Maximize Your Space: 19 Tips to Make a Small Room Feel Bigger

Choose a Light Color Scheme

Although paint colors are subjective, dark colors are often a no-no in small rooms. Lighter color palettes cast the illusion of a larger area and make the space feel airy, like in this kitchen from @jogalbraithathome. When dark color schemes are used in smaller rooms, it can create a suffocating feeling as though the walls are closing in on what is already a space-challenged room.

What We Like About It: “Lighter tones are a go-to for small rooms because they reflect light, but I always suggest warm, soft neutrals like off-white, pale taupe or muted sage instead of stark white as I find it too sterile for a home,” says interior designer, Bree Steele.

Leggy Furniture

Opting for furniture with legs showing opens up a small space. Large furniture pieces that rest directly on the floor can appear too bulky and visually weigh down the room. While leggy furniture allows the floor to breathe, creating the illusion of more light and space in a small room.

What We Like About It: “Raised furniture leaves more of the floor to be visible, which tricks the eye into perceiving more space,” says Steele.

Sheer Window Treatments

Stay away from bulky, heavy, and ornate window treatments. They may look pretty, but the heavy materials subdue too much natural light. Use the windows in a small room to bring light into every corner. Consider slatted window blinds, sheer curtains, or bamboo shades.

What We Like About It: Slatted blinds provide privacy when closed, and bamboo shades offer semi-privacy when closed (but also allow sun to filter through the woven material).

Use Mirrors

Work small room magic with mirrors. They are an ideal accessory for making a room appear larger. Mirrors serve two beneficial purposes: first, the room essentially doubles in size thanks to the reflection (especially if you use one extra large floor mirror, as seen here from @life_at_number52). Second, natural light reflects off the mirrors, making the room bright and airy.

What We Like About It: “I often put a large mirror across from a window to reflect natural light,” says Steele. “Or for a 2-in-1 approach, you can use mirrored furniture in your space.”

Color-Coordinate Shelves

Display accessories with similar colors on wall shelves or bookshelves. This helps to keep a small room looking organized and neat rather than cluttered. You can also use baskets and bins on your shelving to hide away unattractive items while still keeping essentials within reach.

What We Like About It: Small rooms don’t have to be plain! You can still use all your favorite decor and accessories, but keeping things organized by color will help a small room look bigger.

Add Stripes

I love a good stripe moment, and this beauty from @graceful_designs_diy is a perfect example. Vertical stripes on the walls or furniture, draw the eye up and create the illusion of more space. Consider striped wallpaper, painting stripes on the wall, or floor-to-ceiling striped window treatments.

What We Like About It: “Find a way to incorporate striped wallpaper on the walls,” says interior designer Ashley Powell. “Take it even further and line those walls with grosgrain tape trim studded with nail heads.”

Incorporate Multifunctional Furniture

Don’t overload a small room with too much furniture. Instead, use furniture that can serve a dual purpose—that way the room is still functional, but not overcrowded. Try a sofa with hidden storage, a steamer trunk used as a coffee table, or like in this bedroom from @lifeat_rosecottage—a makeup vanity doubles as a nightstand.

What We Like About It: “Compact designs, ideally serving multiple uses, will leave more empty space for the eye to wander,” says Steele. “Modular and nesting pieces are also great as they offer flexibility without cluttering the space.”

Tall Storage Furniture

You might think short bookshelves or other small storage furniture is best for a small room. But actually, the opposite is true. Tall furniture creates the illusion that the room is bigger and gives you more space for storage and decor. Don’t be afraid to include a bookshelf that reaches all the way to the ceiling!

What We Like About It: “Tall secretaries and etageres are great keeping those eyes traveling up in small spaces,” says Powell, “Especially when you load the tops of those pieces up with art and cool objects.”

Ditch the Clutter

Learning how to make a small room look bigger starts with the decluttering. Too much clutter overpowers the square footage and will make the room look small and cramped. This doesn’t mean you have to be a minimalist. But try to reduce the amount of visual clutter and junk you don’t need as much as possible, keeping only meaningful or useful items on display.

What We Like About It: Decluttering is powerful! It not only makes small rooms look bigger, but it also improves your mood and frees up precious mental space.

Light-Colored Flooring

Light-colored flooring can create the illusion of a larger space. Light wood, in particular, reflects light around the room and produces a general sense of openness. If you don’t have the option of replacing darkwood floors or carpets, use light-toned rugs to cover as much of the area as possible.

What We Like About It: If your small space has an open floor plan, the same light flooring throughout will trick the eye to infinite space. Changes in the flooring chop up the rooms and make everything feel smaller.

Monochromatic Color

“A monochromatic color scheme (think walls, trim and ceilings are all painted the same shades) is also a good trick to expand the room as it creates a seamless look with no hard line for the eye to stay hung up on,” says Steele. Light colors are safest for a small space, so try drenching the room warm taupe or sage green; but a monochromatic moody color can work too, like in this space by @meganpisanodesign.

