Have you always wondered ‘how to make a room look bigger’? While it can be challenging to decorate a room that is too big, it is also tricky to decorate a room that is too small. When trying to make a room look bigger, you want to keep the space as clear as possible while making sure that the proportions of the room are balanced.
While there are many advantages to having a smaller space, there is less space to clean and keep tidy. A small space can also feel very cosy and can be easy to design and decorate. Just because a space is small doesn’t mean that it can’t be full of style. Here are all my tips on making a room look bigger.
How to make a room look bigger
Be smart with your use of colour
While many people think painting a small room white will make it look bigger, it can make it feel cold and less welcoming. If white is the colour you would like to use, then go for it, but if you want to use colour, don’t let a small room stop you. The best thing to do in a small space is to paint the entire room, including the skirting boards and ceiling, in the same colour. Doing this will mean that when your eye looks at the room, it will not be able to work out where the walls stop, and the ceiling starts, giving the illusion that the room is bigger. A light and soft colour will make the room feel more airy, while a darker tone will make a room feel more cosy.
Another way to create the illusion of space in a small room is to use a pattern. It could be in the wallpaper, curtains or a large piece of furniture like a sofa. Using a pattern will allow your eye to look beyond the pattern to its background. Having this extra depth to features in the room will create the illusion of more space.
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Add in internal glazing and mirrors
Making sure that there is lots of light in a small room will help make the space feel bigger. It is also a great idea to make sure the room has a lovely view outside, as this can trick your eye into thinking the room is bigger as it can easily see outside. If you cannot add external windows, adding internal glazing is the next best thing. Doing this will add more natural light to the space and give the eye a place to see beyond the room, creating the illusion of more space. You can easily add internal glazing by changing any solid internal door into glazed internal doors. An internal glazed window is also an excellent way to add internal glazing, although this may only work with some interior design styles and can be tricky to fit into load-bearing walls.
If you cannot add any extra windows, mirrors are an excellent way of adding more natural light to a room. They help bounce light around, making the room brighter and feel bigger. Adding a mirror will also trick the eye into thinking that a room is bigger than it is. The eye will look into the mirror and believe that the room extends into it.
Make sure you have enough storage
When you live in a small space, storage can be a problem, as there are never enough places to hide things. From a design perspective, clutter around a room will make it look smaller. The tidier you can keep a small room, the bigger it will look. To do this, having enough storage is the most essential thing to consider when designing a room. In a small room, built-in storage will make better use of the space and ensure that the amount of storage can be maximised. While enclosed storage will always be needed in small spaces, it is a good idea to balance that with open shelving in the storage to make sure that you also have a beautiful feature in the room. With open shelves, you can add character to the space and make sure that the room has a bit of your personality.
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Place your lighting around the room
While natural light is the best way to make a small room look bigger, the placement of light fixtures or lamps can also have a big impact. It is best to use multiple lamps and spread them out around the room to ensure that the light is even. Doing this will ensure that no part of the room is in shadow, making it look darker and smaller. The amount of lamps you will need to use will vary. It is best to start with a ceiling light and add any floor or table lamps after. It is also a good idea to consider how you will use the room and make sure that there is lighting where you will want it most.
If your space is small but has a high ceiling, a larger pendant light is a good idea. This will help to fill the space and balance out the room’s proportions by making the ceiling appear lower, which will, in turn, make the room feel bigger.
Use furniture that creates space
Of course, furniture will take up a lot of space and is the most critical thing in the room. However, there are ways to make sure it has less of an impact on the space and keeps the room airy. A simple way to do this is to choose furniture that is low to the ground. Sofas and armchairs with a low back or avoiding full-height headboards in bedrooms are all great options. Choosing furniture with legs on show and space underneath the piece is also a great idea. Doing this will mean that your eye can see the space below your furniture, giving the illusion that the room is bigger than it is and that the furniture is taking up less space.
Simple tricks like placing taller pieces of furniture against the wall while setting lower pieces of furniture off of the wall a little to create the illusion of space behind them are also great ways to make a room look bigger than it is.
Accessories can make a room look bigger
The accessories you choose to use within your room will also make a difference in how big the room feels. Reducing clutter in the room will help make it feel bigger, but it is also important to make sure that your personality is present in the room. Opting for one large piece of artwork instead of a gallery wall is a good way of bringing in your style without cluttering the space.
It is also a good idea to keep ornaments and decor more minimal. You can still add them, but you must carefully consider how you arrange them. Keep them in groups of 3-5 objects to minimise their impact on the space. Grouping the objects on a tray is also an excellent way to minimise their impact. This works particularly well on a coffee table or nightstand. Adding objects in front of a mirror is also a lovely way to make a room look bigger, as the objects can add to the distance seen in the mirror.
This post has been about how to make a room look bigger and the different ways you can use these techniques in your home.
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