Improving your space can be done through a number of factors. Though big changes like gut jobs, and moving walls are really helpful in improving a space their are plenty of small things you can do too. Many you can even do yourself! Here is a list of quick architectural changes to make to your space that much better.
1. Wall Texture
My first tip on improving your space is by adding texture to your walls. Texture, and in a variety of textiles is key part in any curated home design. When you look at most furniture design you see a mix of textures. Common ones being wood, linen, velvet, metal, silk etc.. Its important to give that same dimension and texture to your walls. This can be done in a number of ways to get different effects. Most common is molding, paneling, plaster, murals, wallpaper, shiplap, or mix of all the above. Below is a great example of a mix of wall textures:
When looking at this home photographed by Stephan Julliard you see so much texture in just the walls. From the molding, to the half board and batting, to the wooded shutters, to the attention grabbing mural. To break this down lets talk about the use of crown molding first. To create a really interesting juxtaposition if your style leans more modern go with a more ornate design as seen near the ceiling in this photo, but if your style is more traditional or Victorian it might look nice to go with a simple blocked molding to get a more modern feel. Another example of this juxtaposition is in this beautiful Anthropologie living room:
Moving on from the molding is it also important to layer texture in the board and batten. In the photo by Stephan Julliard you can see behind the couch this sort of half wall design. This actually helps draw your eye up, and gives a natural cut off from the furniture and eye level to more of the art and ceiling. Another tip is it you are doing a board and batten design to keep it in line with your furniture pieces. In the below photo by Apartment Therapy you can see this idea of keeping it in line with furniture really well:
If your looking to do an effect like this I have linked my favorite DIYs and how to video’s in the clickable buttons below. It a super easy process one that can be easily seen in the below photo. I just go to Home Depot or Lowes and grab some trim. Cut everything on a 45 degree angle with my tip on how high up the wall to go it should be an easy add to a room that otherwise might lack dimension and architecture.
If your looking for some more inspiration on why to do paneling I have added some really great examples below:
Just for inspiration one of the first wall projects I tackled in my teens was doing a grid texture in my room. It took me all but one weekend and some two by fours to complete the entire project. No matter your skill set with tools board and batten, paneling, and grid walls are definelty achievable. One easy tip is to buy caulk and to caulk anywhere to the wood touches the wall. This allows for a more seamless and profession look!
We have now touched on crown molding, paneling, board and batten with the last big feature in that original photo by Stephan Julliard being the mural. Murals are fantastic if you are running out of ideas and you think you might have one to many gallery walls in your space. Though their is an art to applying them. I would not recommend simply adding them to a wall without any supporting architecture. An example of NOT adding another element is below:
Though I love the Great Scotts and they are definelty a family worth checking out, this room could have used additional architectural balance, maybe adding a wall to wall headboard to act as a textued board and batten as seen below:
Wouldn’t this Mandy Moore living room look fantastic with a mural instead of the wall hanging to add that extra element, in addition to some ceiling texture. If you want this look for less here is a DIY to this exact headboard!
If after all this you are in the market for a mural here are some of my favorite places to look for wall murals:
To switch gears if your not looking to add any of the above elements you might want to consider changing your walls to a different finish. Most US homes come with a smoothed wall, or a slight stucco. Taking influence from a more European home a plaster wall can give an earthy and natural feel to any space. I would recommend hiring a professional to take on a task like this, but the effect is absolutely beautiful. It is only heightened when paired with a more earthy color palate as the photo below illustrates.
2. Ceiling Texture
Now that we have covered some ways to bring dimension and texture to your walls its time to focus on the often forgotten ceiling. The first way to help improve that architecture is similar to the wall which is to give your celling a crown molding effect. This is pricey but if you plan to keep your walls more simple this might be a good place to splurge.
If you are not looking to spend much money and give your ceiling some attention, then paint it! Painting your ceiling the same colors as your walls and trim gives and expansive effect. When you eliminate that clear line break from a painted wall to a white ceiling it blurs where the ceiling starts and where the wall ends. In a smaller space or low ceiling area that effect can actually make your space appear larger! Here are two examples by Chris Loves Julia and one by Eye Swoon:
All the above spaces are not huge. If anything, they lean towards a more standard and achievable room size that we see in our own spaces. They look expansive and imposing because of the cohesion in paint color between the ceilings and the walls.
