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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen reveals clever trick for making a small room feel bigger

Photo credit: Steve Thorp
Photo credit: Steve Thorp

From Country Living

Changing Rooms star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has revealed a clever trick to give the illusion of a bigger space at home — and it might surprise you.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, the interior designer advised a viewer on how to brighten up her living space after she explained her fireplace was too big for the room. His tip? To paint a dark navy feature wall to hide the television situated above it.

"It's a very wonderful feature, but it's less about the fireplace and more about the television, which is a very black lump above it. If that wall was a dark grey or a navy blue, the whole thing would work so much better," explained Laurence from his characterful Cotswold home.

Despite common misconceptions that dark walls shrink a room, a navy blue or statement green hue can actually create the perception of depth, making the room appear larger than it is.

As well as this, Laurence also explained that mirrors are great to stop a room feeling claustrophobic. He added: "Get a pair of mirrors to go either side of the fireplace, preferably the ones that look a bit like windows with glaze, bars and a domed top. That will stop that feeling of claustrophobia. But actually, it's the television that's catching your eye, not the fireplace."

Changing Rooms will return to Channel 4 in 2021.

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