smaller space to work with as you are decorating. It is easier to organize, and you need fewer furnishings to fill it up. The services of an interior designer can be invaluable when working with a small space to help you get the most out of your surroundings.

When you are trying to decide how to make a small room look bigger in your home, consider the following:

• Paint and Color
• Furniture
• Lighting
• Mirrors
• Drapery
• Decorations and Artwork
• Reduce Clutter

How to Make a Room Look Bigger

Paint and Color

People often ask what colors make a room look bigger when they are getting ready to paint the inside of their home. Light and dark colors, creating contrast, can give a room depth. When you look at how to make a small room look bigger with paint, keep in mind that medium shades will make your space appear smaller than it is. Using dark and bright white colors that open up a room, in contrast, creates the illusion of a much larger area.

Small rooms are not always square. Some may be narrow and long. When considering how to make a narrow room look wider with paint, keep in mind that light and cool colors recede – they seem farther away. Warm, dark colors advance towards us. For long narrow spaces, paint the opposing shorter walls a slightly darker (one or two shades) color than the two longer walls. That will make them feel closer, giving the image of a square shape. Conversely, you can also paint the longer walls a darker shade, emphasizing the room’s length – depending on which way you want to present the space.

Some painting techniques to make a room look bigger include:

• Stay with one color – when different colors are used, the eye automatically stops at the line where one color ends and another begins, creating boundaries in the room. When you use only one color, the space appears continuous.
• Use stripes – horizontal stripes will make a wall appear longer, and vertical stripes will make it seem taller.

When considering colors that make a room look bigger, white, in its many shades, is always an optimum choice. Its reflective qualities help to open a space and make it appear light and airy.

For more painting room ideas, check out the image below, showing how different painting options can change the appearance of your space.

Furniture

Next up in our ideas to make a small room look bigger is choosing furniture wisely. Now is the time to think about proportions. If you put your furniture up against the walls, it will make the room appear smaller. By leaving some air between the walls and your furniture, you create a feeling of roominess.

It is also good to avoid large, heavy pieces of furniture. Not only do they use up too much space in a small room, but they also draw all the focus to that part of the room. If you have tall pieces of furniture, place those against the wall to avoid breaking up the room.

Another way to make a room look bigger with furniture is to keep the furnishings lower to the ground. That also helps add more height to a low room be leaving more space above them. A chair such as the one below is an excellent example of keeping furniture lower in the room. Because it also shows the legs, it allows space, air, and light to flow around it.

Lighting

Natural light is one of the best ways to make a room look bigger. Remove the blinds and allow light to flow into your space. If possible, add some skylights to the room so that light can stream in from above.

When working with artificial lighting, place a few lamps around the room rather than one light overhead. Multiple light sources help expand the feel of the room and create ambient and even lighting.

Mirrors

Mirrors are an excellent way to make a room look bigger as they help reflect and bounce light from the windows. Another benefit of hanging a mirror on the wall is that it reflects the view and tricks the eye into the perception of increased space.

Drapery

Just as high heels will make any woman appear taller, floor-to-ceiling drapery will provide an instant height boost to any room.

Another option is to eliminate curtains, as they only add more for the eye to look at. If you do want drapes, consider breezy, lightweight fabrics, which provide an airy touch.

Decorations and Artwork

The décor you use in your room can make it seem smaller by cluttering up your space. Every surface of your room does not need to be covered in décor. The more you can open it up and let it “breathe,” the larger the space will feel. Place décor arrangements in groupings of 3 or 5 items on tables or dressers. Placing them on a tray helps to reduce the visual clutter.

Utilizing one large-scale piece of artwork on a wall rather than a gallery display of smaller ones will help open the room. If you do have many smaller pictures to display, place them all on one wall.

Reduce Clutter

Clutter is the enemy of small spaces. If you wonder how to make small rooms look bigger, getting rid of clutter is the number one thing you can do right now. That does not mean getting rid of your cherished items – it means finding creative ways to store them out of sight.

That optical illusion is especially important when thinking about how to make a small bedroom look bigger. The bedroom is our safe space – it is where we go to unwind and relax. It is hard to get a restful night’s sleep when clutter is all around you.