3. Change the Door
Moving on from the ceiling, a space can be transformed simply by changing out a door. You can go bold and pick up an antique door at your local antique boutique or when you’re thrifting (Thrifting is one of the best ways to find a beautiful door for cheap!) . Pictured below is an example of a kitchen pantry door or fridge door being swapped out for something with a bit more character.
If your looking for a more subtle way to change up your doors look into the hardware or even matching the walls with paneling. Blending the door into your space or making sure at the very least it is painted that same color as your walls distracts from the eye sore that some doors can have. Try your best to mix it up and not have the standard white door with the thick white trim!
In the above photo by House & Home you see this cohesion of the door and wall giving a really upscale feel to a typical room design . The gold details in the door are carried over in the wall scone and drawers, while the paneling helps to disguise it. Even trying to picture this room with a typical door is hard because of how effortless it looks with this more natural transition. Another great door swap is one of iron. If you are lucky enough to have higher ceilings or double door this is a great option! It helps to add not only architectural diversity but light if your space is lacking it.
I love the idea of adding an iron door to a pantry or linen closet if you’re a little more organized!
Lastly, a great place for these iron doors is an office, if you strive to not feel stuck in an enclosed space.
If you cant change your doors due to outside factors, this Crate and Barrel cabinet gives off the same effect without having to take out a door.
Though it is pricy it is worth the investment in the long run if you know you love this look! Here are two ways I have seen it styled:
4. Paint the Inside of your Windows Black
If you dont want to physically add or change out anything in your space then this tip is for you. By simply painting the inside of your windows or windows seals black, you add a more modern and sophisticated look to the typical white. Here are a few examples of this:
By painting the inside of their windows, these spaces look more cohesive and curated. There are window safe paints you can grab at your local home improvement store. Here is a link to a YouTube DIY if you want to tackle this project over the weekend!
5. Change Up the Upper Cabinets
My second to last tip is for those that need some kitchen inspiration on a budget. Buying upper cabinets during a kitchen remodel can increase the costs substantially. When you look at trying to blend them into your wall, or to take those cabinets to the ceiling with crown molding (Which I highly recommend if your going to go to the upper cabinet route!) this can be time consuming and difficult. There is a shift to a different type of upper cabinetry. We are going to talk about the two types that I think are going to stand that test of time.
The first being a simple box or metal top cabinet that matches the color of your wall! This is crucial since if they do not match in color it can draw attention in the wrong way when the focus in this design should be on those lower cabinets and countertops. Here is a great example:
This style helps those who really need the extra storage and can not give up the cabinet space but dont want to add a whole set of new cabinets. Bonus: IKEA has some fantastic options for this, and they can be blended in to almost any type of kitchen.
The second type that I want to talk about is going with the floating shelf! I love this idea for those that collect dinnerware. If you are that person you need to follow two quick tips to make sure this looks well incorporated. The first and most important is to match the shelf color to your countertop if it’s wood, or to the wall if the shelf is marble/quarts/porcelain etc. In the photo below you see the bone-white wall perfectly matching the white in the marble. This blends the line and gives a more seamless and well designed look.
Second tip, if you are going to go with this style, get an interesting countertop. This does not work with a typical white or builder grade look. Im not saying you have to get marble, I personally love quartz in a kitchen anyways but make sure that is the attention grabber in your space. Here is some inspiration for unique countertops.
6. Install Tile at an Angle
If you made it this far, please leave me a comment or like to let me know if you enjoyed this type of post so I can continue to put out the content that my readers enjoy seeing! My last tip is for tiling, and most specifically a checkerboard or patterned tile. I can not say this loud enough if you are tiling in one of those two types put it at an angle! It will instantly elevate your space. Here is an example of an angled tile vs tile looking at you dead on.
The bathroom photo on the right looks really boxed and small. This is due to the orientation of the tile. The kitchen on the left looks really expansive since the diagonal line is drawing you across the entire room. Below is another example of how important angling your tile is!
If you are going with a rug keep the same principal in mind:
This rounds out my tips to improve the architecture of your space. If you are in the market for some new pieces, check out my post on some unique interior design shops to check out!
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