I wish this room was bigger! It’s a common complaint, but there are a few clever tricks you can use to give the illusion of more space.
Certain design concepts like colour techniques, furniture arranging, and smart lighting can help fool the eye.
Here’s a round-up of interior design secrets to make a room look bigger:
Lighten up
This may be an obvious one, but light colours brighten up a room. They reflect the natural light and make it feel much more airy.
You don’t have to stick to white though, pale blues and greens will also do the trick.
Top Tip: Paint your trims or wall mouldings a slightly lighter colour. This will make the walls feel further back, giving the illusion of even more space.
Create a focus
Hang a striking picture or sculpture at the furthest point from the door and the eye will be instantly attracted.
This focus on the longest point of the room is a clever way to make the room feel much larger.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
This is the most well-known trick – use mirrors to reflect the natural light around the room and it will instantly appear bigger.
If you can place the mirror near a window this will have the most effect, but you can also use mirrored cabinet doors or tables to add to the illusion.
Large mirrors can be expensive, so try grouping small mirrors together to achieve the same effect.
De-clutter
Clutter will always make a room feel too small, and chaotic. Now is the time to have a sort through your stuff – work out what you want to keep or can donate/sell.
The ideal is to have some space on bookshelves and to keep floors clear.
If you are struggling to find a space for all your stuff a storage facility is a convenient option. Shurgard Self-Storage has secure storage rooms at affordable prices. You can keep your home clutter-free!
Ditch the drapes?
Removing curtains will help to bring more natural light into the room and eliminates heavy fabric which can enclose a space.
This isn’t always practical though, so if you do opt for curtains, pick lightweight fabrics and stick to a similar colour to the walls. This blending will fool the eye.
Furniture arrangement
When picking furniture, opt for glass coffee tables, see through chairs and sofas with feet.
This removes obstacles in your eyeline, which will instantly open up a room. Nesting tables, or furniture with hidden storage are smart choices for keeping a small room streamlined.
Interior Designers also advise against pushing your furniture up against the wall as this will make it feel more cramped. Pulling furniture away, even by a few inches, will make a difference.
Bigger is better
Choose larger – and fewer – pieces of furniture or decoration. Filling your living space with multiple smaller chairs or petite vases will end up crowding a room.
If possible, opt for furniture and décor in similar shades too, so the whole room is viewed as a whole.
Light relief
Being creative with lighting can also help open up a room. Pendant lights that hang low with a long stem will give the impression that the room is tall and lofty.
A ceiling light alone, however, leaves corners dark which makes a room appear smaller.
It’s also advisable to use several lamps or ceiling lights around the room – highlighting the corners will widen the room.
What’s your current trick for making a small room appear bigger? Please share in the comments below.
Leave a Reply