What We Like About It: When the walls and ceiling are the same color, your eyes don’t know where the wall stops and the ceiling begins; making the space feel endless.

Photographer: @meghanbalcomphotography

Built-In Storage Cabinet

Sometimes, the only thing lacking in a small bathroom is storage space. When there’s no extra floor space, consider a built-in cabinet that utilizes the open space within the walls. You (or a contractor) can build this useful cabinet with the detailed instructions found here.

What We Like About It: This storage cabinet is entirely built inside the wall, freeing up precious floor space while still providing shelves of useful storage.

@adlintejeda Best acrylic coffee table ever! #acryliccoffeetable #coffeetable #clearcoffeetable #minimalistapartment #hmhome #amazonhomefinds #coffeetabledecor ♬ original sound – Katie

Clear Furniture

Dark wood or bulky furniture can overcrowd and weigh down the room. Instead, opt for see-through furniture, such as a glass desk or clear acrylic coffee table, as seen here from @adlintejeda. Clear furniture allows more of the floor to be visible, which makes a small room feel more open while still proving a chic and unique design element.

What We Like About It: “Glass or acrylic furniture create a barely-there look that keeps the room feeling airy,” says Steele.

Plain Upholstery

Choose plain, solid-color upholstery instead of pieces with busy patterns. Solid, minimalist upholstery helps streamline a room and look less chaotic. Plain upholstery also preserves the clean lines of furniture pieces, making a room feel neat and orderly.

What We Like About It: Unlike trendy patterns, solid upholstery is a timeless choice without the worry of it going out of style.

@homewithchelc From small space to cozy living room 🥰 . . . . #amazonhomefind #livingroom #livingroominspo #smalllivingroom #beforeandafter #beforeandafterinteriors #beforeandafterhome #cottagehomestyle #ltkhome ♬ heatwaves x diet pepsi by addison rae – addison rae invented music

Move Furniture Away from the Walls

You might think butting all your furniture against the walls will make a small room look bigger, but that arrangement can look imbalanced and awkward. Small adjustments like scooting your sofa away from the wall, or moving your bed out of the corner creates more flow and makes the space look roomier. This cozy living room from @homewithchelc shows this tip in action.

What We Like About It: “Floating furniture in the middle of the room keeps seating arrangements intimate and allows for pathways around the periphery, thus making the spaces feel more windy and spacious,” says Powell.

Vertical Paneling

“Add vertical paneling that plays with that sense of height to draw the eye upward,” says Steele, “The movement of the eyes tricks the brain into thinking that the ceilings are higher, which instantly adds to the illusion of space.”

What We Like About It: Vertical paneling not only makes a small room look bigger, it also adds an interesting design element that adds to the overall style and coziness of the space.

Play with Scale

You obviously can’t overload a small room with big furniture, but using too many small pieces doesn’t work either. A small room filled with small pieces looks like a cluttered doll house. “Make sure you have a good balance of appropriately sized rugs, furniture, and case goods,” says Powell.

What We Like About It: A large rug, tall bookcase, or roomy armchair can anchor the room while still leaving plenty of space for your other pieces.

@heyiitscourt Its crazy what some wallpaper, new nightstands, and some scones can do to make a big, plain white wall feel super cozy!!! #newyorkcity #nycapartment #interiordesign #apartmentdecor #wallpaper #wallsconces ♬ tell me everything is about me but what if it is – babyloncowboy 🍉

Strategic Lighting

The right lighting choices will brighten up a small space and make it look bigger. Opt for a semi-flush or flush mount ceiling light which will bounce light around the room without impeding on the line of sight. Floor lamps add visual height, and wall sconces instead of table lamps free up surface space—shown here in this small apartment bedroom from @heyiitscourt/.

What We Like About It: Well-chosen lighting makes a small space more practical, and adds ambiance for a cozy glow.

Large Artwork

One oversized piece of art on the wall of a small room creates a sense of grandeur. Look how the large art in this small kids bedroom by @jessica_kaarina makes the space seem bigger. Art and wall accessories that are too small just look like a hodgepodge in a small room with limited wall space.

What We Like About It: Oversized artwork is an easy way to make a big statement in your small room without obstructing the walkways.

About the Experts

• Bree Steele is an interior designer and event stylist at RJ Living. Steele has been in the industry for over a decade and has styled homes, Airbnb’s, and commercial spaces. She’s passionate about helping people create sophisticated, functional spaces that emphasize natural light and muted palettes.
• Ashley Powell is an interior designer and co-owner of Roseberry Allen Interior Design. She has over 15 years experience in the industry. She works closely with her clients, bringing proportion, scale, and personality together creating original spaces that are perfectly tailored to her clients’ lifestyle.

The post Maximize Your Space: 19 Tips to Make a Small Room Feel Bigger appeared first on Family Handyman.

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