10 Interior Design Tips for Large Rooms

Large rooms with high ceilings feel grand and spacious. Yet on the other hand, they can be difficult to work with for design purposes as it gets complicated to accessorize and place furniture.  Many times we separate spaces using furniture, plants and accessories to imply walls.  Such grand rooms need large scale furniture,  wall hangings and accessories to balance a space because small objects just get completely swallowed by the size of the room.

But sometimes, when chopping up a space with high ceilings, the proportions become unbalanced, creating small floor spaces that feel uncomfortable and awkward with tall walls.  Large spaces are also difficult to heat and cool, and are often expensive to maintain an even temperature.  In the winter,  all the warm air rises to the ceiling leaving cold air close to the floor where most people spend their  time.  In contrast, during the hot summer months, warm air and humidity in the rooms make the air feel thick and heavy.  So what are good solutions to improve the comfort in large rooms with high ceilings?

1. Ceiling Fans: Although ceiling fans may not look glamorous, they have a wonderful function for high ceilings.  They can direct hot air to go down in the winter and increase air circulation in the summer.
2. Air vents: Vents in the walls or ceiling to the exterior can regulate the air in the room.
3. Radiant heat: Heating from the floor maintains a comfortable temperature at the living level
4. Dropped ceiling: Build a drop down ceiling in specific areas of the room help emphasize a space and makes it feel intimate
5. Paint:  Paint the ceiling a darker shade to make appear lower.
6. False Ceiling: Build a false ceiling to lower the height if the floor space is proportionally smaller.
7. Add molding: A large room can accommodate more ornate molding and accessories
8. Add color and texture: Patterns and colors can be bold and busy because it has an excess of negative space to balance it.
9. Add art: Large spaces can also show off large pieces of art as it has enough distance to appreciate the art.
10. Add visual interest:  You can mix many different materials without feeling too chaotic.

You can warm up and enjoy your large living space by embracing it with interesting things you love. Use the area to the fullest, and remember to keep the scale of the items inside the room in proportion to the actual size of the room.  That way you will find and create a nice balance.  Also, remember physical comforts including temperature will help make the space more welcoming for all.