The design of an apartment with high ceilings requires considerable creativity from the decorator.
It is much more difficult to add a touch of personality and style to such a room than to a standard-sized apartment.
Having the desire and a positive attitude, you can make the interior unique and inimitable.
Idea No1: “Rule of Three”
The “rule of three sections”, used in painting or photography, is ideal for your interior. By visually dividing the room into equal fragments, we will successfully balance its dimensions.
How can this be done?
Imagine the space in three different design levels.
For example, we will decorate the first level with paintings, decorate the second with panels, and leave the third – lower level – as it is, placing furniture in it.
The point of this idea is to create points on which attention will be focused - this will give more comfort to the ceilings.
Designer's advice
Furniture arrangement plays an important role in the interior.
I recommend using all the usable space, creating cozy zones, rather than placing furniture around the perimeter of the room. In our case, the chairs stand separately and are turned towards the sofa at an angle in the “dialogue position”. To create additional coziness, we added identical shelving along the edges of the sofa - this symmetry creates a very calm and intimate atmosphere, which is conducive to communication. This is especially important when there is no TV in the living room. View all projects
Idea No2: “Choice of lamps”
If it is difficult for you to allocate more money to transform an apartment with high ceilings, then this solution is just for you.
Lamps will add just the right touch to your design. Choosing the right chandelier will take a lot of time, but it is worth your attention.
For rooms with high ceilings, chandeliers with long rods are most suitable.
And although they are not so popular today, we recommend experimenting. They will give an elegant chic look to both the bedroom and living room.
Choosing catchy accents
Textiles in window decoration will help give a tall room more effect. Here it is worth using long tulle with ruffles in several layers. A good solution would be to choose a forged cornice. To prevent the living room from seeming too elevated, emphasis should be placed on lighting fixtures. Here you need to choose a large chandelier in combination with less massive pendants on long cords. Moreover, different levels of room lighting are important. This means that the chandelier and other lighting fixtures should hang in different lengths. This way the room will be more evenly and efficiently illuminated in complete darkness outside the window. In addition, this solution is quite interesting and thoughtful in terms of design.
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In the photo: Dining room interior in a neoclassical style apartment
Idea No3: “Pictures, frames, graphics”
According to designers, if the ceilings are higher than three meters, artistic elements should be an integral part of the decoration.
Why? They will fill your apartment with life, nobility, and elegance.
But you shouldn’t exaggerate with their number. This requires a special approach.
By hanging pictures at eye level, you can visually get rid of excess ceiling height. Place the graphics wherever you like, and be content with transforming the space with the help of art.
Transforming low ceilings
Are you the owner of a low-rise apartment? No problem. There are many ways to correct a defect and turn a disadvantage into an advantage.
Selecting the tone
To visually distance a low ceiling structure, it is recommended to paint it a cool, light color. It could be:
- sky blue color,
- blue with added gray,
- light green.
For a children's room, the ideal solution, which will not only increase the height of the room, but also add zest to the overall decor, is to decorate the surfaces with a heavenly pattern. By painting a blue sky with clouds on the walls and ceiling, you will erase the boundaries between horizontal and vertical lines and make the room endless. This option is shown in the photo.
Mirror ceiling
The best way to increase the height of a room is to use a mirror. If you have bold ideas, then finishing the ceiling with mirror tiles is what you need. As a last resort, you can use mirror inserts on the ceiling. Reflective surfaces will add spice and visually enlarge the room.
Wall decoration with vertical lines
If it is recommended to use horizontal elements in interior design to reduce height, then with low structures the opposite is true. We glue finishing material with a vertical pattern onto the walls, and do not create a border between the wall and the ceiling with a wide baguette.
Shelf design with added volume
If the arrangement of the room allows, a low ceiling structure can be visually raised using decorative beams. Moreover, the material must be selected in bright shades, and the ceiling in darker shades. In this case, the ceiling structure will visually rise upward. This option is shown in the photo.
Using lighting
- Light the room as brightly as possible. This technique will visually add volume to the room.
