Making a Room Look Bigger

When decorating a small room, one of the main things we want to do is make that room look bigger. But while we can’t wave a magical home decorating wand and make that room 25% larger than it is, there are plenty of non-magical home decorating tips you can use to make a small space feel more roomy.

Home Decorating Tip #1: Paint with light or medium-hue colors.

Dark or vivid colors will make a room look smaller. Instead, choose a color in a light or medium-hue. This will make the room look more open and spaceous.

Home Decorating Tip #2: Give the room a focal point.

If there’s too much going on, all clamoring for attention, it can make the room feel busy and crowded. So, when decorating a small room, create a focal point, one area or feature that will draw the eye. In the dining room, the focal point will probably be the table. In a den, it might be the entertainment center. In the bedroom, it’ll probably be the bed. Make that focal point the star of the room. Arrange the furniture so that focus is drawn to that area, and keep the dÃ?©cor in the rest of the room to a minimum.

Home Decorating Tip #3: Mirrors, Mirrors on the wall.

When decorating a small room, consider installing a “mirror wall” to make the room look bigger. It will also make the room brighter, because mirrors take the light in the room and reflects it right back into the space.

If you’re looking for a quicker, easier home decorating solution, or you just don’t like the look of a “mirror wall”, hang several mirrors in a group on one wall. Treat them the way you would framed pictures. Go for the uniform look, choosing mirrors of similar sizes, with similar frames. Or mix it up, using different sized mirrors with frames of different styles and colors. This will not only add light to the room, it’s also a nice, decorative touch.

Home Decorating Tip #4: Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls.

Paint the ceiling to match the walls. If you have colored walls but a white ceiling, the contrast tells your eyes exactly where to stop. This can make a small room look even smaller and more closed in, especially if the ceiling is low. It can also give the room a confining, “lid on a box” feeling. If your ceiling and walls are the same color, where the walls end and the ceiling begins will blend together, tricking the eyes into thinking the ceiling is actually higher than it really is.

While these home decorating tips won’t actually make your small room bigger, they will create the illusion that it is. And, when it comes to home decorating, illusion can be just as good as the real thing.