Bigger does not always mean better when it comes to the place you call home. Sure, there are a lot of people who dream of big, spacious houses with rooms to be filled with furniture and décor to their heart’s content. But others crave the cozy atmosphere and simplistic lifestyle that come with smaller spaces. You can’t go wrong either way—as long as you master your interior design.
Small rooms and spaces don’t have to feel small. There is, after all, a difference between charmingly intimate and uncomfortably cramped. If your small space is starting to make you a little claustrophobic, here are a few tricks to help it feel bigger and more open!
Keep clutter to a minimum.
A lot of the time if you feel like the walls of a room are closing in on you, it’s actually your stuff that’s causing the congestion. We’re not just talking about piles of magazines on the coffee table or dirty laundry on the floor either. Too many pieces of furniture or home accents can also clutter your space just as easily. Make an effort to keep smaller rooms tidy and organized (hidden storage pieces can really help you out here) and implement a design that’s simple and minimalistic.
Scale down your furniture.
To create an open and spacious environment, furnishings should be proportional to the room that they’re in. A three-piece sectional, for example, will overwhelm your tiny studio apartment living room. A sleek couch with a separate accent chair, however, will offer just as much seating space without feeling bulky.
Choose furniture that’s multifunctional, such as a shelf floor lamp or coffee table with drawers, to cut down on the number of pieces in the room. Furnishing with pieces that are lower to the ground, leaving more space above them, can also help create a sense of openness in a small room.
Use a light color scheme.
Dark colors absorb light, while light hues reflect it, creating the illusion of more space in a room. For smaller spaces, go with light neutrals (beige, pale gray, off-white, etc.), softer tones (especially blues and greens), and colors with warm undertones.
Coordinate your wall colors with your furniture and décor as well to keep that open, airy vibe flowing throughout the room. A little contrast in colors is good for adding depth, but be careful not to make it too dramatic, as this can break up your space in a way that shrinks it.
Optimize lighting.
Well-lit rooms naturally look and feel larger. Your best option for a small room in this regard is to maximize whatever natural light you can get. You can do this by strategically using mirrors, glass, and other reflective surfaces to help bounce sunlight around the room. You should also ditch any heavy or dark drapery, opting for sheer curtains or none at all.
If natural light is limited in your small space, stock up on artificial light sources to supplement. Lamps, ceiling and wall fixtures (bonus points for using reflective materials here!), recessed, and track lighting should be used to illuminate your space evenly for the most expansive effect.
Choose few larger pieces instead of many smaller ones.
As we mentioned earlier, a bunch of small or medium-sized furniture and décor pieces can make your space feel just as cluttered as accumulated household junk. In small rooms, select a few larger pieces to fill out the space without cramping it—one or two wall pieces, one main furniture piece with a few accent furnishings, a piece of décor placed here and there. This will leave you with much more open and functional space, making the room feel bigger and more comfortable.
Need a little help making your small space feel larger than life? Get in touch with Sherwood Studios! Our interior design services can help you transform any room in the house to achieve the look and feel you’ve always wanted.
Give us a call at 248-855-1600 to set up a consultation with one of our designers!
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