How To Make Small Spaces Look Bigger
Small spaces can feel cozy and charming, but the truth is that they can also feel cramped - very cramped at times - which isn’t so great. You might be working in a tiny bedroom, a compact living room, a kitchen that barely fits more than one person at a time, but whatever it is, you don’t have to panic because there are some useful tricks that can make those small spaces look (and feel) bigger.
That’s the goal - you need to create the illusion of space and you need to do it without knocking down walls or moving house (although if you want to do those things, that’s fine too!). The good news is that with some clever thinking, you can basically turn any small room into something that feels bright, open, and airy. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about how to do it.
Use Light, Neutral Colours
If you want a room to feel more spacious, the first thing you’ll need to do is think about (or rethink) your colour palette - dark colours absorb more light so they’ll often make a room feel enclosed and smaller, but white and light colours on the other hand (colors like beige, cream, grey, pastel, and so on) feel a lot more open and make the space feel more, well, spacious.
If you want a little colour on top of these light shades, you can try things like soft blue, pale green, warm beige, and so on. They’ll change things up without making things feel too dark and small again. In the end, the trick is to be consistent and pick just one or two colours to work with because having too many in a room can make the space feel visually cluttered which makes it feel tiny or at the very least uncomfortable.
Use Mirrors
It’s an old trick and one you’ve probably heard a million times before, but that’s only because it actually works, so don’t dismiss it - we’re talking about mirrors, of course. The truth is that if you want an instant boost of space, adding a mirror will definitely help you.
That’s because mirrors reflect light and create depth, and that makes any room feel bigger, which is precisely what you’ll want. Place a mirror across from a window as that’s going to mean more natural light bounces around the place, and if you’re dealing with a smaller space without windows, try a full length mirror as that can give the illusion of more room anyway. Plus, you can add mirrored furniture or glass tabletops to help the room feel lighter and less cluttered.
Choose The Right Flooring
What’s under your feet matters more than you might think! We’re talking about flooring, and if you get it right, you can totally transform how big or small a space actually feels. If you choose lighter flooring, like pale wood, whitewashed planks, or soft grey tiles, for example, that’s going to make a room feel a lot more open, so that’s a great place to start your search.
Then you could think about having wide planks or large tiles because when you reduce the number of lines on the floor, that gives you a more spacious look as well. Or what about a pattern? Something like diagonal or herringbone patterns draw the eye outward so the space looks a lot bigger than it really is - it’s a clever trick that can work wonders. And if you want to make the most of the effect you’re trying to create, the best thing to do is to use the same flooring in all - or at least most - of your rooms as that’s going to make the space feel more connected and it’ll flow better.
Don’t Use Heavy Curtains
You might love the look of heavy, dark curtains - they can certainly be very dramatic and might fit your aesthetic perfectly - but there’s a problem with them; they make the room they’re hanging in feel smaller and more enclosed. If that’s what you want in a particular room, great - those are the curtains for you. However, if you want to open things up and have an airier feel, you’ll need to try something different.
Instead of heavy, dark curtains, go for lighter, thinner window treatments like sheer curtains or blinds that let in as much natural light as possible. And if privacy isn’t a worry for you, you can go for floor to ceiling curtains in a lighter colour as that can make the room not only feel brighter, but taller too. Just remember, the thinner the curtains, the more people can see in, so you’ve got to strike the right balance.
Declutter Properly
Nothing makes a space feel smaller than clutter, and the more of it there is, the smaller your home will feel, even if the room itself is actually a large one. After all, if every surface is covered with stuff, the room is going to automatically feel really cramped and very uncomfortable.
So you’ll need to do some work and get rid of what you don’t need - be brutal here and think about things as objectively as you can. That can be hard as we do tend to get attached to possessions, but once you start you’ll realise that it feels good to throw things out (or donate or sell them, which can be a better option, especially if you’re concerned about the environment). When you’re left with what you want to keep, it’s wise to invest in some good storage options like floating shelves, ottomans, hooks, and baskets - that way, you can keep your surfaces as clear as possible and you’ll always know where everything is.
Use Vertical Space
One of the problems that you might come across when you’re trying to make your space feel bigger is that you just run out of room - even after decluttering, you’ll need to find somewhere to put what you’re keeping, and that can be a problem in a small space. You might even think that you can’t do anything to make the situation better so you don’t do anything at all and just live in a small, cramped space.
Don’t worry - there’s always something that can help, even if it’s just a little bit. And the thing we’re going to talk about now is using vertical space (in other words, if you don’t have a lot of floor space, go up!). Not only is that going to give you more storage and more room to put things, but it will also - when done right - give the illusion of more room, so it’s a great idea no matter what your end goal might happen to be.
You could have tall bookshelves, for example - that will make the ceiling seem higher up, which is a great start. And floating shelves are fantastic because they free up floor space and you’ll have that extra storage that’s always so important in any home. And what about hanging plants? They probably won’t have sprung to mind right away, but they can help - they’ll add a lovely, fresh touch, but unlike houseplants in a pot, they’re not going to take up precious space that you keep free to ensure a better flow.
Have Raised Furniture
You’re going to need furniture in your home, of course, but big, chunky furniture that sits low to the ground is only really going to work in a bigger space - in a smaller one, it’s going to close everything in and make it feel a lot more cramped (even if the furniture itself isn’t all that big compared to the space you’ve got).
The good news is there are thousands of options when it comes to furniture, and if you bear in mind that you’ll need slim, space-saving designs that don’t take up any unnecessary room, you’ll be on the right track. The best thing to do is to choose furniture that has legs - raised furniture like a sofa on thin legs or a coffee table with an open base, gives you a feeling of space because you can literally see space under the pieces. In the end, that makes a room feel more open, so it’s the ideal choice (plus, it narrows those thousands of options down just a tad, and that can help stop you feeling too overwhelmed).
Keep Patterns Simple
Busy patterns can make a small space feel overwhelming, and that’s the last thing you’ll want, especially if you want your home to be a relaxing place (and who doesn’t want that?). So instead, you’ll need to stick to simple, clean designs that help to boost the feeling of space, not take away from it. And what’s even better is that not only does this idea really work, but it doesn’t have to mean boring, plain walls either - you can still add plenty of personality with textures, accent colours, statement pieces, and so on.
The key is not to overdo it when you’re adding decor and deciding on patterns - less is more, so one statement wall is fantastic (instead of patterns all over every wall), and a few key accessories are best rather than lots of small decorations. If you stick to this plan, your space will feel a lot more open and a lot larger.
