Practical Interior Decorating Information
Room Proportion

Read this useful interior decorating information to help you cope with the real shape of your room...

We are looking at the way real interior designers cope with problem rooms...

Solve Your Shape Problems

Rooms that are -

• too small
• low ceilings
• too large
• high ceilings
• too narrow or too wide
• just plain awkwardly shaped

How We Can Help

This section of this home decorating guide will give you interior decorating information and tips on how to use color and design to change your space...

You can use this information together with your How to Design Checklist to help you plan your own interior design project

Yes - you really can use color, and optical tricks to help your room achieve the proportions you wish it really had.

Here are some examples for what you could do...

Does your room have awkward corners, nooks and crannies?

You can help straighten it all out by painting all the walls, and ceiling, in the same color - that way you won't notice all the odd angles and corners.

Why Doesn't It Work?

Have you ever noticed how a color looks great in your friend's home, but makes your room look small...?

Or how come the next door neighbour's home, with exactly the same floor plan always looks so lovely, big and spacious?

This is one of the most important aspects of interior design - and certainly not one that should be rushed over...

How to use the design and color, to make the most of what you've got...

Make the Most of What you've Got

Interior design isn't just about making it 'look pretty', having 'taste', or knowing which colors look good together, and which don't...

If you know a few good interior design tricks, you can massively change the whole way your home feels...

You will learn how to make:

• small rooms feel larger
• low ceilings feel higher
• large rooms feel cosier
• tall ceilings feel more 'in proportion'
• funnily shaped rooms feel squarer and more 'normal'

It's all about making your space more pleasant to be in...

And than means finding what is pleasant and desirable for you and your family.

What Can You Use to Help?

You needn't go looking for problems where there aren't any...

But if you've ever felt that a room in your home is a bit dark, or a bit poky, or too large, empty and sterile...

...then this interior decorating information on room proportion can help.

There are several factors that we can use to make a room change proportion:

• Lighting - natural and artificial
• Pattern
• Layout and furniture arrangement
• Focal points
• ...and of course the big one: colors!

We'll look at how all of these can be used in this section...

Colors

Colors are probably the most important factor to consider when trying to change your room's proportions with these interior design tricks and interior decorating information...

Some basic color and interior decorating information to help:

• Pale colors reflect light and make spaces feel larger
• Cool colors recede so they can make the walls where they are used appear further away (cool colors have blue tones)
• Warm colors advance so they make make the walls where they are used appear closer (warm colors have red and orange tones)
• Strong colors advance
• Dark colors advance and also absorb light so can make rooms feel darker, as well as smaller

Patterns

• Vertical patterns take the eye vertically
• Horizontal patterns take the eye horizontally
• Patterns can be used to draw attention to a space, or to break up a bulk, of wall, or other, and distract attention

Getting some Focus

• Focal points can be used to draw attention to them - and away from other aspects of the room

You can see some of the ways to use this interior decorating information in specific room situations, and how it can change the room's proportions, and 'feel', below...

Find out more...

Useful interior decorating information to solve your problems...

Small rooms and low ceilings

Discover the best ways to cope with decorating small spaces and great tips for low ceilings.

Large rooms and high ceilings

If you are concerned that your room feels too large, cold and unwelcoming, or if you feel your ceilings are too high, making your room feel vast, unfriendly and echo-y - click here to discover great interior design information and tips for making your room feel welcoming and cosy.

Long narrow rooms - and rooms which are too wide

If you are worried that your room is too narrow and feels like a corridor, or that it is too wide and just feels oddly proportioned, click here and discover the principles of interior design to give you easy solutions to these problems.

Dark Rooms

Does your room feel too dark? Look at some free decorating ideas to lighten and brighten your room

Awkwardly shaped rooms

Is your room just downright awkward?

Awkwardly shaped or with wonky walls and ceilings? Take a look at some easy decorating tips for awkward shaped rooms

Don't forget

Don't forget to make notes on the information on site, and add it to your free downloadable 'How to Design' checklist

Where to go for more interior design help

Have you checked out our section on decorating with color yet?

Or why not browse the section on layout, ideal spacing and arranging furniture, for lots of practical information on furniture arrangement in your room.

There's always lots of new information on style and trends - why not be inspired by the latest in contemporary interior design ideas in the section on hot new trends?

Or take a look at...

Styles and Themes

...or...

The Photo Gallery

Keep Track of Your Design

Keep track of where you are in your design process, and where you need to go next on the main How to Design page



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