Baskets, such as those below, placed in the corner, can hold extra blankets, magazines, books, and pet toys out of the way. Goodbye clutter – hello space!

Another excellent way to make a room look bigger while eliminating clutter is with shelving units. Placed on either end of a window, you can even put a storage bench between them to create a window seat in a bedroom.

An excellent option is the Almora shelving unit shown below. The open back of the cubes allows for the light walls to shine through while providing plenty of room for your favorite books and decorations.

There you have it – many ways for how to make a room look bigger that are both beautiful to behold and functional at the same time.

The HK Collection is a beautifully curated collection of fine furnishings and décor for your home. We can help you find that special piece for any room or design.

Contact HK Interiors today at 954-401-8542 for all your interior design needs and more information.

You have thought about the colors you want and the style of furnishings, but have you thought much about using texture and textiles to your advantage?

Chances are you have not given this much thought. Some interior designers even overlook texture when designing a room. Texture and textiles are at the forefront of interior design. You cannot have one without the other.

What is texture?

As it applies to interior design, the texture definition is anything that can be felt and touched. Visually, you see it in an object’s appearance. Take a satin sheet. You know that it has a smooth texture or silky feel. Compare that to other texture examples, such as a corduroy pillow, which has more of a rough texture, or the wool texture of your favorite throw blanket. When you look at these items, you take in the visual texture without the need to feel them. You automatically sense and know how they will feel to the touch.

What is textile?

When we refer to textiles, we are talking about any production that is made of fabric or woven. Textile design is most commonly thought of as:

• Blankets
• Throw pillows
• Area rugs
• Upholstery & drapery fabrics from natural fibers to synthetics

When you think of textiles in this way, you can begin to see their importance to your interior design. Any furnishings you put in a room will feature various fabric textures.

How Do We Use Texture to Enhance the Home?

There are design principles to keep in mind when using various types of texture in a room. Mixing too many styles or too many colors can create havoc for the eye. You want to utilize a seamless approach to bring the room together.

Today, many people even utilize wall texture through wallpaper, tapestries, even natural wood, or bamboo. Remember, every object has a texture. The idea is to make it appear cohesive when combing various textures in the room.

Here are some pointers for using textures and textiles to your advantage:

• Keep in mind the mood you want to create in the room. Utilize colors to enhance that feeling. Take one or two colors from your color palette and bring in various textiles to use throughout the room.
• Incorporate a mix of textures to keep the room from appearing monotonous. Remember that visual texture is an illusion you perceive when you look at an object and imagine how it might feel.
• Do not overdo the types of textures in a room, as too many can lead to visual clutter.
• Smooth textures have a lighter, more sophisticated quality. Rough or coarse ones are heavy and more intimate. Their proximity to one another highlights their differences.
• Utilize plants and flowers that link to some of the other textures in the room. Remember that pots and vases need to match the existing textures.
• Do not forget about utilizing furniture to your advantage. Incorporating the leather texture of a sofa, the smooth marble of a table, a rustic wooden chest, or a bamboo chair all bring different elements to the room.

How to Use Textiles in Your Room

Textiles bring in the textures you want in your interior design. The goal here is to mix patterns rather than colors. Remember that too many colors can make a room feel hectic and disorderly. Once you have your color palette, enhance it by picking out one or two colors and use contrasting fabric texture throughout the room.

One way to do this is with patterns. For example, you can use solids, stripes, and other geometric patterns on throw pillows so long as they are within the same color palette.

Layering different types of fabric is another way to create a sense of contrast between various textures. We often see this with a throw blanket placed over a sofa or bed or different types of throw pillows – some smooth and others more textured or coarse.

Your use of fabrics can also change with the seasons. Cotton fabric has a lighter feel and is an excellent choice for pillows and cushions in the spring and summer. You may want a more textured fabric, such as corduroy, faux fur, or velvet in the fall and winter.

One final point – balance is crucial in your design. Similar design elements should unite your textures and textiles.

Are you ready to refresh a room in your home – or the whole house? If so, contact HK Interiors today at 954-401-8542 for more information.

Now and then, we all need a good laugh. We are doing that today as we look at these epic interior design fails. Of course, some of these people had the best intentions when making these decisions. Much to their chagrin, things just did not seem to turn out the way they had planned.

