How to make a room look bigger

Not all homes are huge mansions with lots of space. In smaller homes it doesn’t take much for things to start to look at little cramped and claustrophobic. There are a few tricks, however, that you can use to make even the smallest of rooms look and feel a lot bigger so read on and we will give you some hints and tips on how to make smaller rooms appear larger than they are.

Colour Scheme

There are several tricks that can be used with colour to change the perception of the size of your room. Using one bright, light colour throughout will make your room look continuous and the lighter colours will also reflect light making them look light and airy. If you use different colours, the eye will automatically stop at the colour lines which effectively creates a boundary.  Saying that, using contrasting colours can be an effective way of either lengthening or creating more height in your room. Dark colours have the appearance of being closer and lighter colours appear farther away. If you have a rectangular room, painting the longer walls a slightly darker colour and the shorter walls a lighter colour will make the room look longer. You can use the same trick in a square room to create an appearance of length. Using a single darker colour in the room will only serve to make it look smaller.

Furniture

When it comes to furniture in a small room, proportion is the key. Don’t buy large furniture as this will simply overwhelm the room and make it look smaller. If you can, buy furniture with legs and an open space underneath, this will add a feeling of spaciousness. Try not to put furniture directly against the wall if you can avoid it. That space between the furniture and the wall will make the room feel bigger. Use space saving furniture like tables that can fold down or a chest that can also be used as a coffee table with storage. Arranging your furniture well will also help to create a spacious feel. If the view into the room is blocked with furniture then it will looked cramped. Leaving space between furniture and arranging it at an angle to give diagonal lines will give a feeling of space.

Mirrors

Mirrors create that feeling of infinity, don’t they? Putting mirrors on walls opposite to windows will not only help reflect natural daylight into the room, they will also open a room up significantly. You don’t need to be obvious with the mirrors, any mirrored surface will help out enormously.

Lighting

Natural light is the best for enlarging a room, lots of natural daylight will really create a bright and airy feel, but judicious use of lights and lamps will help too. Try to avoid putting lamps in places where they cast shadows. All these will do is create dark spots and make the room look smaller. Use lamps dotted around the room to prevent this.

Cut the Clutter

Nothing makes a room look smaller than lots of space consuming clutter. We’re not suggesting that you only have bare surfaces, but too many things packed into a small room will make it look cramped and over busy.

Creating space in a small room is not that difficult and by following some of the great tips above, even the smallest rooms will look much more spacious and welcoming.