Small spaces are everywhere, whether you live in a city apartment or a suburban house. Filling those spaces can be a challenge as you try to decide how to maximize the space while still keeping its essentials. Easy tricks such as smaller furniture and limited items are not always an option, so having other plans to open up the space is necessary.
From colors to materials to tricks of the eye, there are many ways to enlarge a room and make it grander than it is.
1. Use Pairs
It might be funny to think that having two of something instead of one can help make a room feel bigger and less cluttered, but it’s true. A matching pair of lamps, chairs, or mirrors creates symmetry, which helps to balance the room. When a room is balanced, it naturally feels more open and spacious.
2. Clear Clutter
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 3 shutterstock 2290693585 e1704399901608](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/shutterstock_2290693585-e1704399901608.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 3 shutterstock 2290693585 e1704399901608](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/shutterstock_2290693585-e1704399901608.jpg)
Clearing clutter may sound like an obvious way to make small rooms feel more open, but some items may be cluttering your room that you may not realize. Clutter is not just piles of mail or magazines on the coffee table. It can also be in the form of knick-knacks, extra blankets, or too much artwork. Focusing on a more minimalist look will help to make your room feel less cramped.
3. Try Open Shelves
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 4 Kitchen with open shelves](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T114028.342.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 4 Kitchen with open shelves](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T114028.342.jpg)
Incorporating open shelves into your room will allow you to display some of your special items and make the room feel larger. Using shelves without barriers allows you to see farther into the room and makes everything feel more open. Just be sure not to clutter up your shelves!
4. Utilize Mirrors
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 5 Elegant room interior with comfortable armchair and mirrors](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Elegant-room-interior-with-comfortable-armchair-and-mirrors.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 5 Elegant room interior with comfortable armchair and mirrors](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Elegant-room-interior-with-comfortable-armchair-and-mirrors.jpg)
Mirrors come in handy to create the illusion of a bigger room by using reflected light to trick the mind into thinking the space is bigger than it is. You can strategically place lamps near mirrors or place mirrors near windows to utilize natural light for this effect. Mirrors can also elevate a room’s appearance, making it look more visually appealing with an air of elegance.
5. Get Creative With Flexible Seating
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 6 Living room with TV over fireplace](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T151757.424.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 6 Living room with TV over fireplace](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T151757.424.jpg)
Hosting in a small space can be challenging. That’s why flexible seating, like floor pillows, can enhance guests’ experience without disrupting the room’s feng shui. Floor pillows can easily be stowed in an ottoman, on a couch, or in the room’s corners until you need to set them out. They not only take up less space, but they also make the room more versatile.
6. Elongate With Curtains
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 7 Short window curtains](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T155021.870.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 7 Short window curtains](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T155021.870.jpg)
Picking the right curtains for your space can have its advantages. Choosing long curtains draws the eyes upward in a small room, creating the illusion that the room is bigger. The high-ceiling illusion can make your room look much grander and spacious than it is.
7. Use Area Rugs
Even a tiny space can be multipurpose, but many people make the mistake of not separating the areas of the space, leaving it looking chaotic and messy. Area rugs are a great tool to break up small spaces, creating mini-spaces in each room. This will help the room to feel bigger and more usable rather than messy and uncomfortable.
8. Choose Low Seating
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 9 Living room with gray decor, couch, cube shelf, throw pillows](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Modern-home-decor.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 9 Living room with gray decor, couch, cube shelf, throw pillows](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Modern-home-decor.jpg)
Furniture can bog down a small space because of its bulk, making it look crowded and uninviting. Nobody wants to feel squished while trying to relax! A little trick of the eye is to use low-seating furniture, making the room feel more spacious because more open space is visible.
9. Paint the Walls White
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 10 Neutral color modern living room, couch, shelf, table, book shelf](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stylish-living-room-.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 10 Neutral color modern living room, couch, shelf, table, book shelf](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stylish-living-room-.jpg)
White paint is notorious for being used to reflect light. That’s why it’s a great choice for a small room to make it feel bigger, amplifying natural and unnatural lighting. Paired with mirrors and a few south-facing windows, white walls can take a room from tiny to spacious.
10. Make Your Items Multipurpose
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 11 Murphy bed](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_1351119227.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 11 Murphy bed](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_1351119227.jpg)
Having an item with more than one purpose is a smart choice for tiny spaces. Whether it be a couch that lifts for storage or a pillow that also works for flexible seating, multipurpose items can lead to less unnecessary stuff in a room, making for a clearer space.
11. Buy Some Plants
Plants can enhance the overall aesthetic of a room and create more oxygen for you to breathe. But they can also help make the room feel bigger and more open. That’s because live plants help to soften the edges of a space, making it feel more organic and natural and less urban and rigid.
12. Have Visible Furniture Legs
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 13 Shutterstock 2040549143](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_2040549143.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 13 Shutterstock 2040549143](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_2040549143.jpg)
Choosing furniture with visible legs is similar to choosing low-seating furniture; it gives the eye more visible space. The more visible space the eye can see, the more open the space feels. It may be a visual illusion, but it works!
13. Avoid Small Items
Although you would think a tiny room needs tiny items, many small items make a room feel overwhelmingly cluttered. To avoid this cluttered feel, buying items with a purpose is essential. Fewer items that are larger and have purpose prove to be better suited for a small space.
