When creating the interior of their apartment, people often resort to interesting design techniques that allow them to achieve maximum room ergonomics. To visually increase the free space, experts like to use a technique called a false window. This element radically changes the interior, turning a blank wall into a "window to the world" and giving the home a new unique style. We will tell you about the advantages of false windows, consider all their varieties and provide instructions on how to create a decorative element with backlighting.
False windows: photo and device
Thinking over the design of the living space, everyone strives to achieve the greatest ergonomics of the space and hide the flaws in the layout. For this, many little tricks have been invented, among which false windows are especially elegant. With their help, you can not only visually expand the space, but also create a certain atmosphere.
Panoramic window from photo wallpaper with landscape
Illuminated false window illuminates the dark area of the room
The main problem that a false window serves as a solution is the absence of window openings, which is typical for basements. The original optical illusion allows you to decorate a bare, boring wall, creating an amazing, vibrant world that matches your desires and inclinations.
See also With our own hands: decorate the mirror.
A selection of photos with interesting ideas
When planning to equip a ceiling with a false window in your home, do not forget about the compatibility of style and pattern. So, for country, the image of trees with fruits is suitable, high-tech - "space", futurism and loft - the tops of skyscrapers.
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Window illusion: role in the interior
False windows are used to solve many problems facing designers:
- Creation of psychological comfort. If you decide to turn a tiny closet under the stairs into a study, then a window to the world is essential for efficient work and a feeling of comfort. At the same time, it is not possible to cut through a real window opening in every room.
- Visual expansion of space. A false window with a summer, sunny landscape will enlarge a small area, and breathe light and joyful, bright colors into the dark.
- Decorative design. Optical illusions can become unusual decorations, for example, they serve as a substitute for traditional paintings or family photographs. The combination of backlit false windows will be a winning solution when decorating staircases or long corridors.
The main vocation of imitation of a window is a visual expansion of space
False windows can be a worthy replacement for paintings and photographs
Advice! If you place a mirrored false window opposite the real one, you can visually make the room longer and create additional natural lighting.
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Views
The false window, the photo of which is given at the very beginning of the article, belongs to the category of drawn modifications. This is one of the most expensive options as it requires manual work. But you can draw anything you want, including curtains, windowsill, flowerpots, and so on. For self-production, you must have the skills of an artist, in the absence of those, you will have to invite a specialist.
In this case, the flight of design imagination is not limited. To make it realistic, you can combine the painted part with natural inserts or elements.Such imitations will perfectly fit into the empty and shaded corners of the room, make the room cozier, add originality to the interior, thanks to the unique drawings.
False windows: placement methods
The illusion of a window will look good anywhere in the apartment, equally decorating the space of both a dark corner and a well-lit room. But how to choose the optimal place to place the window illusion?
Fake windows are especially relevant in rooms or parts of the house where there are no real windows.
See also Mirror in the interior
Specialist recommendations
Dark rooms without natural window openings, which most often include the bathroom and hallway.
Imitation of a window will be very useful in a dark hallway
In the conditions of modern city apartments, there is no natural light in them, so the idea of placing an artificial window in the hallway will look really fresh and original. If the space allows, a large window can be placed on a free wall, the dimensions of which are comparable to natural window openings in other rooms. If the hallway is small, you can arrange a mirror, a housekeeper or a shelf for indoor plants under a false window.
A large window with a landscape will visually expand a narrow room
Several windows on an empty staircase wall would be a great alternative to traditional paintings.
A similar ceiling design would be a great option, especially in small, dark bathrooms. Agree, taking a warm, foamy bath, lying under the azure sky with light clouds, is much more pleasant.
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Spacious rooms with empty walls
False windows are often used to correct mistakes made by construction crews. Sometimes a window literally asks for a wall, but instead, residents and designers have only an empty wall at their disposal. In such a situation, it is usually advised to make the false window as realistic as possible; it is possible to use curtains and curtains to finish it. If such a design solution is supplemented with illumination, the window will turn into a highlight of the entire interior of an apartment or house.
In a large room, an imitation of a window can be made to the entire wall.
See alsoNot an easy task - creating a small room design
Ways to create false windows
You can simulate a window in one of three ways:
| Window with a frame. | As a starting material, you can use both real wooden frames and door trims and other wooden objects. If such a design solution is faced with purely decorative tasks, then it is possible not to create a landscape. Choose a vintage style, place old photographs, posters or postcards instead of glass, and the bright interior decoration is completely finished. If you strive to bring the created window as close as possible to the present, stop the choice on a suitable image of the landscape, drape it with curtains, and the window will delight you with your favorite views. |
| Mirror false window. | The creation process is close to the previous one: instead of images, mirrors are installed between the wooden beams. Such a simple technique will help to visually enlarge the space of the room. |
| Drawn window. | An excellent option for those who have at least a little artistic talent or are able to find a professional artist. This solution is one of the types of wall painting. A good artist can create not only a stunning view from the window, but also write in detail the window itself, curtains and any other necessary attribute. |
Autumn forest over the head of the bed
The window can be framed, or you can do without it
Advice! If there are niches, then this is the best option for placing false windows, since the real ones are set deep enough.
