There are three simple ways to make a small space look bigger, and believe me, I’ve tried a few! It’s sometimes difficult to create a feeling of home when you have a small space to work with. All of the things you want to add take up valuable space that must be used for necessities. Even so, it is not difficult to make a small space look bigger and get the cozy feeling you desire.
Make a small space look bigger with color
It’s easy to create a feeling of space by gravitating toward color schemes that are either neutral or high contrast. If you live in a rental space like an apartment, you probably can’t paint. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t play with contrast and color. We lean toward a more neutral color palette. It gives us a ton of versatility in how we decorate, and we find we need fewer things to make the spaces in our apartment coordinate. We chose a neutral color palette of black, gray, taupe, white, cream, and amber. If we use touches of color, it comes in a very natural hue of olive green or navy blue. Each of our rooms carry the same color scheme and we can restyle easily when we get bored simply by rearranging the items we already have.
If you prefer a more colorful palette, try to stick with a smaller, but more vibrant color scheme. Use the color wheel and research color theory to get your best possible aesthetic without creating a feeling of chaos. HomeAdvisor has a great resource on color theory in the home.
Use larger scale artwork to maximize the room
Believe it or not, contrary to popular opinion, larger artwork works extremely well in a small space. Opt for one larger accent piece rather than a gallery wall full of smaller items. The one larger piece gives the eye a place to land and rest, while a gallery wall in a small space creates a more cluttered feel and distracts from the overall aesthetic of the room.
If you want a gallery wall effect, opt for black and white, or neutral or sepia toned works. This will keep the room from feeling cluttered while still creating interest and conversation pieces. When going with a gallery wall in a small space, it’s best to keep the remainder of the room simple and clear. Use one other large place, and keep decor to a minimum.
Go for large statement furniture pieces
I know it sounds crazy, but having one larger scale piece of furniture is a very simple way to make a small space look larger. For instance, having one large scale sofa and one smaller chair is less visually cluttered than having a smaller scale sofa and two or three smaller scale chairs. It’s a balance of less is more, because what you have is actually MORE.
Also, using furniture with exposed legs also lends to more visual space. Even if the furniture piece is larger, the eye recognizes the space in and around it and registers it as space. Maximizing furniture with included storage is another amazing way to make a small space feel larger without any effort at all. Whether you’re thinking of a sofa with storage like the LoveSac modular sofa, or a platform bead with hydraulic lift system, using every square inch of space intentionally really brings maximum benefit to a small room.
Share your tips and tricks for making a small space look bigger
We know this isn’t an exhaustive list. I’m sure there are a ton of more tricks to making a small room appear larger. These are just the ones we stick with – and as we move around more and more – these have been our tried and true methods.
Drop your tips in the comments and let us know what works for you! We love to hear from you.
