How To Make Your Small Space Feel Bigger

Whether you’re a college student in a cramped dorm or cooped up living in an overpriced apartment in a bustling overpriced city, figuring out how to make a small room look bigger can be a bit of a challenge.

It’s anything but a simple undertaking to squeeze everything you need into a limited space— from bedrooms that are hardly large enough to fit a bed, to living rooms that double as a dining room and home office. When you’re living in a tiny space, you’ve got to be strategic about every piece of furniture and every piece’s positioning to ensure you’re maximizing the space while leaving enough room to live comfortably.

That said, despite the obvious difficulties, there are a lot of clever solutions that can help make your small space look and feel larger while still serving the same multi-functional usage.

Deck the Walls with Mirrors

Large mirrors hung on a wall or positioned against a wall can give you a room-enlarging effect which can add the illusion of more space inside of your bedroom, living room, or other space. Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light to make your interior brighter during both day and night. They beam light deep into space, making it look bigger. You may also consider harnessing a similar effect by outfitting your space with a mirror-top coffee table, glass dining table, or mirrored chest.

Let the Light In

Having natural light inside of your living space effectively opens up the interior and makes it look significantly bigger. Make an effort to open the blinds, draw the curtains back, and let that natural light pour in. If your space doesn’t have many windows or access to a lot of natural light, you can mimic the effect by installing lighting fixtures.

From ceiling lights and wall scones to hanging lamps to floor lights, there are a number of ways you can create artificial light and brighten the space. Trust us, you’ll be happily surprised to see how this little enhancement affects your living space.

Cut the Clutter Out

There is nothing that makes a small room feel more congested than it being filled with too much stuff. By figuring out how to organize your belongings so they’re out of sight, organized behind closed doors, or placed on shelves, you can leave more floor space open and make the room feel much more breathable. With items perfectly sorted and out of immediate visibility, your space will look infinitely better.

Coordinate Colors

Contrasting shades seem to make a room feel a bit more broken up, making it look much smaller than it actually is. Furniture that complements the color of your walls tends to be less disruptive and works more effectively at blending with space and opening it up.

Arrange Furniture Accordingly

Furniture takes up a lot of space. To eliminate the inevitable feeling of your furniture crowding your space, suit up with multifunctional furniture, such as a storage trunk that can be used as a coffee table or a sofa bed with drawers underneath.

For the dining room, consider using an expandable dining table, folding table or nesting table that can be hidden away when you don’t need them. Place bigger pieces of furniture against the walls in order to optimize open space. Adjust the furniture to match the size of the space, and do your best to not obstruct any high-traffic pathways.

Decorate with Oversized Art

If you have always assumed that oversized art made space feel smaller, you couldn’t be more wrong. Hanging oversized art pieces will actually make your room feel bigger, cozier, and classier. Do be choosy with your large pieces as too many can have the reverse effect and make your space feel cramped and overwhelming.

Wrapping Up

If you are in the middle of beautifying a small space, you may dread the lack of real estate you’re working with, but there are several reasons why smaller is better: tight spaces are easier to decorate, easier to keep tidy and easier to organize. With these tips, you can revamp your tiny home into a space that feels big and homey.