Flooring Tips to Make a Room Look Bigger

Most houses will have a smallish room that is invariably the storing facility of the family. There is no need to worry about that tiny room in the house that looks like it does not fit in with the rest of the rooms.

In order to not make this room stick out like a sore thumb for being too small, you should first and foremost manage your space and storage properly. Having said that, there are a few tricks that work like magic when it comes to creating the illusion of a bigger room. Sticking to these flooring tricks will definitely help out in opening up that cosy space.

Placement of tiles

One of the oldest tricks in the book is to place your tiles parallel to the wall that is longest inside the room. This gives out the illusion of a bigger space. Not only is it pleasing to the eye aesthetically, parallel placement of 12-inch porcelain tiles along the longest wall will definitely help you trick people into believing the room size to be bigger than it actually is.

Another trick used by designers to make a room look bigger is diagonal placement of tiles. This method gives the impression of a vast airy room and should definitely be incorporated to open out smaller spaces

Choosing the right colour

Believe it or not, a room could be made to look bigger with both lighter and darker shades of tile colour. You might be wondering how this is possible – the idea is to mix and match the wall and flooring shades in a manner that it tricks the mind into believing one is looking at a bigger space.

If you have chosen warm or muted tones for the walls, go for ceramic tiles in darker, cooler shades. An off-white or honey tan shade on the walls will go well with Brazilian cherry flooring. This combination is sure to make a smallish room look bigger and brighter.

Similarly, if you have chosen a bright turquoise for your walls, go for a textured floor tile in as light a shade as you can find.

The right mix of earthy and bright or warm and cool when it comes to the wall-floor combination will definitely help you make a small room look airier and spacious.

Clear the Clutter

Do not put any heavy furniture, like a cupboard or a bookshelf that takes up space covering the floor to ceiling. Go for wall mounted smart furniture for this particular room.

 Always remember, in a cosy space, you should try and keep the floor as de-cluttered as possible – make sure the entire length of the floor is visible to the eye. This makes the room look bigger at all times. Maximise your furniture arrangement by going for duvets or beds that come with ample storage space.

Choosing the right size

First off, it is better to choose planks over stripes for the flooring of a smaller room. Bigger chunks will always give out the impression of a bigger space. If you are going for a mosaic floor, make sure the pattern is not too intricate. Detailed patterns on a mosaic floor or the carpet of a small room can make the overall look too cluttered and chaotic. Choose a tile that is at least 12 inches in size to make a small space open up and look vast.

Applying all the above flooring tricks will immensely help you with the solution to a space crunch problem. Before getting to designing or renovating, just keep the above in mind and voila – you might find your next favourite cosy spot in the house!

Choosing the Perfect Kitchen Backsplash

Kitchens are the most multifunctional areas of the house wherein you will find the most amount of activity happening at various different times. Whether it is cooking food in large quantities or the family getting together after a long day, the kitchen is the central space where the family really gets together.

A backsplash is the space between the countertops and the cabinets; and the space behind your stoves and ovens. One of the easiest ways to get that creativity flowing in your kitchen is to create the correct effect with a well thought out backsplash.

A backsplash will effortlessly make your kitchen bright and beautiful with all eyes getting glued to that statement design. But as they say, make wise and planned decisions as this particular element has the power to make or break the overall design.

The wrong backsplash will end up making your pretty kitchen looking disjointed or clunky. Following are some points that you might want to ponder on before designing your kitchen backsplash.

Planning for Long term

Think of the long term before picking your kitchen tiles. ‘Would I want these even after 10 years?’ Run your mind through questions like these because you might not know it yet, but your taste and choice are bound to transform over the years. Think multiple times, assess your own style and try to think of the larger picture before zeroing in on a particular style.

Backsplash height

An important factor to determine during a kitchen renovation is the height of your backsplash. Some designs keep only a little space for backsplash tiles as the majority of overhead area is filled with shelves and other storage elements. The amount of area you want to designate to your backsplash should be decided upon before you choose the colour and material of your tiles.

Countertop design

The countertops are the most important elements inside a kitchen. That is where the actual cooking happens! Whether you like straight clean-lined edges or more of vintage profiles, the countertop is where you can get creative! Your backsplash design must depend upon the how your countertops are designed. You might want to choose a backsplash that not only matches with the countertops but also with the cabinets overhead, floor and wall tiles as well.

Material and grout

Go for a material that is budget friendly. Did you know that a dapper, classy ‘look’ could be attained not from getting expensive stone fittings but with an eye for the right kind of tiles! There are numerous options you can choose from – marble look or cement look porcelain tiles are much in vogue as you get the quality of stone with the technology and price of porcelain. Once the material is decided upon, quickly choose a colour that is in tune with the over all design. Make sure the colour of your grout is similar to the colour of the tiles. This way, your backsplash will be pleasing to the eye.

It is pretty simple – your backsplash is the opportunity to get as creative as it gets. That neat space between the countertops and cabinets is what sets the trend for the entire kitchen. Do a thorough research for options before you finalise on the colour and patterns. Sticking to a budget might seem like a mean feat, but there is a ocean of options available these days. You do not need to spend a lot of money to be creative. Just think of your space, the style you want to stick to, practical elements like comfort or cleaning and voila! You will have finalised on a backsplash design in no time.