Use Decorating Tricks to Make Your Small Space Seem Bigger
Posted By Robert Anthony on June 19, 2009
Whether you’re working with a dorm room or a small home office, you can use decorating techniques to subtly enhance the size of the room. Nobody likes to live in a space that feels overcrowded or like the walls are closing in; ensure that even the tiniest room feels spacious with these easy tips!
Choose Multipurpose Furniture
Avoid filling up your small room with tons of furniture by selecting pieces with dual functions. Want seating and sleeping space in a tiny guest bedroom; why not try a futon? Need storage and a coffee table? Select a table with shelving or drawers like a Half Moon Shaped Table, or even use a storage item like a trunk as your coffee table. Multipurpose furniture like this will help you make the most out of your space while keeping it functional at the same time.
Appropriately Sized Furniture Is a Must
Oversized furniture only makes a small room look even smaller. Make the most out of your petite space by keeping furniture in scale with the room. For example, instead of filling up a room with an overstuffed sofa, select several smaller chairs. You get the same amount of seating, but because these chairs are scaled to match the size of the room, the room actually feels larger.
Mirrors Enlarge Spaces
Even something as simple as a mirror or two can greatly increase the feeling of space in a room. Because mirrors reflect their surroundings, they visually expand the dimensions of the room. Choose one large mirror or group several smaller mirrors together. You can especially optimize the feeling of spaciousness by strategically hanging your mirrors; reflect the space around a corner or into a nook. Or, even better, place your mirror directly across from a window to bring even more of the roomy outdoors into your space!
Accents Draw the Eye
Using a single bold decoration or piece of furniture will draw the eye, focusing it on the accent rather than on the size of the room. For example, a distinctive end table, such as a Hacienda Collection Two Drawer Cabinet, or a striking lamp, such as the Gallery Collection Table Lamp, will become the focal point of the room. The eyes will converge on this item rather than on the room dimensions, creatting an optical illusion of space.
Using one or more of these creative decorating techniques can help you make even the smallest room seem comfortably large. And, best of all, you can make your room seem bigger without spending a fortune! Investing in a mirror or two, an accent piece, or even a smaller couch can fit within just about any budget.
Great advice, I will have to try these out, I always love improving my home!
Rachel,
I think most people have a small room they wish was larger. Adding pieces that will do double duty and using sizes that fit the scale of the room go a long way in making it appear (and feel) larger.
Thank you for this, Mary! I have a small home and for the most part it works for us. But anything I can do to make it feel bigger helps!