5 Tricks for Making a Small Space Look Bigger

Happy Friday!!  I hope you have had a great week.   Today I’m sharing a few tips for making small spaces appear larger!

Some people love small spaces because it makes them feel cozy and that is totally fine.  If you have a small space and it makes you happy than no need to make any changes!

For others (such as myself) small spaces feel constricting.  Whereas larger spaces allow me breath easier and feel more free and up-lifted.  Additionally it has been shown that homes that appear larger will sell faster and for more money.

So whether you are like me and love a spacious feel or are looking to sell your home in the near future Here are 5 Tips for Making a Room or Space Feel Larger!

 

1. Paint Colors– No one can dispute the power of paint and really color for that matter.  Dark and very saturated paint colors close a space in.  Light paint colors open a space up!

 

This pretty room makeover by Kris at Driven by Decor is a perfect example of how painting a room with dark walls to a lighter color can make a room look so much bigger!

 

AFTER

Source:  Driven by Decor

 

If you are looking to make a whole home appear bigger than you will want to stick to light paint colors in all main areas and to a low contrast paint color palette.

 

2.  Use One Type of Flooring Throughout the Space- When possible use the same flooring or color way in your floor choices.  We use to have dark gray 12 x12 tiles in our entryway and kitchen and the then light carpet in our adjoining rooms.

It makes a home feel chopped up and hence less large when there are several different flooring choices especially in an open concept space.

When we changed the tiles and much of the carpet over to engineered hardwood floors you wouldn’t believe how much bigger it made our home feel.

In cases where there needs to be different kinds of flooring try to to make the colors between the surfaces similar.

For example when we installed our hardwood floors we decided to keep the carpet in our adjoining family room (as can be seen in the picture below).  Even though they are different materials they share a similar color way so the open space between the kitchen and family room still feels continuous and like one large space.

 

3.  Window Treatments-  Window treatments hung the right way have a powerful ability to make a space feel taller and grander!    When hanging drapes always hang the brackets at least 5 inches higher than the window or window casings and and at least 3 inches wider than the window or window casings.

Below is a visual demonstration of how hanging your drapes this way can make a space seem larger.  When I first saw this I thought for sure the window on the left was drawn bigger but after careful inspection I realized that, nope, they really are the exact same size.

Source:  Alice Lane Home

 

Such an amazing trick of the eye!

 

4.   Streamline Furniture and Accessories-  Furniture selections and layout are especially important in small spaces.  The ultimate goal in decorating a small space to look larger is not cluttering the space.  Sometimes people buy smaller furniture for a small space but then clutter it with several small pieces or accessories.

When decorating a small space think streamline and minimize.  Sometimes this means actually buying larger accessories so you don’t have to use very many.

For example, my youngest son’s room is the smallest bedroom in the house.  I decided to use one big wall art piece (the shark picture) above his bed to be the focal point.

Since I used one large statement piece it’s not necessary for me to add more decor and so the space feels bigger with less stuff in it but still feels decorated!

 

5.  Use Vertical Pattern and Lines–  Using vertical lines helps a space seem taller which then in response makes the room feel bigger.    When I saw this picture of Jen’s mudroom on Instagram I thought for sure that her ceiling height must be 10 feet on her main level.  I got curious and asked her and was surprised when she said it was 9 feet.

 

Source: The Chronicles of Home

 

Jen used wallpaper (or painted stripes) and vertical wall paneling to create this optical illusion of a grander space.

This board and batten treatment is easy to do and does wonders for giving a room architectural interest and the feeling of a larger space.  You can read Melissa at 320 Sycamore’s post HERE to learn how to do floor to ceiling board and batten.

 

I have also heard that incorporating mirrors into your decor can make a room feel bigger.  I love using mirrors in my spaces– maybe that’s way!

I hope you have come away with at least one new idea for making a space appear larger!  Do you have any tricks that I have missed?  If so, please share in the comments!:-)

Thanks for being here and I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!!