Considering that most of our favorite books growing up relied heavily on the connections between reality and fantasy worlds (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Where the Wild Things Are, Le Petit Prince), it's not so much of a stretch for us to be intrigued by the magic of optical illusions. Living Etc. recently featured a gallery of really amazing illusions for the home that includes all kinds of different "fantasy worlds," from a quiet forest in a bathroom to an ancient mosaic floor in the home office. Take a look at some of our favorite optical illusions after the jump...
Double Take: Deceptive Décor
If an outdoor shower is considered a treat in your book, this idea of papering the bathroom in a forest-themed mural may appeal. This could actually work better in a smaller bathroom than a large one: the visual impact of the tree trunks could give the illusion of extra height and depth. Or if it's too Narnia for you, there's always the ToiletSpirit kit.
Love the idea of having an extensive library in your home? The mere thought of how many books that would take might be a bit daunting. Here's an alternative: wallpaper the room or a wall with this faux library design--you could mix it up with real bookcases to extend the illusion that much more.
The idea of juxtaposing something mundane (like work) with something fantastically historical and artistic (like this vinyl floor inspired by ancient mosaic tile design) really appeals to us. It enlivens the home office by how unexpected it is, and gives you the opportunity to experiment with mixing different styles together.
Seeing this photo reminds us a lot of that movie The American President. Why? Well there's that part when Annette Bening is telling off Michael Douglas in the middle of the Oval Office and then she goes out the wrong door, and we actually remember thinking, "Heh. The door's painted to match the wall seamlessly. Cool." So yes, this is pretty much the same idea. A friend of ours lives in a studio apartment and has one useless, alternate bathroom door (useless because her bed blocks it from opening at all), and we're thinking this could be a great solution to "hide" the door.
[ Photos from Living Etc. ]
Tags
Look!, trompe l'oeil, deceptive decor, living etc., optical illusionsRelated Links
- Bring It On: Cassandra Jones Cheer-tastic Wallpaper
- Martin Klimas' High Speed Photography
- Keep It Light: Using Color in A Small Space
- Look!: Artwork in Closet
Plus 5 Other Ways to Enhance Your Closet - Which Dishwashing Detergent Works Best?
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If only my problem was "not having enough books to make one wall into a library."
view Antonine's profile
Oh, I remember photographic scenic wallpaper from my 70s childhood, and how embarrassed everyone's parents were a few years later to have had it (along with mirror tiles, macrame, etc.)
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
Yes, Lisa there is apparently no embarrassing artifact of the 70's that some hipster who never witnessed the original horror won't dig up and rebrand as 'fresh': shag rugs, photomurals, graphic wall stripes, foil wallpaper, lemon and lime coloured everything, papasan chairs, macrame owls.
view amed studio's profile
That faux library is just dumb.
view gryt's profile
I like the bathroom. Narnia forever!
view SherryBinNH's profile