Tricks to Make Spaces Look Bigger Without Renovating

Are you feeling cramped at home? Small rooms can be a deal breaker for many homeowners, but most times, moving or tearing down a wall are not feasible options. Thankfully, expert designers know that renovating a room is not the only way to make it look more spacious. With some easy and surprising design hacks, you can trick physics and make your rooms seem larger. 

Color consistency 

You probably heard that painting a room white makes it look bigger; that's correct, but what if you want something more edgy than white walls? Experts say that if you remain consistent with the color palette, you can create an illusion of a larger space. While light colors will significantly enlarge the room, you can also go for dark tones. You can choose to have colorful and dark walls; what matters is keeping things (walls, ceiling, furniture, and art) within the same color palette. 

Think big

Most people think small items are ideal for small rooms. While that seems to make sense, the opposite can actually benefit you more. Adding a couple of large items, such as a couch, bed, or a piece of art, provides an expansive effect. Too many little objects can make a room feel cluttered and reduce its dimensions even more. Instead, one or too big items will make it feel more spacious. 

Draw the eye up

Another good solution to enlarge small rooms is working upwards. Fairview Custom Homes affirm that vertical architecture and different design styles and items can draw the eye to the ceiling, creating the illusion of extra space. You can mount curtains near the ceiling or install kitchen cabinets and shelving that go all the way up the wall. Vertical stripe patterns also contribute to this magnifying effect. Even if your ceiling is not too high, this trick will do its magic. 

Cut back and declutter

Clutter is small spaces' number one enemy. Keeping your home tidy elevates any space, but tidiness becomes crucial in small rooms, which can feel even smaller when you have too many things out of place. If you are looking for an easy way to open up a room, getting rid of clutter is your best bet. It doesn't mean you have to give away your precious items; you just have to find where to store them out of sight. Try investing in smart storage to keep your rooms as decluttered as possible. 

Embrace natural lighting 

Natural light is your best ally when trying to make a room look larger. Remove the blinds and allow sunlight to come through your windows. If possible, design experts recommend adding skylights so that light can stream in from above, too. 

Not enough natural light coming from your windows? You can also make use of artificial lighting. Instead of one light overhead, place a few lamps around the room. That will help expand the feel of the room, especially at night. 

Include reflective surfaces

Mirrors are the ideal trick to magnify a small room, as they reflect natural light flowing from the windows. Also, mirrors on the walls reflect the view and trick the eye, creating the impression of extra space. 

Besides mirrors, other reflective surfaces, such as shiny tiles, lacquered furniture, and high-gloss painted ceilings, have a similar effect, too. Regardless if you go with mirrors or other reflective elements, ensure natural or artificial light hits them so they can do their trick. 

Don't forget about the fifth wall

The fifth wall is usually neglected by homeowners and left in its original shade of white. To visually expand a room, you must work on your ceiling. First, you must forget the old rule of painting your ceiling white and your walls a different color. Just like we mentioned in the first point of the article, to enlarge a room, consistency is key. It also goes back to the draw-the-eye-up concept. 

The ceiling can be a significant asset; you can opt for painting it or applying wallpaper within the same color palette as the walls. 

In conclusion, with these design tricks, you can make any room in your house look bigger without renovating. Tearing down a wall to create space is costly and time-consuming, but if a room feeling too small is a deal breaker for you, try these tips first and see what happens. You could be surprised by how much a small space can change with the right interior design tricks. 

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