Is your space vertically challenged? Fear not, says Dr Dulux, good things come in small packages.
Q: Hi, Dr Dulux. I live in a converted period cottage, which I love, but I’m not sure how to tackle the ground floor rooms, which have rather low ceilings. How can I make the ceiling appear higher? Thanks! Miriam, Nottingham.
A: This is quite a common problem, as you’d imagine in a country full of chocolate box cottages and period homes! Luckily, I’m not short (sorry!) on ideas to help you. Here are a few design tricks to help your spaces feel less little and more lofty.
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Decorate your walls with vertical stripes – this helps elongate the walls and injects a varied colour palette into your space.
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Paint your ceiling lighter than the walls to give the illusion of more height.
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For a more creative way to tackle low ceilings, paint a diagonal on your wall – again, this plays an optical trick on the eye and makes a ceiling appear higher. It will open up the space and alter the perspective.
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There are lots of little things you can do to open up your room, too. Try uplighting instead of downward lighting – this is so simple but really makes a big difference! Use a bold floor rug to detract from the low ceiling or hang pictures closer to the ceiling in order to elongate the wall space.