Most of us have at least one room in our house that is smaller than we’d like. Limited dimensions can make a space harder to decorate and sometimes mean the area doesn’t get used much.
To rectify this issue, it’s essential to design the room to make it look bigger than it is. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
Choose Furniture Wisely
One of the best things you can do to set the room up effectively is to choose your furniture wisely. Keep things as simple as you can and stick with a few larger items arranged well in the space, rather than many different smaller products. Doing this keeps things streamlined and doesn’t give the eyes too much to look at, leading to visual overwhelm and a sense of a small, busy space.
As you select furnishings, limit yourself to a simple color palette. Try to match some or all of your furniture pieces to the wall color or stick to the same kind of tone. When you do this, the room will blend more, which will help give it more of a spacious feel. When arranging items, always leave as much floor area visible as possible. The open space helps to create a sense of size, too.
Another furniture tip is to opt for goods made from glass or Lucite, such as a small coffee table, simple dining room chairs, or even a streamlined ceiling fan that is the right size for the space. You can add more mirrors to the room, too. These kinds of clear products and the reflections you receive from mirrors have less visual impact in a place, space-wise, yet are also still fashionable.
Decorate with Neutral, Light Colors
The color palette you choose is also critical. Opt for only neutral, light colors so you can create the optical illusion of more space than is really there. You may love darker hues, and they certainly add a sense of drama, but these shades work best in larger spots when you’re looking to obtain a cozy feel.
The best hues for minimally-sized rooms tend to be bright whites, soft grays, whispery creams, and other neutral shades that reflect light. Choose these options, and your room should feel much more open and airy. Keep the lightness flowing through not only your walls but also the flooring.
Also, paint or wallpaper right to the ceiling, rather than stopping lower and breaking up the eye line. You can create the impression of a larger area if you paint the moldings and wall trims in a shade a little lighter than what you use on the walls, too. When you make this choice, the result is that the walls seem to sit further back than they truly do.
Get Rid of Clutter
No small space can look or feel its best when it’s bursting with clutter. To enlarge the area, get rid of any small and large items which don’t need to be there. You’ll have to be ruthless in your decisions and fine-tune things until you only have the bare minimum in the space, but it will be worth it.
There may be belongings you’ve meant to clean up or get rid of anyway, such as paperwork, children’s toys, or no-longer-used gym equipment. For extraneous prized possessions you can’t part with, move them to larger rooms in your home where they’ll fit better.
Decluttering involves considering your choices when it comes to what you hang on the walls, too. Artworks, photographs, special hangings, and other pieces are comforting and pretty, but in a small space compete too much for attention and make a room feel crowded. Avoid this result by sticking with just one or two items total on the walls, preferably ones in lighter colors, too.
Let There be Light
The more light that’s streaming into a room and coming from other sources, the more open and substantial it will seem. As such, let in as much natural light to your small zone as you can. You may need to add extra windows or a skylight to achieve this.
Also, steer clear of heavy, dark drapes that keep the room too shaded. Instead, opt for sheers or lightly-colored roman blinds. Add enough overhead lighting to your room, too, to illuminate it effectively, particularly at night.
A smaller room than we’d like is annoying and harder to decorate than more sizeable spots. However, the above tips and tricks can help you to make the most of even the tiniest places in your home, so you can utilize and appreciate them all.
