Have you just moved into a new, larger house? And have you suddenly realised that you simply don’t have enough furniture to make your spacious new home feel as cosy as your smaller, old house? A large space can be intimidating—and sometimes even echo—so you may feel overwhelmed at the very thought of tackling its decoration. But there are a number of visual tricks that you can use to make your new home feel more intimate.
The best way to begin is to divide the room into zones which have different functions: casual dining, reading, conversation, web browsing, TV and video gaming, and so on. Your zones will be determined by the way you like to live. Think carefully about creating multi-purpose zones, as this will help you make the most of every room big or small.
One way you can define zones is with a console table: place your sofa in the middle of the room and put a console table behind it. Bookcases and screens are also useful for defining spaces.
L-shaped lounges are particularly suited to large rooms. They can be used between two seating areas or to divide the living and dining areas.
You can also use area rugs in a similar tone to the rest of your décor to define the zones but still keep a sense of spaciousness.
It is important to select larger furniture pieces so that they are in keeping with the scale of the room. Consider yourself lucky—you can have all of those statement pieces so many of us with smaller homes can only dream about! Think huge bookcases to display your treasures, a 12-seater dining table for family get-togethers, and an entertainment unit with plenty of storage options for your (giant) TV.
Lamp tables and nests of tables are not just practical, they make fantastic space fillers.
Try using a large, upholstered ottoman as a coffee table to fill up space.
Be careful with mirrors and glass-topped furniture, as they are highly reflective and will make your room look bigger.
Choose the most intimate lighting options for the best results. Rather than flooding the room with bright overhead lights, buy several floor or table lamps instead. Candles are also a wonderful solution for creating a cosy feel.
Dark colours absorb light and therefore will make a room appear smaller. Select warm, deep tones and perhaps consider painting your ceiling a darker colour to visually lower it. You can also experiment with heavy, textured fabrics in rich colours as well as bold, dramatic window treatments.
So as you can see, larger homes require thoughtful design to make them feel cosy and inviting. But with time, care, and attention to detail, the result will be worth it!