- The direction of light should be upward.
- It is ideal if there are additional light sources in the room. They will create coziness and distract attention from low ceilings.
- At floor level, you can install several lamps around the perimeter of the room. This technique will visually raise the walls.
- In a room with low ceilings, you should not install a chandelier in the center of the room. It is better to use several small light sources throughout the area.
- If there is a suspended ceiling, the light sources are placed in a suspended structure.
Selecting furniture
In low rooms there is no need to use massive objects. It is better to use elegant, but at the same time upward-pointing shelves, cabinets, racks. Low cabinets and tables look ideal next to high cabinets.
Curtains and other decorations
Curtains in low rooms should occupy the entire space from top to bottom. The pattern on the curtains should be vertical; in extreme cases, the window is decorated with fabric blinds. In order to distract interest from the low ceiling structure, you need to create a bright element in the room that attracts the eyes of guests. This could be a sparkling, glossy floor, an unusual carpet with an interesting texture.
To summarize, it must be said that when reducing the height of ceilings or increasing them, you should use all possible techniques. Then you can choose the one most suitable for your apartment and play the chosen move in the best possible way.
Idea No4: “Accentuating the walls”
Color is one of the best methods to redirect attention to the background and give a room a neat look.
By painting, for example, a darkish background, you will not only shorten the ceiling visually, but also add originality.
You can also focus attention on the walls by decorating bricks, painted colorful wallpaper, and wooden panels.
As a result, the space will become even more balanced and balanced.
Kitchen Design
— Why did you decide not to combine the kitchen with the living room?
— We dismantled the wall and installed glass accordion doors along its entire length. When folded, they completely open access to the kitchen, that is, visually we get a common space. If necessary, they can be closed - in my opinion, a convenient and reasonable solution.
When developing a living room design project, 7% of our customers abandoned the TV.
Idea No5: “Optimizing ceilings with curtains”
A room with high ceilings lacks coziness and a homely atmosphere. You can solve the problem by choosing the right curtains.
It is recommended to decorate rooms of this type with floor-length curtains.
And the color depends on the desired result: white will add lightness to the atmosphere, red will add energy, dark will add a bit of drama and intrigue, black will visually shrink the room and give even more comfort.
But do not forget about combining the color of the curtains with other interior elements.
Instead of a dressing room
When there is no space in the bedroom for a closet or dressing room.
It is not always possible in a small apartment to organize storage of things in the dressing room. Sometimes it’s simply unrealistic to allocate space for a separate utility room. Then high ceilings will come to the rescue; shelves and hanging rods should be placed under them. You can even arrange something like a shelving unit that frames the door to the bedroom. This will allow you to avoid placing an additional piece of furniture in the room and at the same time place more things than in a standard chest of drawers or closet.
Idea No6: “Exposed wooden beams”
Not so long ago, this decorative detail is gaining more and more popularity. For rooms with high ceilings, this option will add coziness by reducing the space.
Rough and rustic wood is very welcome in a modern interior. It is great for country houses or cottages.
Bathroom storage
In a small bathroom or toilet, you need to use the space to maximum advantage. It’s easy to make these rooms more functional and comfortable if you install storage shelves under high ceilings. You can fold towels on them, put detergents and cleaning products. To make it more convenient, it’s a good idea to additionally use small containers or baskets to hold cosmetics, hygiene and body care products.
Idea No7: “Ceiling texture – a method of visually reducing the height of a room”
You can focus attention not only on the walls, but also on the ceilings. You can highlight not only color, but also select different texture options.
For example: wood, drywall or stretch fabric.
What is not recommended for use in apartments with high ceilings?
Get rid of filling the space with small details, do not use thin cornices, avoid incorrect placement of paintings, and also do not focus on the floor or make baseboards to match it.
By following our tips, you can add a little coziness to your interior.
By the way!
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Photo of a living room with a high ceiling
Bedroom
You have probably already seen a similar technique many times in modern apartments, when, due to high ceilings, the sleeping area is raised above the main area in order to save living space. This solution is often used in bedrooms, where the sleeping area is elevated above the work desk, where you can put a computer and do paperwork, do homework, etc.
