HOW TO MAKE A SMALL ROOM SEEM HUGE

Move things upwards

Anything you can raise off of the floor and onto the walls is great- having your stuff stored on shelves or hung up draws the eye upwards to create an illusion of height whilst also liberating floor space so the room feels bigger.

Less clutter frees up floor space

Any piece of furniture which doubles as storage is great, because if you can store things in an ottoman bed like this (hyperlink), then your room will have less need of extra furnishings and will seem much bigger.

Know your colour theory

Whilst it’s true that light colours create the illusion of size, dark colours can also create a sense of depth which widens out a room just as well.

Use contrast

If you paint a wall in two colours, with the bottom three-quarters darker than the top, the line creates contrast. Because the human eye is naturally drawn to contrast, the eye travels upwards and creates an illusion of height.

Hang curtains well above the window

A favourite hack of Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk, hanging the curtain rail a foot or so above the top of the window is another trick that convinces the human brain that the ceiling is much higher than it actually is.

Buy a mirror

If your small room doesn’t get much natural light, it’ll seem a lot closer and darker than it is. As we said before, light creates the illusion of space, so adding a mirror big enough to reflect some natural light adds depth to a room.

Buy a visually interesting light fixture

An interesting light fixture draws the eye upwards and creates the illusion of height, whilst also distracting from a lack of floor space.

Buy furniture with legs

Furniture that sits directly on the ground or which has a skirt makes everything in a room feel lower and stops light from moving through. By buying furnishings that are raised off the floor, you’ll ensure everything in a room looks slightly higher and a lot more open.

Create Space

A small room with lots of furniture crammed together will feel tiny- by bringing furniture     away from the wall slightly and spacing it out, you’ll seem like you have a lot more floor space

Find your light

If your room is dark, it’ll seem small, so augment your main light source with some lamps, candles or fairy lights .