Home interior decor can be a very stressful process, but it’s even worse when decorating a small room. There really isn’t much you can fit into a small room. But as our sources tell us, there are many visual tricks you can pull to make the room look more spacious, and some of these tricks are in the most unexpected areas. In this article, we will be giving you 16 unexpected tips that will make any small room look bigger.
1. Take Good Measurements Before Shopping
Before you start wondering what to put in a spot, you should visualize how it would look like first. And for a small space, this step is the most important one. You should first measure the space and imagine what would work well and what wouldn’t.
And no, not just the dimensions of the room, but distances between walls and good spots for furniture as well. You should also measure the dimensions of doors and entrances to see if it could fit through them. Before trying to fit a king-size bed into a 50sqrft apartment, you should know if it can handle it or not!
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2. Light or Pale Paint Colors for the Walls
When trying to camouflage the size of a place, pick a reflective paint color for your walls! If your wall colors are dark, they will keep absorbing every light in the room, which makes it look smaller. On the contrary, light or pale colors are perfect because they reflect light instead, which gives the illusion of more space. The best paint colors that make a small room look bigger are white or pale shades of soft colors like pink and sky-blue.
3. Small Print for Your Wallpapers
Similarly, if you are using wallpaper, then you have more chances of going wrong. Try to stick to simple and small prints when choosing a wallpaper. This is because a big repetitive print on your wall will become the whole focal point of the room, which makes anything else look smaller, including the room itself.
4. Light Everywhere
Light is essential when it comes to small spaces. It is important that you don’t focus the entire lighting of a room or open space on one point. Try to add more lighting sources like lamps to every corner and area of your home. This way, the visual focus of your guests will be on the entire room, and not just one spot, which is usually the middle. Use Linen lamps for an extra aesthetic and classy touch.
5. Use a Focal Point
Every home has a focal point, and you can use this to your advantage! You can make use of an empty wall to hang a big painting that would drag the eyes of your guests directly to it. Or you can for example use wall decorations that draw the eye to the ceiling. If used wisely, this strategy can make any amateur an interior decor savvy.
6. Make Use of the Ceiling
What you choose to hang either on a wall or ceiling can play a big role in how big or small your place looks. In fact, the closer an object is to the ceiling, the more it draws the eyes upwards. This gives the perfect illusion of extra space! Tall or hanging plants are perfect examples of good objects to use.
7. Add Vertical Lines
Just like the previous point, you want to draw your guests’ eyes upward. You can do this by creating vertical lines around the space. This is especially true for curtains, plants, decorations, and mirrors.
8. Use Full-Length Mirrors
Mirrors in general are perfect for creating more space in a narrow room. They can be used to reflect an open space, which makes the entire room seem doubled. But for even more space, you can set up one opposite to a window. Not only does it reflect natural sunlight onto the room, but it duplicates the reflected open space! For more effect, you can use a full-length mirror that has all of these characteristics in addition to the uplifting effect discussed in the previous point.
9. Make Use of Your Shelves
Shelves are a great way to fit more objects into one vertical spot. But sometimes, they can make a room look too crowded and messy. A great way to avoid this effect is by using closed shelves so that you can hide away the mess by closing their doors. This way, the objects on the shelves won’t be too obvious and will merge into the scenery of the room.
10. Open Up Your Walls
Most people try to achieve a spacious effect by dividing the place into multiple rooms. THIS IS WRONG! Too many walls can be very uncomplimentary and end up taking more space than you already have. The perfect setting for a small space is an open one. Getting rid of walls makes the room appear vaster and cozier. This is true even for bookshelves and cases. Try to use built-in cases which reduce the clutter and help you make use of the walls you already have.
11. Do Not Crowd Your Main Space
Keeping your small home tidy can be very difficult. You are already lacking space, so when you add even the smallest item, it could make the entire house look messy. It’s not about how many objects you own, it’s about how many objects you actually need. Get rid of unnecessary items that have been around for years and that don’t serve you anymore.
12. Use Multifunctional Furniture
Multi-functional furniture is by far the most beneficial piece of furniture to include in your house! Home interior decorators are very keen on them because they serve many purposes at once without having to crowd your main space as discussed before. They are usually cheaper and aesthetically pleasing.
You can use a dining table that folds into a coffee table, or a couch that turns into a bed. Or the simplest of them all is built-in shelves and cupboards. These include even hidden storage areas under beds and other furniture. Another good example is wall-mounted laundry drier lines. This way, you will have all the furniture you need but not half as much mess!
13. Keep Your House Decluttered and Clean
Everyone should keep their houses clean and tidy, but this is especially true for small homes. Narrow spaces get messy easily if you leave them unchecked for too long. But we got you! Instead of keeping your mess on shelves and tables, you could use extra storage space under multi-functional furniture or inside specific built-in storage areas.
But the air flowing through the house is actually the biggest issue here. It is very easy for air to get humid or dry, especially if the weather is difficult where you live. The perfect solution is dehumidifiers. They clean the air from humidity and also help dry your laundry in no time!
14. Avoid L-Shaped Couches
It may be tempting to get an L-shaped couch for more sitting space. But if you have a narrow place, what you end up doing is just creating a constraint in your main space. Instead, try using two separate small couches or a medium one with chairs around it. This allows more freedom to sit in different spots around the room.
15. Do not Hide Your Furniture’s Legs
Putting a lamp or bookshelf between a couch and a wall is the worst thing you can do. The furniture would seem like it doesn’t fit well with the space. This gives an instant illusion of crowdedness, which is not what you should go for. What you can do instead is put them on the same level away from the wall so that you won’t take away from the original dimensions of the furniture.
16. Add Some Empty Spots Here and There
A complete house is not necessarily one that has too many objects and decorations. You should go for a minimalist look. Keep what you need and try to combine separate pieces of furniture into one. When decorating a small house, it is important to keep some empty spaces here and there. This gives your place a complete, minimalist, and clean appearance because it shows that you have more space than you really need.
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Interior design is art, and though it may seem like you don’t have many choices in a small home, the tricks and illusions you can pull are endless. Be creative and smart about what you choose to put in every space. Keep it open and very well lit. And remember, your home should have everything you need without being too crowded and messy.
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