Scale - making a small room look bigger and a big room feel cozier

You walk into a room and you feel like you are  Gulliver in Lilliput, or maybe the other way around as if this room is too big for you. What should you do?

If you get the sense as if the dimensions of the room are smallish - meaning you are like Gilliver walking in Lilliput - you want to create the illusion as if your room is spacious.
Getting the feeling of small doesn't mean that your room is really small, it means we need to work and organize it so you will not get that feeling anymore.

Here are some ground rules for you to follow:
First, Think Small.
You don't need kid's furniture, but you also don't need the four seater sofa. Make sure your furniture scale is small. Window treatments are simple. If you are using fabrics with patterns, make sure the design motif is small.

Second, use Light colors on the walls and Dark color for the furniture.
Light colors on the walls expand the sense of space. If you are using drapes, use a light colors for them as well.

Small Living room that feels just right

Do you know the phrase, "Black makes you look thinner". This phrase does also apply to your furniture.

Maybe not in these exact words but the concept is the same. Darker furniture look "better" in a smaller space. If you use a light colored upholstery fabric, you make the furniture look bigger. 

Again if you want to use pattern on the furniture, choose a motif with a small design. 

Third, Aim for unity.
Try to use matching furniture with the same fabric on them. Window treatments that continue the flow of the walls and not break it up (if you are using a wall paper, try to use a matching drape).

You get the idea on a small room, now what do we do for a big room? exactly the opposite.

A large living room that feels nice and cozy

For a large room we want to give a cozy feeling, so our ground rules should be:

First, Thinking BIG.
Big furniture, elaborated window treatments. Big and bold patters on your upholstery.

Second, Dark colors on the walls - Light colors on the furniture.
When painting the walls in a darker color we get the illusion that the walls are much closer than they really are.
As appose to the smaller room, we want our furniture to have the feeling of big, so we need them to be in a light color and/or with a big and bold patters, otherwise they can "get lost" in the room.

Third, Diversity.

A large living room that makes you feel as it's too empty

Big rooms can handle different patters on the furniture (just don't take it to the extreme with each piece with a different patter).  You want the window treatments to stand out in contrast to the rest of the walls so they break out the large expanse of the walls. You can also use an Oriental rug.

Decorating your room is a challenge, but now you know what to do.

Till next time,
Tali