Make Small Rooms Look Larger

When it comes to your home, is there really such a thing as too much space? Having a home with large wide-open spaces is such a liberating feeling and opens up so many possibilities for exciting layouts and vibrant decorations. 

The problem is, not all of us have the luxury of living in a 4,000 square foot home! We don’t all have the luxury of having that kind of open space at our disposal or even the ability to knock down a couple of walls to help create it. But whether you live in a large home or a charming starter home, everyone deserves some wide-open spaces.

The trick is to use creative decor choices and savvy decision making to help small rooms look larger, even if you don’t have much to work with. Not convinced you can make it work for you? You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that you may be mistaken.

Use these home decoration and design tips to help even the smallest and cramped living spaces feel more open and refreshing. 

Go Big!

People often make the mistake of thinking small when they decorate small spaces, but many times the opposite will actually work with your room to create the opposite effect. Consider utilizing some of these decor choices when decorating or updating a small space. 

Large Furniture – Instead of selecting several small pieces of furniture, go for fewer larger statement pieces. Select a large couch instead of multiple chairs or a larger bed with storage underneath, instead of a smaller bed with two dressers crammed into the space. 

Then be sure to leave space around the piece so that there is plenty of room to move around and create a nice flow. Whether you go larger or small, be sure there is room around each piece of furniture and a clear path to walk through the room. The clear path will make the space seem larger.

Large Tiles– The bigger, bolder tiles in 16, 18, or 24-inch size make a strong impression as you enter the room. Having fewer, larger tiles make up the layout of a kitchen or bathroom can create the illusion that the room is larger than it is. It’ll feel almost like you’ve shrunken yourself down a size!

Also, when having tile installed, try to keep grout to a minimum. Doing so creates a more continuous flow from tile to tile, visually opening up the room. You’ll notice that creating a “flow” is a common thread between tactics for opening a room up.

Wide Plank Floors – Similar to the impression made by the bigger tiles, using wider planks of hardwood, resilient, and laminate flooring can have a very similar effect on a study, living room, or bedroom. 

On the Angle

One of the ways to trick the eye is to upset the natural balance of the room. You can do this by moving furniture away from the wall, angling large pieces, or actually laying the carpet, wood, or tile on an angle.

When you lay a patterned carpet, hardwood, or tile diagonally the widest part of the pattern faces you as you walk into the room. This optical illusion tricks your eyes and brain into seeing the space as larger than it actually is. Pretty neat, huh?

Another really interesting, and very bold choice, is to create a striped pattern by mixing two different shades of wood. This is especially interesting in long, narrow rooms. When you run the stripes lengthwise it pulls the eye into the room making it appear as if it goes on forever.

Go Natural

Selecting light, natural colors like beige or soft grays for the colors of your wall paint, flooring like tile and hardwood, furniture, and window coverings will make the room seem larger. Darker colors have a habit of absorbing light, making spaces feel more cramped and dingy. Lighter colors reflect light more easily, giving the room more of a vibrance and visually open quality.

Consider light linen curtains, sheer window coverings, or no window coverings at all to let in more of the soft natural light. Stay with one primary color palette and vary the shades for interest. For example, select a slightly darker shade of grey for the walls with very light grey trim on chair rails, door frames, and molding. Select a mid-tone grey floor, and slightly darker grey furniture to pull the room together. Use bright colored pillows, accessories, or pictures to add contrast and image to the room.

Show Off Your Floor

Being able to see more of your floors in any given room gives it a sense of openness. If you can’t clearly see much of your floors, your eyes immediately assume the room is crowded. One easy way to show off your floors is with furniture with thin legs which don’t cover up as much of the floor and may even allow you to more easily see underneath. Choose tables that allow you to see through to the floor. Take storage up off the floor, by replacing bookshelves and standing cabinets with hanging or wall-mounted shelving to free up floor space. The more of the floor that is visible, the bigger the room will feel.  
Ready to explore how these decorating ideas can expand your rooms? Call Tish Flooring today!