Want a Bigger Room? Use a Carpet or Area Rug to Create a Larger Effect



How to Use Carpet to Make Your Space Look Larger
 
Most of us have at least one small room or area in our home that we wish was larger. Even when you can’t physically enlarge the space, there are ways to achieve the feeling of a larger space through the use of properly selected decor elements. Carpet is one of those elements. Whether you have wall to wall broadloom or an area rug lay over another type of flooring, choosing the right carpet can help your space to feel bigger. Here are some tips for making that happen.

Tips for Broadloom

Installing wall-to-wall broadloom in a room can help to make space feel bigger by providing continuity. Changing floor surfaces provide visual stops and starts for the eye. By contrast, having a carpet extend from wall to wall means there is nothing to stop the eye, thereby giving the impression that space is larger than it is.

Tips for Area Rug

The key to using an area rug to help your room look larger is to use the correct size rug. One of the most common decorating mistakes people make is to use an area rug or piece of carpet that is way too small. When your rug is the size of a postage stamp it makes the room look choppy and disjointed, and therefore makes it look smaller.

The exact size of the rug that is optimal for your room will depend on several things, including your furniture placement. Always remember that all of the furniture in a room should be sitting on top of the rug. If it’s not possible to achieve this, then have at least the front legs of larger pieces on the rug. 

Color

Most people are familiar with the notion that light colors help to make a room feel larger than darker colors. That doesn’t mean that you have to install white or off-white carpet throughout your home, however. Using lighter tones of your favorite color throughout the space helps to visually expand the space. Also, lighter colors reflect more light than darker colors do, so the increased light in the space contributes to a more feeling of openness.

Pattern

If you choose to have a pattern on your carpet or rug, make sure that the size of the pattern is scaled appropriately to the size of the room. The typical rule of thumb is bigger patterns for bigger rooms; however, this rule is not written in stone and depends more on the amount of visible floor space. For example, a small area that doesn’t have a lot of furniture can handle a bigger pattern, while a large area that is crammed with furniture may require a smaller pattern. Your floor covering is an important component of your room’s decor, and can have a big impact on the overall feel of the room. Choosing the right floor covering can help make the room feel much bigger.


Location: Raleigh, NC, USA

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