10 Smart Design Tricks to Make Small Rooms Look Bigger

If you have a small room in your home, it can be tricky to figure out how to decorate and fit everything you need in the small space without making it look too crowded. That being said, there are plenty of easy solutions which will help to make your small space look more open, practical and stylish, all at the same time, without having to knock down walls.

Here are our 10 tips for making a small room look bigger.

1. Mount your TV on the wall

Media console can take up precious square footage in your small room so consider mounting your TV on the wall to free up the space beneath it. With one less furniture, you’ll gain more space to walk around your room.

2. Furnish your home with oversized furniture

It's a common misconception that small rooms should be outfitted with small furniture. In reality, this can cause everything in the room to look itsy bitsy, only emphasizing the room's size. Instead of outfitting your room with small furniture pieces, mix in one or two larger pieces of furniture. The contrast between the oversized furniture and the rest of your décor and furniture will create interest and depth to your room.

3. Minimise your colour palette

When shopping for furniture, choose items that have the same colour as your walls or floors. This will make your small room feel cohesive and put-together, giving the illusion of a bigger room.

4. Centre your furniture

In a large room, the distance between pieces of furniture and between furniture and the walls adds to the sense of spaciousness. To get the same airy effect in a smaller room, avoid having too many pieces of furniture positioned right up against the wall. Sometimes placing a furniture piece at an angle or surrounded by open space will make a room look bigger.

5. Buy furniture with exposed legs

One trick for making a room seem larger is to show as much of the floor as possible as your brain will make the assumption that more floor space means a bigger room. So when choosing furniture, go with taller, exposed legs. This allows light to filter under the furniture, making the room appear airier.

6. Choose furniture that doesn’t take up visual space

Along the same lines as the furniture with exposed legs, using see-through furniture like glass tables lets you see more of the floor, which fools the eyes into thinking that there is more space than there actually is. In this dining room, the acrylic dining chairs take up physical space, but their see-through designs don't demand more visual space than the wooden dining table would.

7. Install custom built-ins

Installing built-ins are a great way to help make a small room look bigger. So make the most use of your space with custom built-ins, storage nooks, and furniture tailored to your exact needs to utilize every space available.

Having plenty of storage space also helps to keep your home neat and organized. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, your home will feel orderly and open.

8. Use benches instead of chairs

Similar to the custom built-ins concept, benches are an actual space-saver that are great for small rooms. They provide more seating space than a conventional chair would and take up less floor space. A built-in bench on one side of the dining table allows the table to be pushed in closer to the wall.

9. Take advantage of the view

If your home is surrounded by a nice view, leave your windows free from heavy drapes or curtains and install retractable blinds instead. This will allow you to make the most out of the view and give you the illusion of living in a much bigger home.

If your home doesn’t have that kind of luxury, installing wallpaper that portrays a scene around the perimeter of the room can also expand the view almost like a window. A scenic wallpaper in this living room has a background that looks like a horizon, giving the illusion of more space.

10. Double your space with mirrors

Mirrors are a great way to make a small space feel bigger and brighter plus, they don’t take up any floor space at all! So consider lining a wall with a large mirror or create a mirror gallery wall of different sizes and shapes.

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