How To Add Extra Depth to a Room

Interior design might look easy, but anyone who has ever tried to recreate something from a home and garden magazine or HGTV knows that it’s more difficult than it seems. One mistake that most nascent interior designers make is omitting depth from their design.

Depth is the opposite of flatness: it’s what makes the room seem larger and certain parts stand out. But how do you add depth to interior design? By using patterns, shapes, textures, and colors to create contrast, of course. Here’s how to add extra depth to a room in simple and subtle ways.

Textured Walls

You might grimace at the mere mention of texture. That’s because the term “textured” tends to conjure up memories of hideous popcorn ceilings. However, textured doesn’t have to mean ugly.

You can use tongue-and-groove paneling to imbue an accent wall with rustic or nautical charm. You can also add tile to a wall for a sleek and modern feel. What about a brick or rock wall? Not all traditional drywall textures are bad, either. Want to give your wall a marble-like texture without having to pay an exorbitant price for actual marble? Consider using a skip-trowel pattern.

Contrasting Colors

Having a consistent color scheme can make the transition between rooms more seamless. However, using one color (and one color only) will make your home look flat. Where’s the couch? Maybe it’s the blue blob over there. Or is it the blue rectangle over there? Who knows? Perhaps it’s that blue triangle in the corner?

Along with your base color, you also want to have an accent color. This accent color complements the base color and adds contrast. Most things match with neutral, so you can pair whites, browns, and grays with just about any hue under the sun. Is your base shade a rich blue? You can head straight across the color wheel for an accent color and use a contrasting orange or visit blue’s neighbor, indigo.

Layered Décor

The next tip on how to add extra depth to a room is to layer your décor. Are you planning to throw a bunch of cozy pillows on the couch? Use pillows with contrasting colors and patterns. And instead of setting them side-by-size, layer them—place larger pillows in the back, medium-sized ones in the middle, and smaller ones in the front.

Another method for creating depth with your décor is to create a vignette to place on dressers, tables, bookshelves, or countertops. Vignettes are, essentially, a collection of items placed together to create one cohesive look. You can combine different kinds of décor into a vignette: this includes framed photos, potted plants, vases, books, and quirky trinkets.