How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

If your living room feels more like a walk-in closet with a couch than a space where you want to spend time and relax, you’re not alone. It’s common for small spaces to feel cramped. Fortunately, most rooms are not highly intelligent and can be easily tricked into becoming something they are not. Read on learn space-expanding secrets to trick your room, changing it from cramped to cozy.

Tips to Make a Small Room Feel Larger

1. Change to Lighter Paint Colors

Light and airy = visual trickery that works

Choose soft neutrals or cool tones for the major palette in your room: Think whites, pale grays, soft greens, or barely-there blues. These colors reflect light and push the walls outward. If you also match your trim and walls, painting your trim the same color, you can eliminate harsh lines, creating a seamless, airy feel.

2. Use Mirrors Like You Mean It

A mirror a day keeps the cramped feeling away

Reflect natural light: Place a large mirror across from a window to bounce light around the room and open up the space. You may also use mirrored furniture selectively. You don’t want to overdo, but a mirrored coffee table or console can help add sparkle without adding bulk.

3. Scale Down Your Furniture

Big furniture in a small room is like a tuxedo at a pool party—unnecessary and awkward

Choose low-profile pieces: Furniture that sits lower to the ground creates more space above it, making the room feel taller. Opt for longer legs, not bulky surface. Couches and chairs with exposed legs keep the floor visible—this simple shift adds breathing room.

4. Let There Be Light

Say no to the single overhead light

Layer your lighting: Use a mix of table lamps, floor lamps, and wall sconces to spread light evenly across the space. Shadows in corners make rooms feel smaller. And by using translucent or open lampshades, you can allow more ambient light to spread across the room, making everything feel more open.

5. Keep It Clear

When in doubt, let it breathe

Glass and acrylic for the win: Consider a glass coffee table or acrylic side chair—these take up space without feeling heavy. You’ll also want to be sparse with your accessories. Too many tchotchkes can visually clutter the room. Be selective, keeping only the pieces you love and give them room to shine.

6. Embrace Vertical Space

Look up—it’s a design opportunity

Hang curtains high and wide: Mount curtain rods close to the ceiling and extend them past the window frame to make windows look bigger and ceilings feel higher. Another trick is to use tall bookcases or vertical wall art. Drawing the eye upward makes your walls feel taller and the room feel grander.

Ready to make your small space feel big on style?

Start with just one of these ideas this weekend. You might be surprised how much bigger your room (and your smile) gets.

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?

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