5 tricks to make a small room look bigger
Small rooms don’t need to be cramped, and with Bargain Blinds’ tips - size really is just an illusion. In honour of smaller spaces yearning to feel bigger, we have come up with this list of the five best tricks for transforming any pocket-sized room into larger-than-life possibilities.
Get creative with colours
Painting or papering the walls and ceiling can help turn a tiny pad into something much more palatial. Anything that draws the eye upwards makes a room feel bigger, while light colour palettes adorning your walls will open the room up.
Yes, darker colours make a room seem cosy - but you will soon see how the heavier shades absorb light instead of reflecting it, making the space feel much smaller than it is. As the experts at Stylecaster said, “Think in a colour palette that’s light and neutral, which will expand your space visually.”
When you furnish the room, choose colours which blend in with the wall and floor colours to add the illusion of space. Introducing striped rugs can elongate a room, and colour coordinating your shelving will make it look sleek and streamlined instead of busy and cluttered.
Furniture (with hidden features)
What you choose to furnish small rooms with can be the deal breaker. Luckily, generations of interior designers have identified the proven tricks for savvy space saving. A favourite of furnishers is pulling furniture away from the wall. As the experts at The Nest said: “Shoving furniture against the wall doesn’t guarantee a larger room. Try angling your bed or our favourite trick of floating the sofa in the living room with a skinny console behind it. Breathing room around your furniture lends the appearance of more space.”
Other tricks include furniture with hidden storage, or furniture like ottomans which can be used as a coffee table and extra seating. Choosing couches, chairs, sofas and lounge suites with exposed legs also creates a sense of light and space as opposed to solid, space-blockers.
Shelving is another popular space-maker: Installed near the roof or floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, these will instantly emphasise the height of the room and provide handy extra storage. And, if you do opt for the shelving, leave a couple of ledges empty - this will create the illusion of extra space (and remove any temptation to fill all those shelves with trinkets).
Glass tables, glass desks and glass shelves are also recommended for their transparency which makes them seem smaller than solid materials, instantly unlocking the perception of extra space.
Window features
Wide, open windows are an obvious way fill any space with light - adding the illusion of an airy, cavernous room. So why spoil that with chunky, heavy curtain which fill the space? Opt for subtle blinds which compliment the clean lines of the window and streamline the wall, without adding unnecessary clutter to your quaint wee room. Choose colours as close to the wall shades as possible for added effect.
Decorate with purpose
While it may seem like common sense to add small decorations to a small room, we are here to advise you otherwise. Instead, go for larger statement pieces which don’t crowd and clutter. Use mirrors to reflect the natural light from windows and create the illusion of space. Try one large mirror leaning against a wall or create a statement wall with multiple, smaller mirrors hanging together.
Big, remarkable art pieces can also add drama to a small room. Creating a focal point distracts from the size of the room, while also adding character and even a talking point.
Light it up
Low hanging overhead lights maybe en vogue, but a collection of smaller table lamps will spread the glow of light around a small room. Instead of isolated bulbs, lamps disperse their rays to expand the feeling of a room’s size, while also creating an intimate, cosy ambience. While you can literally light up the room - you can also light up your creative juices and think outside the square.
We have seen small rooms transformed by custom-made furniture. Think beds which take up the whole space and surrounded by purpose-built shelving, and standard rooms transformed into lofts.
