Getting a larger effect with tiles

This month we thought we’d share a few tricks of the trade with you on how to make a small room look bigger, inspired by a recent bathroom project we undertook for a client. Creating a larger effect with tiles was key to this project.

The Project

The clients wanted a makeover of their existing bathroom which was a tiny compact space. The bathroom was also extremely dark and unwelcoming. The brief was to create a more contemporary and modern bathroom. The key for us with this project was to open up the room and take this small space and make it feel much bigger, brighter and spacious.

We thought we’d share a few tricks we used to create the illusion of space. These tips can be used in any space in the home:

The starting point was tiles

In a space like a bathroom, the wall and floor surfaces are key. For us, tiles are always a brilliant starting point. As this room was dark and small we immediately knew we had to go for brighter tiles. We selected a gorgeous white tile from HOME TILES in a rectangular shape. We decided to fully tile walls and floor in the same white tile. By doing this you instantly create the illusion of a bigger space. Fully tiling walls and floors in the same tile definitely makes the room appear larger.

Small space, large tiles –

Another clever trick when trying to create the illusion of space in a room is to go oversize. As this bathroom was small, we opted for a 60 x 30 rectangular tile. Visually when the eye sees a bigger tile, the mind interprets the space as bigger. Call it an optical illusion but definitely a trick worth trying.

Colour is key –

Colour plays a large part in the illusion of the size of a space. The rule of thumb is that warm colours advance and cool colours recede, affecting the perception of depth. This theory is based upon that fact that the eye adjusts when focusing on colours of different wavelengths. To simplify, when you use dark colours it can make rooms feel smaller, using light colours makes the room feel bigger. The use of white for our bathroom was key in creating the illusion of a bigger space.

Layout –

Last but in no way least, another key consideration when using tiles is how to lay them out. There are so many clever ways of laying tiles whether its straight, brick fashion or herringbone. In the case of our bathroom project we laid the tiles in brick fashion. This again stretches out the space and gives the illusion of a larger room.

If you are about to embark on a home project and need to make a small room look bigger, why not pop into one of Home Tiles many stores and the amazing teams there will be happy to help.