Whether you live in a big city where space is scarce or are sharing a home with a big family or roommates, it doesn’t take much to make your living space feel cramped. We may not be able to get you more square footage, but we can provide some tips and tricks to make your bedroom, apartment, or house feel bigger. No construction required.
1. Decorate with mirrors.
The first tried and true rule of enlarging a space is always to add a mirror or two. Mirrors create a sense of depth and reflect the other side of the room, giving the illusion of a bigger, open space.
2. Don’t put big furniture in the middle of a room.
Large furniture in the center of a room, like a sofa or big table, will cut a small room in half and force you to put side tables or other smaller pieces around it, taking up even more space. If you can, try to keep larger pieces on the edges of the room so the center is open and free.
3. Go light or dark — no in-between.
If you’re able to choose paint colors, keep it at one extreme or the other. Very light walls make your space look airy and hide where the room ends. Same with dark colors, the edge of the room will melt into the deep color and give the illusion of depth. Colors in the mid-range make the hard borders of your room much more obvious.
4. Floor to ceiling curtains make ceilings look higher.
If the room has windows, hang a curtain or tension rod as high into the window as you can, and get extra-long curtains. It’ll elongate the room and make your ceilings look sky high!
5. Keep it simple!
Similar to the wall colors, the simpler your furnishings and décor, the larger your room will look. If you cram too many pieces or lots of trinkets into a room, it’ll feel claustrophobic. Keep it light and airy, simple and sweet, and you’ll easily flow through your once-tiny room.
6. As always, avoid clutter.
A golden rule of decorating in general, keep clutter in its own place. Decorative boxes or furniture that doubles as storage will cut down on clutter, require fewer pieces of furniture, and give you more room to move overall. All of this together equals the feeling of a bigger room!
With some research and a little creativity, even the smallest studio apartments or dorm rooms can feel more spacious. Use your walls and vertical space (shelving, wall art, tall bookcases) and use optical illusions to your favor. Your cramped corner will feel like a palatial palace — or at least, a place to stretch out and relax.
