6 Tricks to Make a Small Space Seem Bigger

Whether you’re furnishing an apartment, dorm room, or just a petite space within a home, the dimensions don’t have to limit your design options. There are several designer-proven tactics for making a room feel airy, open, and just plain bigger.

photo from Jenna Pizzigati-Coppola

Let your furniture breathe

Resist the temptation to push pieces together, as this can have the counter effect of making a room feel crowded. Instead, allow plenty of space between furniture, and try “floating” larger pieces in the middle of the room.

Invest in hybrid pieces

When you find furniture that does double-duty, you’ll need less of it. Think storage ottomans that also function as seating, trunks that moonlight as coffee tables, dining tables that drop their leaves to become smaller breakfast tables, or futons that fold into sofas by day.

Lighten it up.

Dark paint colors tend to make a room seem smaller. Opt for lighter shades to instantly create a breezy, spacious feel. Another trick is to use multiple but similar colors, such as white and beige or pale pink and mauve.

Skip the curtains

If privacy’s not a concern, consider leaving windows bare. Not only does this provide an unobstructed view, it also makes the room feel larger by the extension of the great outdoors. If you’re too modest for bare windows, go for gauzy, light-colored coverings.

Make fixtures the focus

By mounting a high-impact light fixture on the ceiling, you’ll draw people’s gaze upwards, making the room feel loftier.

Photo via West Elm

Mirror, mirror on the wall

There’s a reason this is such a popular tool for close quarters—it works. Strategic mirror placement, whether it’s multiple sizes mounted on a wall gallery-style or a full-length mirror leaning against a wall, can do wonders for size-challenged spaces.

While you may not be able to add square footage to a small space, you can use a little creativity to make it feel much roomier.