Small spaces certain pose a set of design challenges, but there are plenty of savvy decor tactics that can be employed to make a room seem larger than it actually is, while keeping it stylish at the same time.
Here are 13 ways to decorate your home to make it appear bigger if it’s short on square footage.
1. Use Light Colors on the Floors and Walls
Darker colors tend to be rich and sophisticated, but they don’t often work in large amounts in smaller spaces. Go for lighter colors on your walls and floors so that light is reflected rather than absorbed, creating a sense of more space.
2. Declutter
Too many knick-knacks in a tight space will make it feel even tighter. Get rid of anything that you haven’t used in over 6 months. You might have an affinity for all your little figurine collections or like to have stacks of magazines available at your discretion, but too much “stuff” in a room will make it feel smaller.
3. Use Multi-Functional Furniture Pieces
A small room obviously doesn’t have the luxury of housing a variety of furniture. As such, try to find pieces that serve double-duty. For instance, an ottoman that also acts as a coffee table can serve more than one purpose without having to outfit your room with two separate pieces that will take up extra space.
4. Scale Down Your Furniture
Furniture that’s sleeker and less bulky will make the room look larger. Instead of a puffy sofa with a skirt, for instance, a thinner sofa with exposed legs that offers the same amount of seating is perfect for a smaller room.
5. Hang Shelves Up to Ceiling Height
Adding a wall bookcase or floating shelves that extend all the way up to the ceiling can help create the illusion of more space. This helps generate a focal point that draws the eyes upward and visually expands the area by pushing the ceiling and walls out.
6. Use Stripes to Stretch Out a Room
You’ve likely heard that vertical stripes help to make a person appear slimmer and taller. Well, the same concept can be applied to the world of home decor. Arranging area rugs or sofas to run the length of a room at its longest point can help visually elongate the space.
7. Skip the Top-Down Lighting
Small rooms with low ceilings should forego central light fixtures in the middle of the ceiling. Instead, use a few smaller lamps and wall sconces to counter the top-down effect of ceiling-mounted lights and draw attention around the entire room.
8. Hang Lots of Mirrors
Mirrors obviously have reflective properties, which can be harnessed to reflect light all around a room and make it seem bigger. Hang your mirrors across from windows or lights so that they can more effectively allow the light to bounce off them and illuminate the surrounding space.
9. ‘Float’ Your Furniture
If the space permits, try pulling your furniture away from the walls a few inches. Lining up your sofas and chairs against the walls will only make the room seem tight.
10. Leave Your Windows Uncovered
The less obstructed your windows are, the more natural light will be allowed in. If you want some privacy, you can always hang blinds that can be drawn up when not required. These offer more versatility compared to curtains, which tend to make the room feel cramped.
11. Use Lucite or Glass For Furniture
These materials are super hot in the world of interior design these days, so now’s your chance to take advantage of this trend. Transparent furniture allows more light to flow through a room, as opposed to bulky, opaque furniture that just blocks the light.
12. Use Different Shades of the Same Color For Consistency
Creating harmony in a space can be done by using two different shades of the same color. For instance, a baby blue sofa can be effectively paired with steel blue throw pillows to create coherence and make a room feel much more open and airy.
13. Keep the Same Flooring Through Adjacent Rooms
If your living and dining area are linked, make sure to keep the same flooring throughout. Breaking it up with hardwood in the living room and ceramic tiles in the kitchen will just cut the space in half, which does nothing for visually expanding the space.
