Living in a small home doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice on style or comfort. The question is exactly how to make a small room look bigger? With some creativity and space saving design tips, you can easily turn even the smallest room into a spacious and cozy space. Whether you’re living in a cramped apartment, a small studio, or a just small bedroom, here are some tricks and tips you can use to make the most out of your space and make your room feel bigger than it really is.
As the owner of a 1,200 square foot home, I can relate to the struggle of trying to maximize the space in your rooms and tiny home. It can be tough to make your home look bigger without the extra square footage. Not to worry, I am here to show you exactly how I have optimized the space in my home to make it look bigger and feel more spacious.
In this blog post, we will show you ways to make a small room look bigger and everything in between from clever furniture arrangement to the strategic use of color and light. Whether you’re living in a city apartment and looking to maximize every square inch of your home or are looking to simplify your small home, these tips will help show you the full potential of your space and turn it into a stylish room you’ll love coming home to.
This blog post is all about how to make a small room look bigger.
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How to visually enlarge a small room?
Here are some ways that you can visually enlarge a small room:
- Paint the walls and ceilings a light paint color
- Hang mirrors on the walls
- Stick to a light color scheme
- Use the vertical wall space for storage
- Keep the room clutter free
- Hang your curtains higher than usual
- Use small scaled furniture
Make the most our of your small closet
Best Tips on How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger
Now, let’s explore some ways to make your small room look bigger!
1. Choose Light Colors
Light and neutral colors like white, cream, and soft pastels can make a small room feel more airy and open. Choose light colored paint for your walls, light furniture pieces, and decor items to help create the feeling that your small room is larger.
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2. Maximize Natural Light
One of the most cost effective ways to make a small room look bigger is to use any natural light that comes into your home to your advantage. You can easily do this by hanging sheer curtains or blinds that allow sunlight to filter through into the home. Not only does the light reflect off of the walls and into the room, a bright room can also make your home feel more inviting.
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3. Add Mirrors
Mirrors are key to making a small room feel larger. Place large mirrors strategically to reflect light into your room and create the illusion of more space. A mirrored wall or even an oversized floor mirror can instantly make a room feel twice as big.
We recommend hanging a mirror in a narrow hallway to make the ceilings appear higher and the hallway feel wider. We have a mirror in every room of our small home and it has made a major difference in the amount of light we receive into the home.
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4. Choose Low-profile Furniture
Opt for furniture with clean lines and low profiles to create a sense of more space in your small room. Try to avoid bulky pieces that overwhelm the space and instead buy furniture pieces with exposed legs to make the space feel airy.
TIP: Furniture like platform beds and modular sofas are perfect for your small room.
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5. Multi functional Furniture
When it comes to living in a small space, multi functional furniture is your best friend. Furniture like a sleeper sofa with storage compartments, a platform bed with drawers or a coffee table with drawers will help you make the most out of your small space. This will help make your space feel less cluttered and offer more storage for your items, it’s a no brainer!
6. Scale Furniture to Fit
When designing a small room, be sure to choose furniture that is proportionate to the size of the room. Furniture pieces that are oversized can make a small room feel tight, while appropriately scaled furniture creates an illusion of a bigger room and a non cluttered area.
TIP: When shopping for furniture or planning your rooms design, we suggest mapping out how much space the furniture will take up in your room with tape on the floor to visualize the final look.
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7. Create Zones In Your Room
In a small room, you can divide the room up into different zones for different activities, such as a playroom, work area, or gym space. Use area rugs, furniture arrangement, or room dividers to divide each space without closing it off completely by walls. This is a helpful tip for an open concept space such as a studio apartment.
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8. Utilize Vertical Space
One of our favorite tips on how to make a small room look bigger is to take advantage of any vertical space in your small room. You can do this by installing shelving, tall bookcases, or vertical storage solutions like these wire baskets. This draws the eye upward and creates the illusion of higher ceilings, making the room feel taller and even more spacious. It also helps minimize the amount of items on the floors an reduces clutter in your home.
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9. Keep Your Floors Clear
You may not realize it, but having a cluttered room can actually make it feel smaller than it really is which is why it is important to keep your space tidy and choose furniture that will keep your floors open. Try furniture with raised legs to allow light to flow freely underneath or furniture thats light in color for that airy feel.
TIP: To make a small room feel bigger it is important to keep pathways clear.
10. Declutter Regularly
They say less is more and that definitely applies when you are living in a small room. Decluttering your room regularly can keep the space feeling open, inviting, and airy.
Use storage solutions like baskets, bins, and organizers to keep your items out of sight and tidy in your small room.
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TIP: Maximize the storage space in your baskets by rolling up the clothing instead of folding them.
11. Strategic Lighting
Lighting is everything when it comes to living in a small space. Be sure to avoid any harsh overhead lighting and instead opt for soft lighting to create a warm and cozy room.
One way to achieve this warm glow is to be sure that your lighting is uniform in each room. For example, make sure the light bulbs are the same color in the same bedroom for all the different fixtures. Add a mix of different types of light fixtures like sconces, lamps, and a ceiling light to make the room have dimension.
12. Opt for Clear Furniture
Choose furniture made of transparent materials like glass or acrylic to minimize visual clutter and create the illusion of more space in your small room. Clear coffee tables, dining chairs, console tables or side tables can make a room feel larger and more open. We love this clear small room table because it visually disappears when you glance into the room but still serves as a functional piece of furniture in the small room.
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13. Use Horizontal Stripes
By incorporate horizontal stripes into your small room it can actually create the illusion of a wider space and overall make the room appear larger. Whether this is done using wallpaper or an area rug with horizontal stripes, you can achieve this design even if you are on a budget. We love this small room solution for an accent wall in a bedroom or small bathroom.
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TIP: Don’t limit yourself to looking at only horizontal wallpaper options, look at any striped wallpaper and just apply it horizontally to create the illusion of a larger room.
14. Hang Curtains High and Wide
Hanging your curtains close to the ceiling and extending them beyond the width of the window frame can create the illusion of taller and wider windows. This small room tip lengthens the walls and makes the room feel more spacious.
TIP: We suggest hanging your curtain rod at least 2-3 inches down from the ceiling and 2-3 inches away from the top corners of the windows.
15. Choose Leggy Furniture
Select furniture with slender legs or open bases to create a sense of more space in the room. Sofas, chairs, and tables with exposed legs allow light to pass through, making the room feel less crowded therefore bigger.
16. Opt for Reflective Surfaces
Choose decor items and furniture pieces that will bring light into the room and create a sense of a larger room. Reflective surfaces also add depth and dimension to small spaces as well as making them feel brighter and more open, it’s an overall win!
17. Create a Focal Point
Sometimes creating a focal point on your walls can almost distract from the rooms size and add visual interest to your space. You can easily do this with a statement piece of artwork, a bold accent wall, or a pretty light fixture!
This blog post was all about how to make a small room look bigger.
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