The Magic of Color: How Rugs Can Trick Your Eyes and Transform Your Space.
With Rug Artisan
Have you ever stepped into a room and felt like you were entering a space larger than life, only to come to the realisation that you have been in this room a hundred times before? Well, hold onto your seats because we are about to delve into the fascinating world of color and how it can play tricks on your eyes and deceive you into thinking rooms appear bigger or smaller than they actually are.
No one likes the feeling of a cramped room, and your room may even be completely empty, but it’s just…small. Conversely, you might be after a cosy vibe and need to fill an empty space to achieve that.
What is the secret weapon to this magical transformation you may ask?
RUGS!
Yes, those humble floor coverings have the power to warp your perception of space in the most delightful ways. Lets unravel the enchantment together!
First thing to consider is color
It is well known that colors can have a significant impact on your emotions and psychology. Different feelings can be evoked by certain colors and affect your overall mood. Like when you see soft, light blues, they make you feel calm and they look serene.
Similarly, the color of your rug can affect your perception of the size of a room. When you enter a room, your eyes will be drawn to the colors of a rug.
You may be wondering, “What color rugs make a room look bigger?”
The Grand Illusion: Making Space Expand
Imagine walking into a room with gleaming, light- colored hardwood floors adorned by a lush, pale-blue rug. Your eyes dance across the room, and suddenly, the space feels like it stretches beyond its physical boundaries.
What’s happening here?
Light colors, especially cool tones like blues and pastels, create an airy and open feel. This sensation of spaciousness is coined as the “expansive illusion”. When the brain processes light colors, it assumes the walls are farther away, making the room appear larger than it actually is. Lighter colors in general, such as beige, white and pastels, tend to reflect light and create a sense of airiness, and when applied to a rug will make a room feel more open and spacious.
The Cozy Cocoon: Intimate Retreats
Now, let us visit a different scenario.
You enter a room with warm, earthy tones on the walls and a deep, rich, red rug on the floor. Suddenly, the space wraps around you like a snug embrace.
How did that happen?
Warm colors tend to visually advance, making surfaces appear close. This effect is perfect for creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere, ideal for bedrooms, reading nooks, or any space where you want to feel nestled in comfort. Darker colours absorb light and therefore give no room for that airy, lightness.
Furthermore, choosing colors that closely match the flooring of the room can create a seamless look and therefore make the room feel expansive.
Next up is Patterns
Get ready for some mind-bending fun!
I bet you didn’t know that patterns on rugs can take size perception to a whole new level.
Optical Illusions 101: Patterns and Perception
Incorporating stripes into your decor can do wonders in making your room seem bigger. Using horizontal stripes can make a room seem wider as it guides your eyes along the lines thereby tricking your brain into seeing a broader space. On top of that, if you have a low ceiling, vertical stripes can make the room seem taller, drawing the eye upwards and creating a more open ambience. A win-win if you ask me.
Take a look at our Linear and Geometric Rug styles to see more patterns and shapes that can bring room, into your room!
You have to make sure that the lines on the rug are perpendicular to the walls in the room, to perfect the illusion and visually widen it. For example here, our rug, Fuse, fits neatly in this room and aligns with the walls, making the room seem spacious.
Other geometric patterns can also influence how the eyes perceive dimensions and size. Placing a rug with larger, more dispersed patterns, gives the illusion that the room is wide and spacious as it draws the eyes outwards, whereas smaller patterns can make a room seem busier due to the close proximity of the repeated design and it draws the eyes inwards. However, if cosiness is the vibe you are trying to achieve, then a small geometric patterned rug is the one for you.
3D designs can also be used to create visual depth and optical illusions. They can deceive the eyes and change the perception of depth.
This rug, named Tithonia is from the Field of Flowers collection and the foliage design protrudes from the rug!
The Power of Contrast: Boundaries and Beyond
Contrast, is like adding a dash of fairy dust to your rugs. Placing a light colored rug against a dark floor can emphasise the rugs size, making it feel more expansive. Similarly, a dark rug against light floors can create a strong visual boundary, carving out a defined space within the room, making it seem larger. It really is all about playing with contrasts to create dimension and drama.
Size Matters
The size of the rug is the key to making a room seem bigger than it is. If you ensure that the rug is covered by the furniture that surrounds it, the rug will anchor the room and will look like there is more space, but, if you have a rug in the centre of your furniture, it may seem out of place and give the room an overall cramped look.
Round rugs can connect your room and are a fun way to make a room seem bigger while adding a difference in shape to your room.
Similarly adding a large rectangular rug to the room can draw your eyes outwards and make it seem like the room has much more space, however, keep enough distance between the edge of the rug and the wall, the more visible rug there is, the larger the space will appear.
One-Of-A-Kind Rugs
Ultimately, personal preference plays a heavy role in ones choice of decor, and style, patterns and rug colors should be drawn from existing elements in the space as well as design choices made by you, and sometimes you may need help in finalizing the finishing touches of your rug. You could be unsure about certain elements and that is ok. We have a team of specialists ready to answer your every query and take you through the journey of producing the perfect rug for your space.
So there you have it, the rug revolution is on! Embrace the fun, the fantasy, and the fabulousness of rugs that do more than just lie around - they create a whole new dimension of magnificent in your space.
Happy rug shopping!
