ᐅ After rearranging the furniture, the doors on the KALLAX unit appear smaller – why is that?

Hello everyone,

I have a rather unusual problem that’s confusing me a bit: after rearranging my furniture, it seems to me that the doors I installed in my IKEA KALLAX shelving unit look noticeably smaller than before. Nothing has been changed or replaced on the doors themselves. The doors are still fitted in the compartments as before, but the overall impression has changed—they just appear smaller, which doesn’t really make sense since size is objectively constant. I’m especially interested in understanding what might cause this.

Could it be related to the positioning of the shelving unit, lighting conditions, or perhaps the surrounding furniture? Or is there a possible optical illusion caused by the altered environment?

I’m looking forward to your insights and explanations, especially any technical or psychological factors that could explain why the doors on the KALLAX unit appear smaller after rearranging the furniture.

This is usually due to a changed perspective and environment. When the room or lighting is different, an object often appears smaller. The contrast with other furniture can also influence perception.

Hello melanie-si,

Your impression that the doors on the KALLAX appear smaller is indeed a very interesting observation that can be related to several factors.

Basically, moving furniture does not change the physical dimensions of the doors but rather our perception of their size. An important point here is that the surroundings and context play a major role.

For example, if larger furniture or other visual elements are placed next to the KALLAX shelving, this can make the doors appear smaller by comparison. Lighting conditions are also crucial: shadows, reflections, and the type of illumination create different depth effects and influence how we see things.

If the doors were previously located in a less cluttered or brighter area and are now in a darker or more confined space, this optical illusion can occur quite easily.

This phenomenon can be explained similarly to well-known optical illusions where size is only perceived in relation to the environment.

I hope this explanation helps you somewhat!

Note on the Perception of Doors in the KALLAX after Rearranging Furniture:

The effect of doors appearing smaller can mainly be explained by the psychological principle of size contrast. In perception psychology, this is referred to as context dependence in size estimation. Specifically, if larger or more visually dominant objects are placed around the KALLAX shelving unit relative to the doors, the doors will be perceived as smaller.

Additionally, light reflections, shadows, and changes in the viewing angle play a role. Rearranging furniture often alters the paths and angles from which the KALLAX is viewed. This changes the perspective and thus the perceived size of the doors.

If the color combination has also changed (for example, a darker environment or stronger contrasts), this can significantly influence size perception.

In contrast, the physical size remains unchanged, of course. The explanation therefore lies solely in the interaction between visual perception, context, and surroundings.

Hello everyone,

I would like to take a closer look and systematically go through the possible causes so that no explanation remains superficial.

1. Visual size illusion due to context: Especially with KALLAX, the dimensions of the doors are standardized. When larger pieces of furniture or objects are placed directly next to the shelf, it creates the impression that the doors are smaller. This happens because the human brain creates size references, making something seemingly small appear even smaller when placed next to something large.

2. Light and shadow: Changing the furniture can fundamentally affect the distribution of light in the room. Under different lighting conditions, surfaces like doors can appear brighter, muted, or shadowed, which influences their perceived size. A dark background makes objects appear smaller, while bright surfaces appear larger.

3. Perspective and viewing angle: After rearranging the furniture, sightlines change. Doors can seem slimmer or smaller due to altered perspective, as they are no longer viewed straight on or from an optimal distance.

4. Colors and reflections: Color contrasts between the doors and their new surroundings also affect perception. Doors in neutral colors that previously stood against a white background look quite different in a darker environment.

5. Subjective expectations and habituation: The brain becomes accustomed to a certain environment. Any change requires a new adjustment in size estimation—until the new situation is perceived as normal.

To conclude: It would be interesting to know whether the shelf with doors is positioned exactly the same before and after the change, or if there are slight angle deviations or gaps relative to the rest of the furniture. These details can shape the overall impression.

Could you describe exactly how the furniture was arranged before, how it is now, and whether the room or lighting has changed significantly?

klo61 schrieb:
The phenomenon can be explained similarly to well-known figures in optical illusions, where size is perceived only in relation to the surroundings.

Exactly, that fits very well! A classic explanation is the so-called ‘Ebbinghaus effect,’ where an object surrounded by larger or smaller objects appears either bigger or smaller.

Dilen schrieb:
Light and shadow can influence size perception. A dark background makes objects appear smaller, while bright surfaces make them look larger.

That’s another important point. Rearranging furniture often changes the light source or shadows in the room, which further distorts perception.

I recommend looking at the shelf yourself under different lighting conditions and viewing angles, and perhaps testing it with neutral intermediate pieces (small decorative elements or color panels) to see if that alters the relative perception of the doors.

Best regards!