How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger
Create the appearance of more space in a tiny room with these interior decorator tips and tricks.
Instructions
- Step 1: Use color Use vibrant paint. Contrary to popular belief, white doesn't make a room look larger; deeper colors do by making corners disappear. If you want to use a light color, give the space an accent wall in a darker shade; it elongates the room by making the wall appear to recede.
- TIP: If you have carpeting, paint the baseboards the same color.
- Step 2: Avoid small furniture Avoid small furniture. It may seem counterintuitive, but a few oversized pieces work better in a modestly-sized room than a lot of tiny furnishings, which just make a room look cluttered.
- Step 3: Use two mirrors Place mirrors on walls across from each other to produce the illusion of a room that goes on and on.
- TIP: Choose mirrors with thick glass, which better reflects dimension.
- Step 4: Choose complementary furnishings Choose furnishings in shades that complement each other. Having a lot of competing colors and patterns makes a room look smaller.
- Step 5: Let it in the light Use sheer curtains that can be pulled completely away from the windows during the day; dark rooms look smaller. Hang the curtain rod near the ceiling, and have it extend past the sides of the window; this gives the illusion of a larger window, and therefore a larger room.
- Step 6: Tile it In small kitchens and bathrooms, use subway tile - 3- by 6-inch ceramic tiles -- to add depth, or glass tile, which reflects light.
- FACT: Did you know? Japan invented the capsule hotel concept, which offer rooms as small as 75 square feet.
You Will Need
- Colorful paint
- Big furniture
- Two mirrors
- Complementary furnishings
- Sheer curtains
- Subway or glass tile