If you have a separate place for your work area, the organization of the space can be completely different: you can put a sofa under the bed, creating a place to relax with friends, or make a dressing area there. Sometimes the high ceilings in the apartment and the location of the doorway make it possible to create an “attic” for the bed right above the entrance to hide it from the eyes of those entering and increase the free space. A very convenient move, because if the bed were on the floor, it would take up another half of the room.
If your staircase upstairs is not a stationary vertical one, but an entrance one that rises in the form of steps, you can make it more functional by placing drawers for clothes or other things in the steps or under them.
Color solutions for a small living room
A small living room in a modern style looks more spacious if a light color scheme is chosen for decoration. Dark colors, as we said, are used in doses, as touches to the main one. Accents can be paintings on a black stretcher, metal shelving, interior bedspreads or carpets.
Minimalism is a close friend of hi-tech. Greenery brings both styles to life.
The trend is contrasts and a mixture of styles. For example, the same loft in its pure form does not provide for the finishing of the floor with any other materials other than concrete. But in the home iteration, designers use techniques that “soften” industrial brutality: woven patchwork carpets, abstractions, vertical gardening. And laminate is laid on the floor. Working in contrast brings decent results, and most importantly, the room turns out to be both cozy and not worn out.
Vertical gardening saves austere and boring interiors
Beige combinations have always been used in the interior; even a beginner can’t make a mistake with them. But over time, too calm colors become boring, the room cries out for character and individuality. Looking for options? Try shades of grey.
There are more than thirty versions in fashion: ash, graphite, wet asphalt, smoky, anthracite, steel, etc. Elegant gray reveals itself differently in each shade. This is the color of depth, helping to concentrate on your own feelings. Ideal for all rooms: from the bathroom to the bedroom, and in the interior of a small living room it will definitely make friends with rainbow colors.
Don't be afraid to experiment with gray combinations
- Gray + purple, lavender, plum, eggplant, lilac, wine, burgundy, ruby - sensual alliances for spiritual harmony, self-development and meditation.
- Gray + blue, light blue – fresh, unconventional, elegant.
- Gray + yellow, orange are bright, life-affirming combinations that increase energy potential.
- Gray + white, beige - neutral compositions that extinguish negative emotions.
This is interesting : Gray flooring in a Scandinavian interior: ideal combinations of neutral flooring with furniture and carpets.
Love crisp white? In combination with glass surfaces, it can work real miracles. Add green colors - they dissolve the too cold palette.
In the new decade, kitchens are designed according to the principles of minimalism: without unnecessary decor, with reference to environmental materials
White with red, orange or purple will manifest itself dynamically in a small room - you won’t be able to relax.
All tandems of white and beige: caramel, shades of coffee with milk, light brown love texture and accents. Otherwise, the interior will become smudged. Textured details add drama and mystery: golden satin blackout curtains, cork trim, wooden interior elements, a mirrored coffee table, a large wall mirror.
There are not many universal techniques when decorating small rooms. One of them is high mirrors
A beige palette, diluted with green, blue, gray and light blue touches, will add solemnity and airiness to the living room design. Such combinations are typical for Mediterranean and Scandinavian styles. Let's look deep into each for a couple of minutes.
Interior style of a small living room
The choice of style for a small living room follows from the rules and design features. The solution is obvious - interiors with minimal decor, the absence of complex shapes and massive furniture.
Classical
In the design of a small living room for an apartment, we will replace classics with neoclassics. Let's take calm shades without abundance of decor as a basis.
Classic styles are rich in themselves, so when decorating a small room, designers pay special attention to the decor - it is important not to oversaturate the room
Large paintings in heavy frames will replace family photographs, and massive oak walls will replace bookcases and shelving.
Modern
Furniture for a small living room in a modern style is a combination of functionality, practicality and minimalism. Clear straight lines, laconic monochrome shades, ultra-modern materials and technology characterize the ideal relaxation room.