Many of us have been our own victims when our interior design ideas did not meet up to our expectations – to put it nicely. Chuckle here. It is one thing when we have only ourselves to blame for our home decorating fails.

But what happens when the fault lies with a professional? Paying good money for ideas gone bad is a whole other story. You do not expect common design mistakes from a professional.

Professional Design Fails

You would think that an electrician would know how to install lights and outlets, right? Maybe not so right after all. The interior design fails below show just how wrong that expectation could be.

The first of our funny fails takes us straight to the sink – the one place we all know that water and electricity do not mix. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the electrician that installing an outlet inside the sink is not a good idea. Talk about your worst interior design mistakes – this one just might win the prize.

While we are on the subject of design fails and electrical installations, we all know that when there is an actual spot for the hanging of a chandelier, that is where you are supposed to put it, right?

Maybe not so obvious to everyone!

Interior design mistakes, such as not hanging the chandelier from the center of the provided space, are hard to fathom. It kind of makes you wonder how some people get themselves dressed in the morning.

Of course, some professionals impart a bit of humor into their work on purpose. We all know someone who we would think would be a professional’s nightmare. If you have ever seen the movie “Sleepless in Seattle,” you probably remember the scene in the kitchen of a home under remodeling, where they discuss the client’s crazy expectations.

Sometimes, clients will see something they want and ask for the same – at an unrealistic price. An epic funny architecture joke is to give them what they want – at that crazy cost. The funny construction alternative to a magnificently detailed handrail of a horse is to hang one from the post. Problem solved!

Epic Interior Design Fails in the Bathroom

Why does it always seem like everything goes wrong in the bathroom? These interior design fails are sure to make you chuckle.

We begin with a shelf that seems oddly out of place. Sometimes, there are no words for bad interior design – you just have to look at it and shake your head.

You know the saying always leave the best for last? Well, that is what we have done here.

For the couple who does everything together – the ultimate in togetherness leads us to our “best” worst interior design winner – the tete a tete toilets. Just in case you ever thought about dancing cheek to cheek in the bathroom, here is the winner in our hilarious home improvement fails.

There you have it – some home design fails to make your day. Now, you probably don’t feel so bad about some of your past ideas, do you?

Hiring an interior designer can save you money, time, and help you get the home of your dreams. Learn more about what an interior designer can do for you here.

To avoid these, and other, interior design fails, turn to the professionals at HK Interiors for help. Contact us today at 954-401-8542 for more information.

Many positive things have happened in the last year. People are spending more time at home with their families, they are organizing their lives, and they are updating their living spaces. For many, that means investing in some quality furniture. Unfortunately, some people look to save money and find themselves browsing the aisles of their nearby Target.

Affordable furniture can cost more in the long run when you find out how quickly it needs replacing. As Ben Franklin said – “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

That leads us to the question – does high-quality furniture have to cost more?

Of course, the answer is yes, the best quality furniture will always cost more than a similar, cheaply-made product. However, that does not mean quality is out of your price range.

Websites such as Wayfair, Ashley, West Elm, and Ikea offer various items – ready to ship. The problem is that you will soon discover that the furnishings are not holding up a year or two down the road as well as you anticipated. From everyday wear and tear to company recalls (an Ikea problem with dressers), you may discover that paying a little more would have saved you quite a bit in the end.

How to Tell Quality Furniture from Cheap Furniture

There is another saying – you get what you pay for in life. Chances are, if you buy furniture online through Walmart’s website, it will not be of the best quality. A $500 sofa probably has about $250 worth of materials in it – at the most. You may be lucky to get a couple of years out of it with normal wear and tear. If you have kids that will be climbing or jumping on it, you may find the cushions and springs going in about a year or two. Sofa and chair cushions are the first things to break down. The thicker they are, the more expensive they are to produce, and the longer they will last.

Fabric Is Key for Quality

Fabrics are another quality concern source when looking at buying new home furniture. When shopping for furniture, check to see that the fabric is a performance quality fabric that will hold up to the test of time. Upholstery fabrics are usually a tighter weave as they are denser and heavier. They are made for furniture. For example, faux leather also will not hold up as well as real leather. Depending on use and performance of the furniture, fabric is key for quality.

