If you want to make a small room look bigger there are some crucial points to take in consideration. The right color scheme, the furniture and the way they are arranged in the space, elements and design approach etc, these are some of the points I want to examine in this article. Some of these ideas are important enough to have an entire article just for them and I will do that too. So lets get started.

1. Cut the clutter

The first tip that costs no money is to keep your space tidy and organized. As shown in the article in Freshome, “there’s nothing that makes a small space feel cramped more than having too much stuff”. Keeping the order and having an organized space will definitely make it look bigger. A crowded one will definitely look smaller…

2. Open the Way

“With furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room will look cramped” says Coral Nafie in his article regarding the subject. Opening the walkways will open up the space and make it feel larger.

Image via Small Space Style

3. Colors

Choosing the right color is important, but while you have more free choice in large spaces, in small ones you need to control the effect. As Hannah Shanks says “stick to light and bright colors as these ones reflect any natural light and thus fools the eye into seeing a larger space.” I know I will dedicate an article especially on this matter because there are a lot of cases in which a dark color is used and still the effect is charming and graceful. But yet, in order to make a small room look bigger, if you are not a professional interior designer nor you don’t have the time and the money to experiment, this advise will work best.

4. Lighting

Lighting is a key element to make a small room look bigger. If you don’t have large windows in the room that brings the natural light inside, a smart set of artificial lights can help. The key is to use more than just one main spot light in the center of the room. You should have more spots around. The effect is a profound prospective vision of the room and thus a larger illusion of space. Place lighting at different levels in the room. Use a combination of light fixtures; Up lighters, decorative wall lights, table lamps and floor lamps  in order to get a good result.

Image via Design Decor Staging

5. Design elements

As mentioned in my previous post Small living room, the usage of floor-to-ceiling bookcases makes a room look taller. Use floor-to-ceiling curtains too, they add softness to a space and draw your eye upward (check my post on decorating ideas). Long lines in the carpet texture or in the ceiling structure will give the impression of a profounder space.

Image via Interior Holic

6. Multi-function furniture

As mentioned before, to make a small room look bigger we need to open the way. Also because of the simple fact that we lack the space, multi-function furniture is the best answer for this problem. Sofa beds, beds with drawers for storage, a chair that could be turned into a table, chest that can be used as a coffee table, chest of drawers, drawers as stairs, stairs as cupboards etc.  There are infinite possibilities and every small space needs a different solution according to its structure… I will explore this subject in another article…

“Trick” by Sakura Adachi for the Campeggi

7. Reflective materials

Reflective materials are known for their big contribution making a small space look bigger.  As we saw in My little room design experience , using reflective materials on the wall unit can work as mirrors too. In order to make a small room look bigger, you can use large decorative mirror on the wall or you can attach one on the cabinets fronts. You can also be creative and use them in the kitchen as suggested in a beautiful article on Apartment Therapy (For more detail how to use mirrors in order to make your space look bigger read Small apartment decorating ideas).

Image from Apartment Therapy

We have seen some great ideas how to make a small room look bigger. Some of these ideas like the color to use, mirrors, multi-function furniture, design elements etc which each one of them is a big chapter by it self, I will check more closely in my next posts. It is amazing how a small space can inspire you to think… I love it!