While quaint and cozy living spaces can be charming, it can also feel a little cramped. Luckily, there are ways to make your small living space look and feel bigger. Channel your inner interior designer with these 10 tips for how to make a small room look bigger.
Declutter
If your living room looks like something out of an episode of Hoarders you need to declutter. The number one step to amplifying the space in a room is to get rid of unnecessary clutter and embrace minimalism. A room riddled with clutter can feel cramped and difficult to navigate. A rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. Yes, that means throwing out that stack of old magazines collecting dust in the corner. Another way to declutter is to organize your knick-knacks in decorative storage containers.
Take Advantage Of Natural Light
Ditch the curtains and leave your windows uncovered. Doing this will give the illusion that the room has more depth. For added privacy, opt for sheer or light colored curtains. When hanging curtains or drapes, an easy trick to make your windows appear larger and your ceilings look taller is to place your curtains above the window frame instead of right on it. You’ll be surprised at the difference this small hack can make.
Opt For Light Colors
You’ve probably heard that wearing dark colors are slimming and make you look smaller, well the same thing goes for your living space. Dark colors absorb light and can make the room seem smaller. On the other hand, lighter colors, reflect light and make space feel brighter and larger. Therefore, when choosing a color scheme stick to nudes and airy colors like pastels. If you need some ideas, check out this guide for picking the perfect color scheme.
Don’t Go Overboard With The Decor
It’s your living space and you can do whatever your heart desires; however, be sure to not overcrowd it with decor pieces. Not every inch of your walls has to be covered with posters or paintings and not every corner needs a trinket from Target or Home Goods. While it is tempting to fill your space with pretty little things, elevate your space with only a few brightly colored decorative pieces.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Mirrors work in the same way light colors does, it reflects light and a small room appear bigger. Also, it gives the illusion that the room has more depth. Another great thing about mirrors is that they are easy to incorporate and go well with any design style or theme. If you’re looking for a mirror to put in your space, Wayfair has a wide and affordable selection.
Lift Your Furniture
No, don’t lift your sectional Hulk-style, raiser, it off the floor using adjustable furniture raisers. By adding legs to your furniture, the area looks more spacious and open than when your furniture is just sitting on the floor.
Take Into Account Furniture Measurements
There’s nothing wrong with wanting that beautiful couch you saw in a catalog but make sure that it won’t take up your entire living room space. It’s obvious that huge pieces of furniture make your room cramped and closed in, so before you place your order accurately measure out how much space the piece of furniture will occupy. If you need a little help, here’s a guide to measuring furniture.
Proper Furniture Placement
Not only do measurements matter but so does the placement of your furniture. Pushing furniture against a wall can be counterproductive. Instead, trying to angle your bed or placing a console table behind your sofa. Creating space around your furniture gives the appearance of more space.
Incorporate An Area Rug
Choosing the right size area rug is essential in making your room feel larger. An area rug that is too small for your living space will make the room feel smaller. A nice area rug will draw your eyes to each corner of the room which makes it appear larger.
Choose Functional Furniture
Choosing furniture that serves more than one purpose saves some serious space. A vanity can also function as a work desk, an ottoman can be used for seating and as a coffee table. Furniture that has built-in storage is even better and allows you to stash extra stuff that’s crowding your space.
