Decorating rooms with slanted ceilings: 10 clever tips for your home

Have you ever tried transforming a room with colours? Rooms with slanted ceilings are perfect for this – because light colours create the illusion of a much bigger space. You could even use some darker coloured or patterned accessories to create cosy corners or accents. Or why not try painting the gable end a darker shade? This will immediately catch the eye, give the room more depth and help it look more structured. Just give it a go, and if you don’t like it you can easily give this small wall another lick of paint.

A tip for narrow rooms with slanted ceilings: transverse wood cladding or wallpaper with a transverse design/pattern can make a room seem wider.

If you have a slanted ceiling, use more lighting to prevent too many shadows and dark corners. Lots of small lamps are ideal – these enable you to light up even the darkest nooks and crannies and make a room look more structured: for example, you can easily differentiate between a reading corner, sleeping area and workspace. You can even illuminate beams with indirect lighting.

Just like a lick of paint or some extra lighting, a rug can really make a room seem bigger than it is. It’s best to opt for light-coloured flooring and then lay down a soft rug on top of it. You can even choose a rug that’s darker than the rest of the floor. This will lend the room some structure and create the impression of more space. Mirrors can have the same effect, creating the illusion of breadth and height in any tiny room. Just make sure that the mirror reflects an empty space rather than a fully stocked bookcase, otherwise the idea will backfire.

There’s no need to forego putting up pictures and shelves under slanted ceilings. In fact, you can buy practical, specially designed hanging systems on metal rails, which allow you to mount shelving securely, however you want.

When it comes to pictures, practical assembly kits are ideal. These allow you to firmly secure wooden frames or canvas pictures to the wall. You could also consider wall decals, which can be simply stuck on to the wall and definitely won’t come loose.

Slanted ceilings make it hard to use the full height of a room: in some places it might be 50 cm, in other places less, and elsewhere more. So you won’t have any use for a large and heavy wardrobe like your grandparents used to have. Instead, focus on special shelving systems designed for slanted ceilings that can be individually adapted to even the most uneven room. Whatever the angle at the corner of the room, with custom-fit shelves you can make use of the entire space, from floor to ceiling – so you won't waste an inch of space.

As with all confined spaces, the trick here lies in making the room appear bigger than it is. The easiest way to do this is to avoid cramming it full and opt for light, delicate-looking furniture. So, think thin legs instead of heavy stands or feet, intelligent shelving systems instead of solid oak cabinets, and a bed with a low headboard – or without one altogether. Generally, the less space your furniture takes up, the bigger your room will seem. Furniture that’s close to the floor also creates the illusion of more space – because there’s still plenty of room above it!

Worried there’s no room for everyday things under slanted ceilings? Think again. Even the smallest room has plenty of potential for storage. By raising your bed slats and mattress off the floor and on to a platform, you can create a whole host of space that you would otherwise only find in a bulky wardrobe. The same goes for bay windows and other alcoves, which can easily be transformed into comfy seats using the right size board, padding and some cushions. See if you can also make use of the space beneath the seat or bench. If it can be folded down or has a sliding door, you can stow away all kinds of bits and pieces.

It’s rare to find a loft without a skylight or window – after all, they're needed to light the room. But as soon as it gets dark outside, the window can take on the appearance of a black hole – especially if the walls are painted in a light colour. Special blinds and screens held in place with rails or taut cords can cover up these unsightly areas. And you can even get ones that are heat resistant, preventing the room from getting too warm in the summer, whilst some come with an automatic closing function and remote control. So it’s worth investing in. What’s more, all screens and blinds will prevent any nosy neighbours from peering in.

You’ll also find plenty of room beneath stairs that can be put to good use. Because a staircase is usually found at the entrance to a house, it makes the perfect place for coat hangers. Depending on the width of the steps and whether the space beneath the stairs is easily accessible, you could even mount some custom-fit cabinets or shelving there. Or how about some drawers for shoes, or a wine rack? There are even companies that specialise in fixtures and fittings for slanted areas under stairs – so you can order everything made to measure or, even better, get some inspiration and make something yourself.

Many designers nowadays are making their furniture dual function: whether it’s a table, bed or stool – the furniture can often do more than might seem at first glance. For example, a bed can also be a sofa, a desk can be transformed into a dining table, and a chest with lots of storage can also serve as a coffee table or even additional seating. It’s even better if you can furnish them with wheels. Wheels are easy to mount and the furniture can simply be pushed to the side if it gets in the way.