Thursday, January 20, 2011

10 tips for making a small room feel larger


10 tips for making a small room feel larger
By Ellinor Ellefson
Interior Designer, Allied Member ASID, Elle Interiors LLC

As huge McMansion’s are becoming less popular and people are downsizing, new decorating challenges arise. Living on a smaller footprint is both better for the Earth and, maybe better for family togetherness as well. But even though more and more people choose to live in smaller houses, we don’t want our homes to feel cramped and tight. Here are my 10 top tips for how to make a small space feel larger:

1. Link adjacent spaces with the same color and flooring. If you change flooring material, it is usually good to stay within the same color family. Same with colors, stay within the same color family if you want to have different colors, NEVER do accent walls in bright colors in a smaller space. Use lighter colors for the walls.

2. Let as much natural light as possible into a room, this opens up the space and makes it feel larger.

3. Let window treatments be simple, and hang them at least 6-10” above the window. This will make the room feel taller.

4. Unclutter. Get rid of things you don’t use. Don’t get attached to things; if something doesn’t add to the look of the room, get rid of it.

5. Add mirrors. This will open up the space and add some sparkle and additional light.

6. Consider upholstery pieces on legs, sofa, chairs, etc. This will visually create a sense of light and space.

7. Avoid large busy prints; strive for smaller prints or solids.

8. If you have large windows, make sure that you can see the outside. Open up the blinds, and bring the outside colors inside.

9. Use multifunction furniture, such as ottomans that can store the daily clutter, be a coffee table, as well as a footrest, all at the same time.

10. Leave empty space, even in a small room. Don’t fill up every corner of the room, or every shelf in a book case.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Color trend: Deep blues







Of all colors, blue is the color most often picked by people when asked what their favorite color is. Blue is a very versatile color, it can go from the lightest airy light blue, to deep indigo, and almost black. A few years ago, a favorite color combination was blues and brown - still pretty! We have also seen quite a bit of sophisticated grayish blues. Well what I see now as a strong coming color trend are the deep blues and the indigos. These blues feel really fresh and sophisticated, yet graphic and modern. Look around, and you will soon see this color coming everywhere.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Fall decor for the contemporary home







Are you like me, in that you think that most fall season decorations tends to be just a little bit too Country...? All those scarecrows, pumkins, Halloween decorations... they just don't fit in with your comtemporary decor? But still, decorating with the seasons is fun and an easy and fast way to make your house feel fresh again. Here are three simple and beautiful fall decor ideas, that will fit any home, no matter what your decorating style is!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Rooms decorated in black







To decorate with black as your main color is daring! A good friend of mine, did her entire kitchen in black and white. This was some years ago, and maybe it's changed since then? But black and white is a very graphic, clean, and, daring color combination. Would you dare it?

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Craving white!




It must be the Swede in me, but for the last 6 months or so, I am just craving more white in my own surroundings. It started with the kitchen. My gorgeous bluish black cabinets got a transformation with a coat of white paint. I love it! Then a few added accessories, in white, and now I am considering replacing my black office furniture with white pieces instead. White really is the perfect color in my opinion! It is at the same time fresh and crisp, but also relaxing and comforting. Think about all the different hues of whites there are - from warm off whites to contemporary whites with colder undertones. Any style can be done in white. It is a color that lets you breathe in the room. A white room done right, will never feel depressing. It will lift your spirit and leave room for imagination!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Favorite art







Art truly has the power to transform a space! It affects the space in a profound way, so when selecting what to hang on your walls, make it personal. Art in a home environmen is different that art in general. While art in general should move us, touch our hearts in one way or the other, most people like art that bring out good feelings for their homes. What that is, is as different as there are people. Myself, I tend to like abstract art. To me, there is something soothing about abstract art, even some of the abstract expressionst masters, like Franz Kline or Jackson Pollack, has that effect on me. But there is one artist that I always come back to, and there is nobody like him; Henri Matisse. Matisse was the master of color and shape, and I think I like absolutely everything he did! Here are some of my favorites.

Thursday, September 3, 2009







Wow, look at Erin Adams glass tiles for Ann Sachs! I absolutely LOVE this. Erin Adams is a glass mosaic artist, and her glass tile designs are sold through Ann Sachs. Her designs varies from very modern and graphic, to soft florals. It is just beautiful! These are three of my favorites.