In brief: To make a room look taller, use light colours on the ceiling and paint the upper sections of the walls in the same shade. Create vertical lines with tall, narrow furniture, floor-length curtains and vertical stripes on the walls. Lower furnishings and carefully planned lighting with ceiling uplighters reinforce this effect.
Low ceilings can create a feeling of confinement, even in spacious rooms. They weigh down the atmosphere and make the room seem smaller than it really is. But you do not need to renovate straight away. With targeted changes to your interior design, you can fundamentally alter the perception of the room’s proportions. Colour, lighting and the right choice of furniture are your most powerful tools for making walls appear taller.
How does colour affect the perceived height of a room?
Colour is the quickest and often most effective way to manipulate how a room is perceived. Light shades reflect more light and create a feeling of openness. Dark shades absorb light and can make a room feel cosier, but also smaller and lower.
The classic method: light ceiling, darker walls
A bright white ceiling is the best-known trick. White reflects the maximum amount of light and visually “lifts” the ceiling. Combine a white ceiling with walls in a slightly darker, but still light, shade. This contrast defines the ceiling as a separate, floating surface and enhances the impression of height.
Another trick is to continue the ceiling colour around 10 to 15 cm down the walls. This visual frame makes the ceiling appear even higher because the eye perceives the colour boundary as the actual edge of the ceiling.
Vertical stripes: a timeless classic
Vertical stripes on the walls inevitably draw the eye upwards. You do not need to wallpaper the entire room. A single feature wall with subtle striped wallpaper or painted stripes is often enough to achieve the desired effect. Choose narrow to medium-width stripes in two harmonious, not overly contrasting colours. Stripes that are too wide or colourful can make the room feel restless.
Embrace unity: walls and ceiling in the same shade
A modern approach is to paint the walls and ceiling in the same light colour. This blurs the boundaries between the surfaces. The eye finds no clear edge where the room ends, creating a feeling of infinite space upwards. This trick works particularly well with very light grey, greige or cool pastel shades.
Colour is as powerful a tool as the floor plan. Certain shades of blue recede and create depth, while a warm red advances towards you. Use this deliberately to “move” walls.
Which furniture makes a room look taller?
Your choice and placement of furniture have a huge influence on the perceived ceiling height. The basic rule is to create contrast between horizontal spaciousness at floor level and vertical emphasis on the walls.
Choose low furniture
Choose furniture with a low overall height. A low sofa, a low sideboard instead of a tall wall unit, or a bed without a bulky headboard leaves more clear wall space above. This empty space over the furniture gives the room room to breathe and automatically makes the ceiling appear higher.
Pro tip
Measure your furniture not only by its width and depth, but also by its height. Often, just a few cm make all the difference. A lowboard that is 40 cm high works much better in a low-ceilinged room than one that is 60 cm high.
Emphasise the vertical
Combine low furniture with individual, deliberately tall elements. Tall, narrow bookcases that reach almost to the ceiling, or a slim floor lamp, draw the eye upwards. Artwork in portrait format, hung one above the other, also emphasises the vertical.
A clever and often overlooked piece of furniture that emphasises height is a ceiling-height cat tree. Models such as the
stretch directly between the floor and ceiling, creating a continuous vertical line. The in brown or the in black and white fit elegantly into a range of interior styles and serve as a sculptural element that makes the room appear taller.
How can you optimize lighting and decor to make a room look taller?
Lighting and decor are the final brushstrokes that perfect the illusion of height. They guide the eye and create targeted accents that draw attention away from a low ceiling.
The power of curtains
This is one of the most effective tricks: Mount curtain rods as high as possible, ideally just a few centimetres below the ceiling. Forget about installing them directly above the window frame. Instead, choose floor-length curtains that gently touch the floor. This uninterrupted line from ceiling to floor has a powerful lengthening effect.
Important note
Check the condition of your walls before drilling. In older buildings or with plasterboard walls, you need special wall plugs to attach the curtain rod securely and safely. Safety comes before appearance.
Targeted lighting accents upwards
Avoid lamps that shine their light downwards and draw attention to the floor. Instead, opt for uplights. Torchiere floor lamps that shine upwards or LED strips placed indirectly behind furniture or in coves illuminate the ceiling. A bright ceiling always appears higher. Flat, discreet ceiling lights or recessed spotlights are better than bulky pendant lights.
Lighting is the jewellery of a home. It creates the defining accents and guides the eye.
Mirrors to make a room look bigger
A large, vertical mirror works wonders. It not only reflects the room and light, but also doubles the perceived height in its reflection. Position it so that it reflects an interesting view or a window. A slim full-length mirror casually leaning against the wall looks modern and serves its purpose perfectly.
Special case: creating height in a small children's room
The principles mentioned above also apply to children's rooms, which are often smaller. Functionality is an additional consideration here. Light, friendly colours on the walls and ceiling create an airy atmosphere. Low beds and shelving systems make the room appear larger and are easier for children to reach.
Smart storage solutions for toys in shallow boxes under the bed create order without cluttering the room. A lightweight baby playpen looks less bulky than solid wooden models. To design the room quickly and easily, look for furniture that is available for immediate delivery. You can also find plenty more inspiration for designing playrooms and bedrooms in the kinder räume Magazine.
Which types of flooring make a room look longer?
The floor also plays a role in how we perceive a room. Using the same flooring in all adjoining rooms creates a spacious, flowing look and makes each room appear larger.
Floorboards and the direction they are laid
If you are laying wooden floorboards or laminate, pay attention to the direction. Laying the boards parallel to the shorter side of the room makes it appear longer. Running them parallel to the longer side emphasises the width. To enhance the sense of height, choose light-coloured wood and narrow boards.
Additional advice
Use glossy or satin finishes for floors and furniture. The subtle reflections capture the light and distribute it throughout the room, contributing to a more open and airy feel.
Choosing the right rug
A large rug that accommodates all the seating furniture brings the area together and makes it look calmer and more spacious. Several small rugs fragment the floor and create visual clutter. Patterns should be subtle. The same rule applies here: vertical stripes make a room look longer, while horizontal stripes make it look wider.
Frequently asked questions
- Which wall colour makes a room look taller?
- Light colours such as white, cream or pastel shades on the ceiling are ideal. To enhance the effect, paint the ceiling colour about 10-15 cm down the upper walls. Vertical stripes in subtle colours can also make the walls appear taller.
- Do mirrors help make a room look taller?
- Yes, vertical mirrors are an excellent solution. Placed vertically on the wall, they reflect not only light and the room, but also draw the viewer's eye upwards. A large, narrow full-length mirror leaning against the wall creates a particularly strong effect.
- Should I use pendant lights with low ceilings?
- It is better to avoid large, low-hanging pendant lights. They make the ceiling appear lower. Instead, choose flat ceiling lights, recessed spotlights or torchiere floor lamps that shine their light upwards. This brightens the ceiling and makes the room look taller.
- What type of furniture is best for low ceilings?
- Choose low-profile furniture such as low sofas, sideboards and lowboards. This leaves more wall space above, making the room appear taller. Add tall, slim elements such as shelving or floor lamps to create vertical accents.
- How should curtains be fitted in rooms with low ceilings?
- Mount the curtain rod as high as possible, ideally directly below the ceiling. Choose floor-length curtains. This continuous vertical line from ceiling to floor significantly elongates the room and makes the windows look larger and the ceiling appear higher.
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