Most of us have at least one space in our homes we wish we bigger.  And while small spaces can often feel cozy, if we’re trying to make them functional for day-to-day living, it’s easy to over-stuff, over-clutter, and overrun them to the point that they feel cramped!  Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make your space feel bigger by visually tricking the eye.

 

 

1. Pick a Lighter Palette

Dark colors absorb light and thus, tend to look heavier.  Conversely, light colors reflect light and tend to look bright and airy.  When choosing your wall and furniture color, choose something light to help the room feel brighter.  You can always bring in darker or bolder colors in your accent pieces and even your rug.

2. Pull Furniture Away from the Walls

I think this is a must even if your space isn’t small!  Instead of placing your sofa directly against a wall, pull it out, even if it’s just a couple of inches.  The idea is that if you line all of your furniture up against the walls, you’re simply outlining the shape of your room and emphasizing its size, whether large or small.  If your space is big enough to allow, pull the furniture away from the walls to create a grouping in the center of the room.  This way, your eye will focus on the grouping and not the dimensions of the walls themselves.

 

3. Take Advantage of Windows

If your space is small, covering up the windows with window treatments will only make it appear smaller because you’re blocking the much needed natural light!  The more natural light that flows into a room, the brighter is looks and thus, the bigger it feels.  Does this mean you should forego window treatments?  No!  It just means you should hang them strategically.

Hang your curtains so that they are taller than your actual window and overlap the sides by only a couple of inches.  Doing so will create a visual frame around the window that tricks the eye into thinking the window is larger than it actually is!

 

4. Use Mirrors to Reflect More Light

Using mirrors to bounce light around the room will not only brighten darker areas, but also create a reflection that mimics a larger space.

 

 

5. Use Lamps Throughout

Similar to the use of mirrors, having lamps spread throughout a room balances out the light and helps the room appear bigger and brighter.

 

6. Create Height

With a confined space, it’s important to help draw the eye upward to give the illusion of height.  There are many different ways you can do this, including tall curtains, vertical wall stripes, vertical planked walls, murals on the ceiling, or even a fabulous ceiling fixture that causes someone to look up and take notice!

 

 

7. Clear Away the Clutter

In a small space, less is more.  Make use of multi-functional storage so that you can hide away things that you need.  When it comes to decor, stick to a few larger accent pieces, as opposed to lots of small items on display.  The same is true when it comes to wall decor.  Instead of a wall gallery with lots of smaller frames, consider using one big piece of art.

 

 

8. Use Properly Scaled Furniture

Just like Goldilocks, you need furniture that is just right.  Too big and the room will feel cramped.  Too small and now everything will look small!  Look for furniture that fits the proportions of your room yet allows you to easily maneuver through the room.

 

 

9. Look for Legs

When looking for furniture for a small space, consider furniture with legs because it takes up less visual weight.  The legs allow you to see underneath and therefore, doesn’t completely disrupt your line of sight.

 

10. Consider Clear Furniture

Glass or lucite furniture is an excellent option for a small room because it takes up virtually no visual weight at all and creates an illusion of space where there isn’t any!

 

 

 

There are lots of other tricks, but these are my tried-and-true favorites.  If you have others, leave them in the comments below!

 

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