Whenever you walk into a room and your attention is immediately drawn up to the ceiling, whatever the room may be, you’ll likely be wondering why it is affecting you in such a way. In this article, we’ll investigate what makes a room look higher, and how designing and decorating with such things can give the illusion of a higher ceiling height in any room.
What Illusion Is at Play?
The illusion of a higher room that we are looking at is known as ‘forced perspective’, which is a technique used in art, photography, design, and even stage games in order to give the illusion of depth, and therefore, a greater ceiling height. Forced perspective works by creating an illusion of depth using several techniques, and can be applied to creating an illusion of a height increase to a room. This gives a much more open feel as opposed to a cramped one, and provides the viewer with an overall sense of satisfaction.
Light Colors
Light colors, such as creams, whites, or even pastel shades, will help to reflect light off the ceiling and give it an illusion of a higher height. This will work even better in well-lit rooms, as the light will be focused on the walls and ceiling, and can further help to increase this effect.
Equally, darker shades will make the ceiling appear lower, and so it may be well worth considering lighter shades when designing a room with the intention of making it appear higher.
Avoid Low Ceilings
When the ceiling of a room is already quite low, there is little you can do to make it appear higher. Furniture that is close to the ceiling, such as a bed or a wardrobe, will make this look even lower still, and so it may be best to avoid positioning such furniture where possible.
Use Wall Art
Wall art, particularly that which has a vertical orientation, can also help to give the illusion of a higher ceiling. If a painting or a canvas is hung up close to the ceiling it naturally draws your eyes up and helps to increase the perception of a greater ceiling height.
Equally, using art with smaller frames and simpler, less distracting designs can distract the eye from the low ceiling and draw the attention away, again giving the illusion of a greater height.
Vertical Stripes and Patterns
Using scattered stripes on all walls of the room, again with a vertical orientation, can help to maximize the vertical height of the ceiling. If natural light is plentiful in the room it can also partly reflect off of the stripes and create a more prominent and attractive effect on the walls. Furthermore, busy natural patterns, such as those found on wallpaper and even on furniture, can be used to distract the eye by drawing it away from the ceiling and onto the wall, again creating the illusion of a higher ceiling.
Minimize Cornicing
Cornicing, or the decorative moulding around the top of walls, can take attention away from the height of the ceiling, and so it may be worth avoiding or minimizing this feature wherever possible. If cornicing is unavoidable it may be beneficial to use lighter/less contrasting colors between the wall and the casing.
Mirrors and Reflections
Mirrors and other reflective surfaces, such as glass and metal, can also help to draw the eye up and create the illusion of a higher ceiling. This can be further increased by placing mirrors close to window openings as the light will then reflect off the mirrors and help to enhance the illusion. Furthermore, placing a large mirror or metal surface on the floor can also help to create a perception of an elongated wall and will increase the optical illusion of height.
Flooring and Rugs
Using similar colors on the floors and walls of a room will help to give the illusion of a greater ceiling height, as the eyes will move from the walls to the floors without any interruption. However, using rugs and/or other flooring features can break this effect, and this can result in an attention shift away from the ceiling, thus lowering the perception of its height.
Dark Borders and Contrasts
Using dark frames around doorways, windows, and even light switches, can help to emphasize the height of the ceiling and will also break up the room and make it appear taller. By creating a contrast with darker borders it can help draw attention to the ceiling and create a much more open appearance.
Use Furniture
The furniture in a room can also be used to create the illusion of a greater ceiling height. Placing furniture away from the walls or beneath the window will help to draw the attention of the eye to the ceiling rather than to the floor, and this can help to create a far more expansive look.
Multiple Finishes to Ceiling
Having multiple finishes to the ceiling, such as painting the top with one color and the bottom with another, can help to give the impression of further depth and a higher ceiling. This is particularly effective when using contrasting colors, or varying shades of the same color, as this will give the eye another surface to focus on and create a more interesting look.
Balanced Objects
By evenly distributing objects around the room, such as plants and photographs, the eye is then able to scan the room and take in the full area without having to look down. This in turn gives an impression of a larger room with a higher ceiling, and can be further increased when plants or photographs are positioned further away from the eye level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many ways to create the illusion of a higher ceiling in any room. These range from the use of light colors, minimizing wall coverings, and using specific furniture placements to wall art, reflections, and using a multi-finish ceiling. All of these techniques, when applied correctly, can help to open out a room and create the impression of a greater ceiling height, thus giving a far more aesthetically pleasing look than an otherwise low ceiling.