I am very lucky to live in a home endowed with generous measurements. An inaccurate drawing of our dream home was one of the best mistakes ever made as a large home has so many benefits. When you have a spacious home you can easily fall into the trap of spreading yourself out – by collecting a myriad of items because you have the space. But a true aficionado of the large home will keep the feeling of spaciousness intact and a thing of beauty.
Our large empty shell of a home needed extra care when it came to decorating to make sure it looked amazing and not cavernous. If money is available or calculated into the budget from the start, you have to be very clever how you are going to spend your hard-earned dollars to make sure your purchases will work the best.
Firstly, it is really important to select items that are in scale to the room’s proportions. Custom made furniture does not necessarily mean expensive. You need to find an Australian manufacturer that will do made to measure alterations. Remember to consider incorporating modular lounges into your design rather than continually adding extra single chairs as this can add clutter rather than style.
Secondly, the best way to fully take advantage of a large open plan space is to divide it into different zones and purposes. This will give atmosphere and individuality to each area. It will also give you cosiness and intimacy that may otherwise be hard to achieve.
Thirdly when selecting artworks, rugs, urns or other fluffing pieces these need to be oversized to look sensational and really give your home the WOW factor. A classic mistake is selecting smaller pieces and placing them on larger walls. Your mantra needs to be big is best. Place large arrangements or urns in corners or on surfaces where they can work their magic but do not need to be moved on a daily basis.
Be comfortable in your home and embrace the beauty of big open spaces by having the confidence to place one large
amazing object in key locations and resist the urge to add more and more elements into the look. And remember, large objects and more streamlined surfaces, is a housekeeping dream when it comes to cleaning.
Select a colour palette that will enhance your home’s dimensions. Larger spaces can take more colour and still look spacious, but I like to have an overall colour scheme to give cohesion to the overall design.
A big, generously proportioned home can be a thing of true beauty and an absolute pleasure to live in.
By Karen Creith