How to Make Your Space Look Bigger

When you’re living in a small home, it can be difficult to make it look like you’re working with more than what you’ve got. You may think there’s nothing you can do about a small space, and you’re doomed to decorate it with mat-sized area rugs and small chairs. However, small as your space might be, there are a number of tricks you can use to trick your eye into seeing it as bigger. Here are a few of our favorite tips to make your small space look bigger.

Stay away from dark walls.

It’s a pretty well known fact that black makes a room appear darker by forcing the light out, so you’ll want to avoid anything too dark on your walls at all costs. This will make an already small room look even more cramped. The lighter the color, the more you are actually able to see. A clean white, or a bright, rich color will do wonders for expanding your small apartment or home.

Use mirrors to expand the space.

A trick that many Décor Aid designers frequently utilize to expand a space is to include mirrors. Ever been to a restaurant with prominent mirrors, and you assumed there was more to the space? This is the same idea. Hanging a mirror on a wall can make a space look bigger by expanding the line of sight, instead of ending it on the flat wall. You can use mirrors in any number of ways, from wall hangings, to full length mirrors that stand upright, to decor that is mirrored and reflects off the walls. Add a mirror to your room and see how much bigger it can look.

Don’t go overboard with colors.

A misconception many homeowners have is that they think adding more color will help a space look bigger. While it may look more lively, this will not do anything for the size of your space. Instead, you’ll want to stick to a careful edit of colors. Decide on a concrete color palette, with no more than 3 or 4 colors, and carefully place these colors around the room, so that the eye can travel. By doing this, you’ll view the space differently because of the way your eye is naturally drawn around the room. Layering these colors can bring a space to life and help to make it look bigger.

Use tall pieces.

If your eye stays low to the ground, that’s likely the impression you will have of a room. But if pieces that stand tall are placed in the room, you have no choice but to take them in at full length. This works to expand the height of your room through the way your eye is drawn up to each tall item. What you take in from the room within your line of sight expands, and you’ll also save space by filling the unused vertical space instead of the precious floorspace. Tall bookshelves, floor lamps, and art pieces hung high are all strategic ways in which you can direct your eye upwards and make your ceilings look especially tall.

Use a large rug to fill the space.

Instead of using small rugs to break up the room, go for a full-sized rug that falls about a foot short of the perimeter of the room. This will tie the whole space together instead of sectioning it off (which in fact makes it look smaller), and lets you see both the rug and the flooring underneath. A rug can also provide fresh flooring if your original flooring needs to be updated.

It’s all about the edit.

The biggest mistake you can make in a small room is to overstuff it with things that just aren’t necessary. Because space is limited, you’ll want to stick to items that can multi-task. Bookshelves that can house your television, end tables that hold your most prized decor, or coffee tables that double as storage. Make sure every item included in the finished room is something that absolutely needs to be there, or else it can end up looking cluttered simply because you’ve misjudged the size of the room. Avoid layering knickknacks and decorative items, and instead keep it simple with a few key pieces throughout the entire room. Everything should have a place and a purpose.

Fill the room with bright lights.

If your room gets an adequate amount of natural light, then that’s excellent. However, if your room does not (as many rooms do), then you’ll need to get creative. We suggest layering different types of lighting so that all areas of the room are bright. Wall fixtures, floor lamps, and table lamps are all pieces you can incorporate within the same room. Go for maximum brightness and see how spacious your room becomes.