How To Make A Small Room Look So Much Bigger (25 Secrets)

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We are in the process of finding tips and tricks that help us find out how to make a small room look bigger.

We have a townhome that has limited space, so hacks are a must.

Creating an organized, functional, and beautiful home often seems like a struggle, so we added a command center to get our family back in order.

Our current project is creating a home office from scratch. With that in mind, I am looking for ways to make that tiny space feel larger.

Oh, keep an eye out for that post the hits and miss and things we have learned.

Here are a few things I have found to make a room feel larger!

HOW TO MAKE A SMALL ROOM LOOK BIGGER

1. Paint or Wallpaper the Ceiling to Make the Room appear Taller.

I would have never thought of adding wallpaper to the ceiling, but it definitely draws the eye upwards, making a room appear bigger. If you pick a bold pattern or color, you can easily incorporate the colors in the room with accessories, like the throw pillows on this chair and the rug on the floor. 

According to Sharper Impression Paint Co., painting the ceiling a lighter color can make your walls in “the room feel higher, and your space look larger.” They also suggest painting using the wall paint with 80 percent white paint, so it’s the same color but lighter. I think we will try this approach since it’s a perfect combination for opening up small spaces or making rooms with lower ceilings seem roomier. 

2. Keep the Walls and Floor a Light Color

Light walls are a great way to keep your room looking bigger.

In our previous home, I painted two accent walls chocolate! Not the best idea. Although it was different and made the room feel cozy, it missed the mark on making it feel larger.

So, if you want to add color in your home then use accent furniture instead.

3. Pull Things off the Wall

I am good at pushing everything against the wall.

But pulling things away from the wall gives a cozier and roomier feeling.

Check the image of the before and after above and how it makes all of the suggestions right. Pulling the sofa off the wall, hanging the curtain up high, and adding light to the corner all makes the space look amazing.

4. Multipurpose Storage and Furniture Items

Ikea has such amazingly cheap but nice looking furniture.

I love this multifunctional sofa table that can hide toys, store board games, books and more.

If you there isn’t an Ikea near you no worries, you can grab this Hemnes from Amazon too.

5. Hang Shelves or ArtWork High to Draw the Eye Upward.

A simple way to make a big statement. Adding shelves to the wall allows you to add decor and finishing touches to a room. At the same time, photos are a good way to personalize the area.

In this image, the mix of shelves and pictures is brilliant. Does it make the wall look taller to you? I think so.

6. Follow the Cantaloupe Rule

A good rule to follow when decorating a room is to use the cantaloupe room, which basically means use pieces of decor bigger than a cantaloupe.

HGTV Sabrina Soto says: “Decorative accents smaller than a cantaloupe crowd a room.” Instead, go for fewer decorations that are bigger”. I love this idea! Similar vases are available here.

7. Use Larger Funiture

In small living rooms, you want to find a larger sofa rather than small pieces of furniture.

This sofa works great because it’s dark, which adds contrast to a light and airy room. The large stripe rug adds length, which brings me to my next tip to make a room look bigger.

 8. Use Stripes to Make the Room Wider or Taller

People don’t often pay attention to the directions of the lines in a room, but it’s something to utilize when you want your room to look longer or wider.

• You can use striped curtains which I love. I found a great pair at Ikea for a cheap price.

• Then there’s the direction of the stripes on your walls. Are you going for a longer or wider look? It’s a simple trick to make a small room look bigger with stripes. I added ombre stripes to the wall of my girl room where the first stripe is park dark, and the last is light pink, so it draws the eyes upward.

• A striped rug on the floor is the same concept, it makes everything seem bigger.

9. Group Like Things Together for Visual Interest

Instead of sporadically hanging pictures on a wall or adding decor to a room, opt for grouping liked items together. Otherwise, the room will look busy due to visual clutter.

So, instead, hang pictures on a single wall if you’re looking to display a gallery wall.

Also, keep reading books, candleholders, and other decor items grouped in sections around the home.

According to Designer on HGTV a good rule of thumb is to group things in three’s.

I applied this concept to my girl’s room using three IKEA spice racks as wall book shelving. And I also took advantage of the vertical space by keeping all the stuffed animals together.

10. Use Natural Light To Make a Room Feel Bigger

A good rule is to leave your windows uncovered, to create a sense of depth in a small space.

If you don’t feel comfortable leaving the windows completely uncovered when you add the curtain rod to the wall, make sure it goes past the frame. That way, you can completely open the curtain beyond the window like above.

What if you don’t have natural light to use in the room? This brings me to the next tip to add mirrors to make a small room look bigger.

11. Add Mirrors To Make A Room Look Bigger

This is a brilliant idea. Most people know to use mirrors to make a small room feel larger but using them in a room without any light is smart.

See, this room didn’t have any windows, so you can just put up a small mirror on a wall and call it a day; instead, she used a wall mirror from pottery and barn then framed it with curtains. Ammmaaazzing!

If you want to see the full video of one of my favorite designers, check out the YouTube channel.

12. Hang floor to Ceiling Curtains

13. Use Lamps for Lighting

The best suggestion from experts on HGTV is to use lighting at different levels. Most people have a light on the ceiling but to make the space feel bigger you will also want to incorporate lights at different levels.

For example, a table light, wall scones, or even a standing lap will add light and make the room feel bigger.

The image above with the beautiful window has natural light, a lamp, a ceiling light, and candles for ambiance.

14. Expose Legs on Funiture

When adding furniture to a room, exposing the legs on the furniture gives the feeling that there is more space. The logic is it doesn’t stop the eye, so it creates an open feeling.

15. Declutter The Space

Too much clutter in a space can make a room feel overwhelming.

Let say you walk into a home and there are shoes thrown at the front of the door. There’s paper all over the table and boxes randomly around the room.

The room will feel small and closed in.

That’s why removing clutter from the room is a plus. Marie Kondo has an amazing Netflix series where she shares tips to declutter any room in your home.

16. Use a Rug to Define a Space

This is an easier way to add color and visual aesthetic to a room.

We have a rug in our front room that helps center the room and also makes the space feel cozy.

Ther Spruce explains, “A rug can anchor a room, define it, add warmth, and help layer a room’s decor.” Make sure the rug is the right size for your room.

17. Consistent Flooring

When the floor flows, the eyes are drawn from the room instead of broken up by different flooring. If the flooring is different, it makes the area feel choppy and creates little small spaces instead of one big space.

So if you have flooring adding into your home a uniform look, for example, our house had several transitions of flooring. 

18. Utilize Clear Pieces

I have not tried this suggestion but will make sure we do, when we finish our office space.

Adding translucent furniture pieces is a good solution when you don’t want an area to look dark and heavy.

When I decorate a room, I also pay attention to how it feels. If you have tons of wood furniture pieces on one side of the room but a simple plant on the other side of the room, you can feel how the weight is not evenly distributed.

By incorporating translucent furniture pieces the area feel bigger and lighter

19. Create Monochromatic Feeling

The monochromatic color scheme is basically using colors from the same family with different textures.

It’s best to use light colors when the desire is to make a small room look bigger.

Dark colors are not ideal in small rooms. That’s because lighter color palettes cast the illusion of a larger area.

So, for example, creams, beige, tan, and off whites look good together and make the room feel open and airy. Now, if you have kids like us, the tans are kept to a minimum. in that case, try the grey family.

Final Thoughts for Making a Small Room Look Bigger

Using these tips will make your home look bigger and pretty. It makes the home feel more open and airy and gives a sense of space. No one wants to feel cramped and confined.

So, incorporate a few steps into your home so you can feel free, airy and balanced.

Am I missing a tip? Share something you do to make your space feel bigger!