Small window in a niche with wooden edging
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Mirror type options
Mirrors visually enlarge the usable space of the room, making it brighter. With their own hands, a false window of this type is made from a solid mirror sheet or a tiled analogue. The surface to be used must first be perfectly leveled.
Mirror configurations mounting methods:
- A frame made of plastic, wood or metal of one-piece type is mounted on a mirror fitted on the wall. Decorative elements are also attached to the top of the canvas. Then the design is complemented with a curtain and a window sill.
- First, a frame is made, mirror tiles are placed in it, the finished part is placed on the wall.
It is better not to equip false windows from mirrors with blackout curtains, thereby ensuring the maximum performance of the functionality - expanding the room visually. To arrange the imitation of a window made of mirror tiles, a special crate is prepared, which serves as a kind of binding. Slabs of suitable size are glued inside the lattice, after which the structure is fixed on the wall with dowels.
False window: DIY principle
Many people strive to create coziness in their own home with their own hands, without the involvement of professional designers and teams of repair workers. In such cases, you have to understand the intricacies of design skills: after all, all structures and compositions should turn out to be not only durable, but also beautiful.
First you need to decide on the location of your future window
How can you make an optical illusion with your own hands, so that it truly becomes an adornment of the interior decoration of a living space?
Before starting work, you need to solve a couple of important questions:
- It is necessary to decide how urgent the need for a false window is. Perhaps, in your case, some other solutions are more suitable. A false window is an ideal choice for a combination of the following reasons: the need to expand the space, the presence of empty surfaces and the desire to create additional sources of artificial light. If all of these factors are not combined, other options are worth considering.
- Internal need. If there is a desire to brighten up everyday dullness, diversify everyday life or overcome a sudden surging autumn depression, a false window will become a unique way to solve all these problems, cheer up and breathe freshness.
When the decision is finally made, you can proceed directly to the development and implementation of the plan. First, you need to choose the type of false windows that best suits your needs and the main stylistic direction. It is unlikely that a window overlooking Times Square will look good in a Mediterranean-style room.
Arrangement of a plasterboard window with illumination
The main stages of practical work on creating a false window:
- Choosing the right image online. If the window is relatively small, you can print the drawing on a printer. And yet, for a higher quality of the finished product, it is better to contact the printing house, where they will print the image in any format.
- Cut a frame of the required size from a drywall sheet. The depth can vary from 100 mm or more. Other dimensions must be fully consistent with the printed image.
- Twist the cut parts with self-tapping screws, putty the fasteners and joints. Paint in the selected color. The box of the future false window is ready.
- Cut the beams so that their dimensions correspond to the prepared box. The cut angle of the edges should be 45 degrees.
- Place an LED strip inside the box, preferably on an adhesive base. Make a small hole at the back for the cord.
- Cover the drawer with a pre-printed sheet.Screw the frame to the box with self-tapping screws. Fill the joints and caps of the self-tapping screws. Paint the frame with the same paint as the box.
- Make a few more holes on the back. Screw the anchor into the wall.
- Place the structure at the selected location. After that, you can do decorative work: fix the window sill and cornice, hang light curtains, etc.
Window can be decorated with polyurethane moldings
Advice! Creating an illusion on the ceiling is not too different from its wall-mounted counterpart. The only difference is that you need to prepare not a box, but a niche on the ceiling. You can do it using the same drywall.
The ceiling of the children's room can be decorated with a window overlooking the starry sky
The illusion of a window on a wall or ceiling allows you to expand horizons and create a portal to another reality that meets your inclinations, fantasies and dreams. To achieve this, there is no need to contact specialists, a false window can be made independently with a minimum of effort.
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How to do it yourself
Despite the fact that such compositions look quite difficult to assemble them yourself, it is not so difficult. You will need to order a photo print of an image that will simulate what you want to see through your decorative window. Printing must be ordered on a translucent film and you can do this in companies dealing with stretch ceilings. Despite the fact that photo printing itself is very expensive, the size of the image will not be too large and will not hit your pocket too much.
When the desired picture is printed, the window frame is assembled. It can be assembled from any available materials, the main thing is that the result is a composition that has the maximum resemblance to a real window opening. A film with an image is stretched inside the assembled frame, and LED backlighting is mounted behind it. When everything is put together, it remains to find a suitable place for the composition and mount it on the wall.
You can replace a canvas with a rather expensive photo printing with ordinary wallpaper. They cost an order of magnitude cheaper, but you will have to change the design - the light will not pass through the material of the wallpaper. In this case, you will have to restrict yourself to an LED strip installed around the perimeter of the frame, illuminating the image from the outside. Such a composition looks no worse and its only drawback is its low realism.
