8 Hacks To Fake High Ceilings And Elevate Your Space

If you’re living in a small apartment chances are your ceiling is anywhere from 8-9 ft high. So how do you fake high ceilings when you live in a small apartment?

When you live in a small apartment and you don’t have much room to work with in terms of width, then you might want to work with it vertically. It also gives a much more elevated look to your space.  Getting a high ceiling can easily be achieved with a few simple tricks that draw your eyes and your attention upwards. It will in turn make your small apartment look bigger.

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#1 Paint The Ceiling

Painting your ceilings is probably one of the most inexpensive ways to go about making your ceilings look higher and your space bigger. There are actually a few ways to approach this when using paint colors for ceilings.

You can use one singular paint color on both your walls and your ceiling, preferably a light and bright color. This will give a unified look from floor to ceiling giving off the illusion of more space.

On-the-other hand you can also use two to three contrasting colors between the wall, ceiling and trimming if you have any. If you decide to go with the latter, then be sure to choose colors that vary slightly in the same color and tonal family. It’s also best to use the lightest color on the ceiling in this case. 

And lastly you can choose to go bold with paint and create an accent ceiling. This can truly be such a beautiful way to draw the attention upwards which is what we ultimately want.

Here are a few great paint options to choose from Benjamin Moore 

Chantilly Lace

White Dove

Decorator’s White

#2 Hang Your Curtains High

If you read our post on #10 Reasons To Decorate A Small Space Like A Boutique Hotel then you know adding long floor to ceiling curtains can really give the illusion that you have a lot of vertical space. One of our favorite small apartment hacks is using long and wide curtain drapes.

The idea is that the length of the curtains themselves would draw attention and give an illusion of both tall windows and a high ceiling. Hanging your drapes or curtains high instantly elevates your space and looks much more sophisticated too. Consider custom curtains too if you’re ceiling is even higher than average.

Hang curtains as close to the ceiling as possible using minimal curtain rods and be sure they extend wide enough on either side of your window frame. Depending on how many windows you have in your space you can repeat this on each window. Conversely if you have one large window you can use several pairs of curtains or drapes along the entirety of the wall giving the same effect.

 Single Track Rail IKEA

Ivilon Drapery Window Curtain Rod Amazon

#3 Remove Window Treatments All Together

Conversely you can opt for the open and bright look and remove your window treatments all together. You can always install some minimalist solar shades for when you need privacy but an open window can really give the appearance of more space in every direction.

While adding long curtains or drapes to your windows make you take notice of their length vertically; opting for open and wide windows can do the same thing in a different way. By taking advantage of big open windows you invite both light and an airiness into your space making it appear more open and larger.

Persilux Solar Roller Shades for Windows Blinds Amazon

#4 Add Large Standing Mirrors

If there is one classic small apartment hack that we always make sure to include it’s the use of mirrors. In this particular instance, floor length mirrors can really have a great impact on how big your space looks. Large floor mirrors are fantastic because they are obviously reflective. Because they are reflective we’re able to reflect the space that we have which in turn gives an illusion of even more space. 

They’re also a great small apartment hack if you don’t have that many windows. Organize your mirrors in a way that will reflect off of any window simultaneously brightening up the space and opening it up some more. Use an oversized floor mirror, floor to ceiling wall mounted mirrors or even floor standing mirrors to create more depth and elongate the space.

Elevens Full Length Floor Mirror Amazon 

Selene Extra Large Floor Mirror Urban Outfitters

#5 Add Crown Molding or Wall Trims

Adding some crown molding or wall trimmings can definitely make your ceilings look higher thanks to a  simple trick of the eye. One way to do this is by adding crown molding to the ceiling line. It is great for low ceilings because it adds a bit of depth.

Because there is that little bit of distance between the trim and the ceiling itself we’re given the impression that the ceilings are higher than they actually are. The other way is to add trimming that draws the attention up vertically. You can do this easily with picture frame style wall trimming or wall paneling or even wainscotting.

Peel and Stick Crown Molding Walmart

#6 Add Shelving or Shelving Units

A great way to raise a low ceiling visually is by creating that length between the floor and the ceiling through display shelves or shelving units. Just like we talked about with large floor length mirrors, you can create an illusion of taller ceilings by focusing your attention upwards elongating your wall.

Use floor to ceiling floating shelves, a shelving unit or even a bookcase to move the movement of focus up closer towards the ceilings. This will not only lengthen your walls but it also adds stylistically to your interior design.

Kanissa Steel Ladder Bookcase Wayfair 

#7 Hang Wall Art Higher

Using art to create the illusion of higher ceilings can be done in a few ways. The objective here is to move attention upwards towards the ceiling. You can also do this in a way that will also elevate your space as a result.

One way to do this is by using oversized canvas art to play on both scale and proportion (insert blog post). Another way to use wall art to lengthen a wall is by creating a sort of gallery wall.

Oliver Gal ‘Blush and Gold Feather’ Overstock.com

#8 Opt For Lower Furniture

The last and probably most intuitive way to make your ceiling appear higher is by opting for furniture that is closer to the ground. Go for minimalist and low seated or low profile furniture pieces to give the impression of more space.  There are a variety of options out there for you interior aesthetic and your needs so be sure to really think about what sort of style you want to go for.

Todd Side Chaise Sofa Castlery

Robeline Velvet Curved Sofa Wayfair

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