A modern living room does not overwhelm you with an abundance of furniture and color and satisfies the need for proper rest.
Wood, concrete, metal and glass merge together in space and plane. Graphics and bright colors will enrich the interior, and soft textiles will add a touch of homeliness.
Loft
Large windows, rough lines, exposed metal pipes are the hallmarks of the loft style. The layout of the rooms implies an open space with a minimum number of partitions. The interior uses street decorative elements: graffiti, road signs, metal shelves.
The loft “loves” a dark palette, but in a small room this attraction is regulated by light shades, lighting and natural details
The peculiarity of the loft interior is a concrete or stone floor, exposed brick walls, but in the apartment the design of a small living room is alternative.
The brick wall is usually left as an accent element, and parquet or laminate is laid on the floor.
Minimalism
Minimalism is based on a minimum of furniture and decor. All elements are practical, without complex shapes, patterns, or oversaturation in color. Usually in minimalism there are no more than 2-3 shades, and the role of interior touches is performed by functional objects or finishing options.
Minimalism is practical and not intrusive
Standard colors are grey, black, deep blue or beige. Instead of curtains, there are mostly blinds on the windows.
Minimalism in the interior of a small living room gravitates towards a large space, simple furniture of regular geometric shapes.
If the hall serves several functions, it is worth providing built-in or transformable furniture.
Japanese
Modern Japanese apartments combine national and European traditions. The philosophy of the Land of the Rising Sun is based on the harmony of man and nature, which is why natural materials and landscapes are popular indoors.
Mini living room in Japanese style
The amount of furniture is limited - exclusively functional items. The spirit of Japan is emphasized by shoji partitions, bamboo wall decoration, lantern chandeliers, and ikebana.
Dragons in Japanese mythology are associated with happiness and wealth. What did the shelves in this living room remind you of?
Lighting in a Japanese living room is of particular importance. Ceiling lamps, bamboo table lamps and tatami lamps will help create a peaceful atmosphere in the spirit of Zen philosophy.
Scandinavian
Delightful, free, romantic and discreet – Scandi is united by a light palette. But snow-white is certainly the main color of the northern interior.
Scandinavian is based on the use of environmentally friendly materials
Formed under the influence of the European northern climate, Scandinavian needs natural light. The best solution would be to install panoramic windows. If this is not possible, work with what you have: white plastered walls, light flooring, wooden furniture. Scandi loves everything warm and soft - more textiles and light: woolen blankets, knitted rugs and pile carpets.
Thanks to elements with ethnic notes: driftwood, living plants, mirrors, wooden furniture - Scandinavian looks fresh and elegant, but not cold.
Provence
A rural romantic of the Cote d'Azur in a small living room in a modern iteration - these are delicate floral accents that complement antique furniture in gray, green, and beige shades.
The French countryside emphasizes decorativeness and sophistication
Wooden windows are decorated with lace curtains or light chintz curtains, and the window sill space is decorated with fresh flowers. Floor finishing - imitation of natural flooring: parquet, laminate.
The living room with access to the east side is decorated in a cool palette: blue, lilac, lavender. In the “Western” hall, mostly pastel warm colors are used.
Often, Provence interiors echo French country, which is characterized by candlesticks, elegant furniture, stone sinks and metal chandeliers. But you need to work with elements very carefully; without experience, it’s easy to oversaturate the interior.
Provence honors village traditions: if your grandmothers inherited old porcelain dishes, hand-woven runners, embroidered towels and tablecloths, these items will perfectly complement the interior of the living room.
Wardrobe
If you don’t want to send your bed to a height, but there is not enough space in the room for clothes, high ceilings will save the situation again, because the wardrobe can also be organized upstairs! Hang shelves for things and hanger bars from the ceiling and place your things there. To reach them, buy a suitable portable ladder, stepladder, or hang the ladder on a bar so that it can be moved to the desired point in the wardrobe. Thus, there will be a separate area for clothes, and there will be more space in the room. The only inconvenience is that you will have to wash things more often or put special covers on them so that they do not collect dust.
