How to Make Your Small Rooms Seem Larger

Everyone loves more space, but sometimes there just isn’t enough. When you’ve got a limited amount of square footage to work with, there are a few things that you can do to make your small rooms appear larger than they are.

Color Palette
The colors in your room could be the reason why it feels so cramped. Dark tones can make a room feel claustrophobic. While bright colors can make a loud impression, and immediately draw your eyes to the walls, bringing more attention to how small the room is. The one color that can instantly make a room appear larger is white. To enhance the space you’re in and make it feel bigger, paint the walls and ceiling the same shade of white. Having the ceiling and the walls the same color blurs the lines between the two, making it hard to discern where the walls stop. Walls that create the optical illusion of going on forever instantly make a room appear larger. If you think that white is too sterile of a color, there are many shades of cream and off-white that can help create the same illusion.

Furniture
Your furniture is another reason why your rooms seem so small. When you visit a home devoid of furniture, every room looks so grand and large. However, once you start moving furniture in, you soon realize how small your space is.

You don’t have to be a minimalist to adopt some of their principles. If there’s any furniture in the room that you don’t regularly use, get rid of it. Decorative chairs are quaint and cozy, but if no one is sitting in them, they’re taking up valuable real estate in your home.

If you’re still in need of furniture, consider purchasing pieces that are light and that you can see through. This could be choosing floating shelves instead of a bulky, wooden bookcase. Instead of dining room chairs with padded backs, choose chairs with lower backs or that have backs you can see through.

With shelving, going vertical is a great way to maximize the space you have and make your room appear larger. Free shelves that mount to your walls draw the eyes upward, making the room appear taller. Hang artwork and decorations on your walls instead of leaving them in a corner on the floor.

Mounting your television to the wall can also free up some space because you’ll no longer need a television stand to rest it on, and it will also draw the viewer’s eye upward.

If all of your furniture is dark, consider repainting it with a lighter wash. Not only will this breathe new life into the room, but it will also create a warmth that doesn’t make the space appear shrunken.