14. Keep Pathways Clear
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 15 shutterstock 1869247750 e1706913485978](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/shutterstock_1869247750-e1706913485978.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 15 shutterstock 1869247750 e1706913485978](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/shutterstock_1869247750-e1706913485978.jpg)
Keeping the pathways of your room clear may seem like obvious advice, but what we think is clear may not feel clear. Even if you have nothing on the floor that’s not supposed to be there, such as clothes, magazines, or floor pillows, other items may be interfering with the clean lines of your room. To avoid cluttering pathways, make sure furniture is lined up with each other and out of pathways so that walking around the room is seamless.
15. Choose a Chair Over a Couch
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 16 Grey armchair against flowers wallpaper in dark living room interior with sofa and plant.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dark-living-room-1.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 16 Grey armchair against flowers wallpaper in dark living room interior with sofa and plant.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/dark-living-room-1.jpg)
Opting for chairs rather than a couch is a great way to minimize the space you’re using while still providing your guests with a space to sit. Chairs can make a room look more spacious because more space is visible. They also offer more versatility when it comes to positioning, so choosing a spot that creates a flawless flow throughout your space is easier.
16. Add Fewer, But Brighter Items
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 17 A modern model kitchen featuring low-hanging lights above the kitchen island in the center of the space, and various other lighting to bring the space together.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/kitchenlighting.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 17 A modern model kitchen featuring low-hanging lights above the kitchen island in the center of the space, and various other lighting to bring the space together.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/kitchenlighting.jpg)
Using fewer items in your room that are brighter is a strategy you can utilize to make your room feel bigger. Bright colors can maximize light reflection, and choosing only a few bright pieces will help minimize the space’s clutter. As a bonus, when items look intentional and cohesive, it makes the space more harmonious.
17. Install Barn Doors
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 18 Sliding barn doors between rooms in house](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T144552.851.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 18 Sliding barn doors between rooms in house](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T144552.851.jpg)
The barn door trend has been around for a while because of its rustic style. However, they’re also space-saving. Doors, like barn doors that don’t swing open, leave more room to push items toward the walls of a room, opening up the center of the space. They’re ideal for smaller rooms where every inch matters.
18. Strategically Display Artwork
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 19 Live Love Laugh Wall Art](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Live-Love-Laugh-Wall-Art.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 19 Live Love Laugh Wall Art](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Live-Love-Laugh-Wall-Art.jpg)
Artwork doesn’t always make a room look busy. Sometimes, it works to streamline and elongate it. Placing artwork above the centerline of the wall can help draw eyes upwards, making the room feel taller. Big and bold pieces of art should be used as a focal point on a wall that gets lots of light because it can help illuminate the space and make the room feel more expansive.
19. Play With Lighting
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 20 Dining room with blue accent wall](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T124007.070.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 20 Dining room with blue accent wall](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T124007.070.jpg)
Lighting in a room can make the dimensions look bigger by highlighting certain areas. Lighting also helps to break up areas of the room if it’s multipurpose, which can ultimately make the small space seem bigger. For example, hanging a light over a small dining table in one part of the room and using end table lamps in another part of the room next to a couch or chair can help separate the space into two.
20. Use Refreshing Colors
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 21 Bathroom with corner bath](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T130419.120.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 21 Bathroom with corner bath](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Blank-1280-x-720-2024-02-22T130419.120.jpg)
The colors you choose for your space have a direct impact on how open it feels. Choosing neutral tones and soft blues, pinks, yellows, and greens can help reflect more light than darker, bolder colors. Not only do they make the room feel bigger, but they also make it feel calmer and more tranquil.
21. Throw Out Your Sectional
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 22 Mid Century Chairs by Panomo](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mid-Century-Chairs-by-Panomo.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 22 Mid Century Chairs by Panomo](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mid-Century-Chairs-by-Panomo.jpg)
Although sectionals are a good way to fit everyone on the couch, they are also bulky and take up a lot of space, which can make a room feel tight. Instead of a sectional, opt for a small loveseat and some chairs to break up the space and show more open space while still having enough seating for your guests.
22. Pick a Coffee Table With Storage
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 23 Vertical blinds](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/vertical-blinds.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 23 Vertical blinds](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/vertical-blinds.jpg)
A cluttered coffee table in your living room can be a total turn-off and make your space look smaller. So instead of piling magazines and coasters on top of the table, try a coffee table that doubles as storage so you can easily hide them. This storage system is also great for blankets and pillows, depending on how much space you have to fill.
23. Smooth Your Walls
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 24 Shutterstock 1536338213](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_1536338213.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 24 Shutterstock 1536338213](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Shutterstock_1536338213.jpg)
Having smooth walls rather than textured in your space can help make the space feel more open. Textured walls tend to cast shadows and break up the space. Smooth walls, however, can make a room feel more open and flow seamlessly.
24. Be Consistent With Your Finishings
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 25 Chocolate oak flooring in a residential home.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/woodflooring.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 25 Chocolate oak flooring in a residential home.](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/woodflooring.jpg)
Finishings are just as crucial as that sofa, vase, or bookshelf you have in a room. Remaining consistent with finishings, such as flooring and materials, will make the space feel cohesive and intentional rather than random and unexplainable. A coherent space always feels bigger and more open because it’s more harmonious.
25. Stick With Your Colors
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 26 open floor plan](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/open-floor-plan.jpg)
![25 Ways To Make Small Rooms Seem Bigger 26 open floor plan](https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/open-floor-plan.jpg)
Along with being consistent with finishings, being consistent with color is also essential to having a room that feels bigger than it is. That doesn’t mean if you use blue, you have to stick with blue. The trick is finding complementary colors and sticking with that same palette throughout your design.