23 Clever Small Room Ideas to Make a Space Look Bigger
Small room design tricks for decorating, furniture selecting, choosing paint colors, and utilizing function to make a space look bigger.
Even though our 1960 colonial has smaller rooms than our brand new builder grade house did years ago, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Because even though the ceilings aren’t nearly as tall (at only 8 feet), there are fewer cabinets, and it is the furthest thing from “open concept” as you can get, we’ve figured out to make each room trick the eye and look larger than it really is.
If you have smaller spaces in a small home, here is a list of interior designer secrets to create the illusion of more space.
Small Room Ideas to Make a Space Look Bigger
If you have spots in your home that you’ve been challenged with, I hope these small room ideas for tricking the eye can help. And if you look at the photos in this post and think, “That is not a small room,” you’ve officially been visually tricked. 😉
1 Choose a High Contrast Color Scheme
Using very light colors or very dark shades is a great way to give a room depth.
Mid-tone paint shades can make a room appear smaller, but when you use bright whites and deep dark paint colors, you create contrast, which creates depth and the illusion of open space. (Our paint colors we’ve used are listed here.)
2 Dark Colors in Small Rooms With No Windows Create the Illusion of Space
Contrary to popular belief, you actually don’t have to paint a small room white to make it feel bigger.
In a dark, windowless room, painting it a dark color like black or navy blue will create depth.
This is because dark paint colors tend to recede providing the illusion that the wall is further away from you than it really is.
We used navy blue tile as a focal point behind the sink in this tiny bathroom with deep navy blue walls to hide shadows, making the compact space seem wider.
3 Paint Trim the Same Color as the Walls to Make a Small Room Seem Spacious
By painting the trim (or bonus even the ceiling) the same color as the walls, your eyes are immediately deceived into thinking ceilings are taller! Satin sheen especially bounces light to create the illusion of a bigger space.
4 Utilize Hidden Storage
We built this window seat for storing all of our TV components for that reason so that it would double as extra seating when we have company over.
We use lots of baskets for holding chew toys for our dog and blankets. If everything you use can be tucked in a designated spot out of the way, you eliminate clutter and give the appearance of space. Take advantage of vertical storage ideas anywhere possible to maximize square footage.
5 Use Multi-Functional Furniture to Maximize Space in a Small Room
If you desperately need storage but you have small rooms in your house, shop smartly by choosing furniture that serves multiple functions.
Maximize storage space with double duty like having a murphy bed in a home office or a play table with hidden storage in a playroom. Have a shoe storage bench in an entryway.
Think of ways to double the function in a bedroom by using a wall mounted desk that can also serve as a vanity or bedside tables with built-in charging stations.
6 Hang Floor-To-Ceiling Window Treatments
Hanging long curtains just below the ceiling that sweep all the way down to the floor is like putting stiletto heels on a room. Ceilings instantly look higher.
In a room with 8 ft ceilings, choose 96″ curtains and allow them to slightly puddle or just “kiss” the floor, depending on if you want a romantic or tailored look.
7 Use Few Larger Decor Accents Instead of Many Small Decor Items
Lots of small knick-knacks tend to feel like clutter and make a room look smaller. Use the triangle rule and symmetry when styling vignettes on coffee tables, nightstands, dresser tops, and dining tables and limit decor groupings to 3 or 5 items.
But you don’t need decor accents on every single surface of your home. Let a room “breathe”.
See this post for extra vignette styling tips.
8 Display Large Scale Art
If you have a small room and want to hang wall decor, opt for one large piece of art or a wall accent instead of a gallery wall of smaller items.
If you really want a gallery wall with smaller pieces, limit it to the one wall and go simple large-scale on the other walls in the room.
And it’s okay to leave some walls blank to prevent the room from feeling cluttered and overwhelming. (You can make this large scale art from a shower curtain or make large art using plywood.
Keep an eye out at thrift stores for large canvases that you can paint over with your own DIY artwork too.)
9 Balance Your Lighting
Use a few lamps to spread light evenly around the room instead of relying completely on one overhead light.
Having multiple sources of light in a room can make the space feel more expansive. It’s really helpful in rooms that have limited natural light.
10 Define Spaces with Rugs
Area rugs help rooms feel finished and pulled together. But they can also create the illusion of more square footage.
11 Opt for a Large Statement Piece of Furniture
It’s better to have a large sofa and 1 accent chair in a living room than 4 accent chairs. If you can fit a king sized bed in a tiny bedroom with enough space for traffic, go for it (but choose one with a low footboard or no footboard at all).
Our master bedroom is just barely large enough for a king-size bed, but it does make the room feel larger than a queen-size would.
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13 Utilize Mirrors in a Small Room with Limited Light
Place mirrors on dark walls that don’t get much natural light when designing a small space.
Hanging mirrors allows you to bounce light from windows and create the illusion of more square footage.
14 Declutter
We try to make a habit of decluttering cabinets, closets, and any other rooms that start feeling too “full” every 6 months (typically around Daylight Savings Time) to prevent our home from being overcrowded.
Even a large room that is cluttered will feel smaller.
15 Use Visually Interesting Light Fixtures
Incorporating ceiling lights with details draws the eye upwards and adds height to a room.
These are some of my favorite chandeliers and flush mounts. Or you can make your own interesting light fixture like this sunburst light made with a mirror frame.
16. Ditch White Ceilings for Wallpaper
One of the most effective ways to make a small space feel bigger is to take advantage of the 5th wall: the ceiling. Adding wallpaper or a painted pattern on a ceiling creates dimension in the entire room.
17. Embrace Vertical Stripes
Have you heard the fashion tip before that wearing vertical stripes on your clothing can make you appear taller? The same goes for a living space.
Paint vertical stripes or hang vertical striped wallpaper on your walls to make ceilings seem taller.
In the bedroom below, along with hanging vertical striped wallpaper, we also painted the ceiling the same color as the trim for a more open feel.
18. Make a Cozy Nook
When you need extra space in a dining area for traffic flow, try pushing a banquette against a wall to create a dining nook.
Dining rooms with tight spaces are tricky because they need room for pulling chairs away from the table. Using a banquette doesn’t require as much floor space.
19. Hang Wall Mounted Shelves
When you need storage in a small bathroom, take advantage of vertical space with shelves for keeping towels and toiletries accessible. To create the illusion of even more space, paint shelves the same color as the wall so they practically blend in.
20. Install Built-Ins
Kick the concept of wall shelves up a notch by installing built in shelves or cabinets. It provides tons of storage in a small space and draws the eye upward to make the room look bigger.
21. Match Furniture to Walls
A monochromatic color palette can work to your advantage in a small home. When furniture is similar in tone to the wall paint, the room seems more open.
22. Use Frameless Clear Shower Doors in Small Bathrooms
Frosted shower doors with frames create the look of a wall between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. By installing a frameless clear glass door, you can see into the shower which makes the room look spacious.
23. Glossy Tile
Just like semigloss and gloss sheen paint can make a room look bigger, glossy tile on walls and floors bounces light in a small bathroom to make it appear larger.
Do you have any other small room ideas you use for making your rooms feel expansive? I’m sure there are plenty more, but those are the ones we usually stick to. And they WORK!
Drop any tips you have in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vertical stripes, plaid, and large repeating patterns create the illusion of a larger room.
1. Large mirrors
2. Curtains hung at ceiling height
3. Vertical shelves
4. Large area rugs
5. Large wall art
More Small Room Decor Ideas
8 Small Hallway Ideas to Make Your Space Look Bigger
14 Tricks to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger
10 Small Bedroom Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Bigger
