Low ceilings, especially in basements, are becoming more common and harder to deal with. A low ceiling can make a space feel dark, claustrophobic, and uninviting. Our designers Tamara Robbins Griffith, Brian Gluckstein, and Kimberley Seldon share three expert tips for ensuring maximum comfort in your spaces by making your ceilings appear higher than they are.

Paint your ceilings the same colour as the walls

Designer Tamara Robbins Griffith recently renovated her basement, and wanted to make the space light and bright and appear larger than it is. She painted her walls and ceiling in a beautiful fresh blue and her accents in white. This allows the eye to keep going up rather than stop at harsh transitions between the walls and ceiling.

To go even further, you can use a high gloss paint. This will reflect more light and create the illusion of a brighter, taller room.

Use low furniture pieces

Interior designer Brian Gluckstein wanted to make the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as comfortable as possible, so he incorporated low chaise lounges and end tables to create the illusion of more space in the room. Choose furniture pieces that are not only low, but also wide to emphasize the horizontal lines and create more distance between the furniture and the ceiling.

TIP: When shopping, bring a measuring tape and set a limit for how high your furniture pieces can go.

Incorporate statement pieces of art in the space

Interior designer Kimberley Seldon incorporates big statement art pieces in her client’s spaces to take eyes off of the height of the ceiling. Consider using pieces that have vertical lines to give the illusion of more height.

TIP: You can hang your art slightly higher than eye level to give people the impression of looking up at it. This will also give the impression of a higher space.