Do you have a small house? Or maybe you have a small room that you wish were larger. Without tearing out walls or packing up and moving to a larger house, how does one accomplish the feeling of spaciousness in their small home? Below are some tried and true tips that will help you achieve your sizeable goal.
- Painting the walls a light color will make the area look larger. That is great advice, but there are other tricks that you can use with paint that will also make the room expand. Painting an accent wall a dark color will make that wall fade and the other walls come forward making the room look larger. Creating the illusion of more space can also be achieved by painting the walls, ceiling and trim all the same color. Want to draw eyes upward? Painting the ceiling a punch color or wall papering the ceiling git ‘er done.
- Natural light is important when it comes to brightening a space and making it feel larger.Roof lanterns and sky lights are definitely a way to bring in the natural light from above.
- Mirrors are such a cool trick because they reflect light and create the appearance of depth. You can use mirrors like Frank’s Hot Sauce around your house. Mirrors are one of my favorite design items. I can’t recommend them enough.
- Not having dark areas, like corners, lit will make them disappear. Adding lamps (or sconces, which don’t take up floor space) to those areas will brighten them up and make the space seem more ample. Drawing the eye up by installing an attractive light fixture is a fantastic way to add height.
- I’m a lover of prints, but saving the bold, boisterous ones for throw pillows and small chairs or other small furniture pieces is a must. Keep the larger furniture pieces neutral in color.
- Considering a glass or acrylic table, if they’re being placed on top of an interesting rug, is perfect for tricking the eye into believing there is more room than there actually is. Clear items don’t take up any visual area, so the illusion of space is greater.
- Keeping bookshelves and curtains a similar tone as the walls will create a nice space enlarging flow.
- Furniture scale is important in a small space. When itty-bitty furniture fills an itty-bitty room, the room tends to appear cramped, crowded, and even smaller. A larger piece of furniture like a sectional or sofa can add interest and make the room feel larger.
- Install light, airy, floor to ceiling drapes or curtains to make the ceiling seem higher.
- Stools, benches, even poufs that are low profile and backless will also decrease visual clutter.
- A large area rug will maximize your square footage and will anchor the room. Our eyes naturally want to follow the outer perimeter of the rug.
- Less clutter creates negative space. Leave some areas open. Not every space needs to be filled. Keep it clutter free.
- Sofas on raised legs will give the illusion of more space.
- Maximize all storage spaces. Make sure every item has a place.
- Keeping the flooring the same throughout the entire space will keep a clean line won’t jar your eye from one room/flooring type to the next.
- Create a focal point will draw the eye to something really cool instead of focusing on the dimensions of the space.
Smoke and mirrors, ya’ll…smoke and mirrors. Ha! Ha! See, creating the illusion of space is not as difficult as you once thought. You don’t have to execute all 16 items on this list to make your space feel larger. You may not even have the budget or the right space to implement all of these tips. At least you have this knowledge in your backpack now and you can pick and choose what works best for you and your space.
