10 creative illusions interior decorators use in small spaces
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Lecture and Examples on Colors for StudentsTRANSCRIPT
10 Creative Illusions Interior Decorators Use in Small Spaces
Small spaces can be a challenge to decorate. The wrong color can feel claustrophobic, too much furniture can feel chaotic, and the wrong patterns just feel too busy. Professional interior decorators are master illusionists when it comes to meeting these challenges. Using ten of their favorite tricks, you, too, can make a small space look larger than it is.
1. Don’t Use Dark Colors-Small room needs to appear larger
- Using light colors will make walls appear to recede, creating a bright and airy feel
-colors to consider are light blues, greens, light grays and neutrals
2. Don’t be afraid to go bold- Smaller spaces are great canvases to experiment with bold ideas
- Start by keeping the color scheme to a few complimentary colors
- Consider using, large-scale floral and graphic prints, vertical or horizontal stripes. The horizontal stripes will visually widen a small narrow room. Vertical stripes will make a low ceiling seem taller.
-A small room will open up with the use of big prints. Avoid tiny prints; they will be too busy and chaotic in a small space.
3. Don’t ignore scale and proportion-furniture needs to be just right in a small room
- A large couch in a small area can overtake the space, while a small couch will seem
Dwarfed
- Mix of large pieces along with smaller pieces for balance
4. Don’t use contrasting colors on the floors
- Your eye follows the floor up to the wall and then to the ceiling
- When they are the same colors, or tones you will see it as a continuous line. By keeping the three surfaces in the same color family the space will visually open up as they recede creating the illusion of more space
- A room with one floor color, another wall color, and yet another ceiling color will appear disjointed and can make the space appear small
5. Don’t clutter the room-If you walk into a room crammed with furniture, overrun with knick-knacks and collectibles it will feel like it is closing in on you
- To keep the open feel you want, pick a few cherished items and display them in creative ways. Accessorize a bookcase, or hang a floating shelf for your family pictures, but do not clutter a tabletop. Less is more when furnishing a small space.
6. Don’t ignore traffic patterns- float your furniture in the space
- Move your couch and chairs away from the wall. This will create depth in the space. The more of the floor that can be seen the larger the room will appear.
- ground your furniture with an area rug in the same color tones as the flooring. You will visually open up the space.
7. Don’t forget the lighting-A small room with poor lighting will feel cave like and claustrophobic.
- A properly lit room, ought to have three sources of light that bounce off walls and give the room a visual breadth.
- In a space with little floor room for table lamps or floor lambs, track lighting can help to light a room.
- Another good trick is to use mirrors. A good mirror will do two things for a small room. It will reflect natural light and the light from lamps and it will create the illusion of a wider, deeper space.
8. Don’t use elaborate window treatments-Small rooms can be overwhelmed with windows framed in full and billowy window treatments with a lot of pattern.
- Using elaborate window treatments draws attention to the windows instead of just accenting them.
- Pick window treatments that let light in and gently frame the windows. A simpler style will gently blend harmoniously with a wall rather than visually breaking up the wall.
9. Don’t discount architectural details-Walls that lack interest are boring, but can be exciting with the addition of a few architectural details.
-Wainscoting and molding, often thought of, as ornate details best used in larger rooms, are beautiful options. They define small spaces well and add visual interest to otherwise dull walls. Consider using chair rails, panels molding or bead board to create some excitement.
Wainscot- a facing of wood panelling especially when covering the lower portion of an interior wall
Panel- a distinct portion, section, or division of a wall, wainscot, ceiling or door especially of any surface sunk below or raised above the surrounding area or enclosed by a frame or border
10. Don’t ignore vertical space-Walls are not just for artwork. Take advantage of the vertical space the walls offer, look at it as extra square footage. They are a perfect surface for hanging shelves, or built-ins.
When it comes to decorating small spaces, it is all about tricking the eye to believe that the space is much larger
Sources:
Google .com
Visual Dictionary by Francis Ching
Redefining Spaces With Astounding Anamorphic Illusions
Space composition as seen from a single vantage point can offer surprising points of view. These Anamorphic Illusions by Swiss artist Felice Varini capture a mind-opening spectacle of geometry applied to three dimensional spaces. Based on a complex study of perspective, all the Anamorphic Illusions were created by the artist as part of a series of spaces. A simple change of perspective reveals the stunning works and gives depth to the space. Galleries, staircases, walkways, rooms, lounges or residential spaces – all can be adorned with colorful geometric shapes that alter the space in an unconventional way. By generating geometric shapes that do not exist in reality, the artist strived to create these stunning artworks that took 30 months to complete. Working with 3D installations since 1979, the artist has a lot of experience that can be clearly seen in all the installations. Look at the photos and enjoy the different vantage points that allow you to see the installations from the angles that compose the shapes and compare them with the final result that gives the whole thing a new perspective.
Inspirational office spaces (http://www.designquarters.co.za/2011/08/some-creative-office-spaces/)
The Bastard Store and Design Office in Milan
Google offices, Space of Inspiration in Zurich
The Selgas Cano Architecture office, just outside Madrid, Spain
Penthouse Office designed by Bentham Crouwel Architects
North Advertising by Skylab Architecture White Mountain Office in Stockholm, Sweden
SP 1- Architectural Design for Interiors
Assignment:
1. Give examples of Natural and Artificial lighting Systems used for interiors. Handwritten and show pictures or sample applications.
2. Give examples and guidelines on the interior design of commercial spaces such as:
Retail spaces – shops, banks, showrooms, restaurants, bars
Work spaces – offices, workshops, studios, factories
Living spaces – hotel accommodation
Public spaces- airport, railway and bus stations, cinemas and theatres, museum and galleries, religious buildings
Restorative spaces – hospitals, clinics, spas, gymnasiums
Transient spaces – exhibition and display
3. Start to work on your miniature. Your accomplishment will be check after the Christmas break.
Note:
- Use long bond papers and yellow folder
- Handwritten, print outs for sample applications will be accepted
- Deadline is on January 10,2014
-there will be a quiz on January 07, 2014 (starting from the 1st topic and including the topic of the assignment given)