Solid Wood Is Better Than Plywood

When looking at quality furniture, know that you will pay more for solid wood frames than for plywood frames. Shopping online furniture stores can lead to a host of problems. You have no idea what the quality and comfort factors are until the items arrive. After weeks of waiting, many people opt to keep it rather than sending it back. They have furniture they are not happy about for years to come. Or, if you do decide to send it back, now you are back to square one again.

When it comes to the best place to buy quality furniture, you have two options – do a significant amount of research on the best furniture reviews or contact an interior designer. In the end, working with an interior designer who can offer insight into furniture stores and quality furniture brands is the right choice. That way, you have someone with the experience and knowledge guiding you in your search. You may also discover that the designer’s connections with furniture makers can lead you to that one-of-a-kind custom piece at an affordable price.

The Difference Between Cheap Furniture and Quality Furniture

Back in the day, as the older generation might say, people bought quality wood furniture that was meant to last a lifetime. When they wanted a change, they reupholstered the sofa and had a whole new look. Today, many people look for the best place to buy furniture on a budget since they only plan on keeping it for a few years. We live in a disposable world – which only costs us more money in the end and fills up the landfills.

Cheap furniture will not last. Buying furniture is an expense no matter how you look at it. Paying $500 now for an inexpensive sofa that has to be replaced in three years or spending $1000 or more on one that will last significantly longer is a tough decision for many people. They look at the moment – what their budget can handle. However, if you budget it out over time, spending more on quality furniture right now can save you money in the long run.

The difference between cheap and quality furniture is significant. One will offer you long-lasting comfort, beauty, and functionality. The other will be adequate – for now. There is also a misconception that you need to turn to high-end furniture brands to ensure quality. Again, that is where the help of an interior designer becomes invaluable. With the right guidance, you can transform your home’s look with furnishings that will last you well into the future.

HK Interiors has been transforming homes and lives for years. Contact us today at 954-401-8542 for more information.

Although we live in South Florida, our days are also shorter, and our nights are longer. We also have the occasional cold snap that lends itself to fluffy blankets and luxurious textiles. Making a cozy home for the winter also conjures up holiday and seasonal scents. There are many ways to make your home comfortable for winter, even here in Florida.

Because we do not have the seasonal changes you get up north, many people feel left out this time of year. Sure, we decorate with pumpkins in October and November and festive displays in December. However, that is not the same as making your living environment warm and inviting for the winter. In the winter, a cozy home is a happy home.

You can change the ambiance in your home without spending a small fortune. One of the ways is to incorporate more greenery into your home. Whether you live in Coral Springs, Parkland, Boca Raton, or Delray Beach, you are likely surrounded outdoors by nature. Bring a few more plants indoors to help cozy up your space.

Creating Cozy Living and Family Rooms

Creating a cozy living room can be as simple as changing the throw pillows on your couch to ones covered in faux fur, velvet, corduroy, or other warmer textiles.

When we think about cozy homes, cashmere throws, fireplaces, and ambient lighting often come to mind. While many people do not have the luxury of fireplaces here in South Florida, there are other ways to create a fire’s warmth.

Recommendations for cozy family room ideas incorporate the glow of holiday-scented candles throughout the house. Seasonal winters scents include spice, pumpkin, cinnamon, pine, and peppermint. Since warm apple cider and hot cocoa are staples of this time of year, you may want to buy some oversized mugs to help you settle in for those long nights in your cozy home.

Creating a Cozy Bedroom for Long Winter Nights

Having a cozy bedroom to retreat to at the end of a long day is crucial during the winter. Many people spend more time in their bedrooms during the winter months. If you have pets, you probably know that they want to head off to bed earlier at night – and want you to tag along with them.

The best cozy bedroom ideas begin with breaking out extra blankets to help keep electric bills low. Rather than putting on the heat, especially since doctors tell us that sleeping in a cold room is healthy, toss an extra blanket or two on the bed. Invest in some fluffy, overstuffed pillows to cuddle up with on cold nights.

At HK Interiors, we are here to help you create a cozy home winter, spring, summer, or fall, with all your decorating needs. Call 954-401-8542 for more information.

Interior Designer, Holly Kalisher, was recently featured on Redfin’s blog post: How to Make Your Home Cozy, Warm, and Happier this Winter