20 December 2022

How to make small rooms look bigger

Not all of us are blessed with huge, spacious rooms in our homes, and the wrong decor and styling can make your small rooms feel cluttered, cramped and claustrophobic.

But with the right styling and a few space-creating tricks, you can easily make a room feel bigger than it is. Read on for our ten simple tips to make small rooms look and feel bigger.

1. Opt for light, airy colours

When choosing your decor – from the flooring and wall paint to the furniture and accessories – opting for lighter colours will make the room feel more open.

White, neutrals and pastels will reflect the light, making the room feel larger than it is. This is a great tip for areas in the house that you relax in often, such as bedrooms and living rooms – you don’t want to feel closed in when you’re trying to unwind.

2. Add large mirrors

Hanging a large mirror on the wall can create an optical illusion, immediately making a room feel more spacious. It tricks the eyes into thinking there is more volume to the room than there truly is.

For the best result, opt for a thin frame or a frameless mirror rather than something with a chunky frame.

In bedrooms, mirrored wardrobes create a larger feel and have the added benefit of keeping all your clothes out of sight. Mirrored bathroom cabinets are also a great way to create space for storing toiletries while giving the illusion of a larger bathroom.

3. Let in the light

A room with wide windows, patio doors or even skylights will let in more natural light, immediately making even the most compact rooms feel larger.

If you have small windows or your room lacks natural light, you can combat this by installing bigger lights into the ceilings or using white light bulbs rather than yellow-toned ones.

Add floor or wall lamps, opt for several spotlights in the ceiling rather than a single bulb, or use self-adhesive LED strip lights to ensure the whole room is well-lit.

4. Multi-purpose furniture

As you collect more and more belongings, it can be challenging trying to find storage space. Combat this by investing in furniture that doubles up as storage to reduce clutter and free up space in other areas of the home.

Good examples are beds with drawers, ottomans that double as chests, coffee tables with drawers or cupboards underneath, sofa beds, and children’s beds with built-in bookcases or pull-out desks.

These allow you to add storage space without filling already small rooms with more furniture than necessary.

5. Less is more

In a smaller room, less is more. Your space can quickly feel claustrophobic if you have too many art pieces, photographs and knick-knacks hanging on the walls or cluttering up workspaces. Try to minimise these things so your house only features the pieces you truly love most.

Don’t get us wrong, a nice candle, flowers in a vase or a painting you love hanging in pride of place make a house feel homely. Just make sure these additions are carefully selected. Over time we can accumulate a lot of bits and bobs, so every few months, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate which pieces need putting away or donating and which can remain on display.

6. Clear out the clutter

Along the same lines as the above, clutter is your biggest nemesis, as it can make your small house feel even smaller.

Tables, mantle pieces, the tops of cupboards, bookcases, kitchen worktops – all places we might put things when we’re in a rush. But it all quickly adds up, and not only does it make your room feel small, but it makes it a more stressful environment to live in.

Dedicate time each week to decluttering one area of your home. Make piles for stuff to go in the bin, stuff to donate, and stuff to keep. Anything worth keeping should be tidied away to where it belongs.

7. Keep floor space clear

Another way to keep your room feeling spacious is to keep the floors as clear as possible. Too much furniture can quickly make the house feel crowded, so select only the most necessary pieces for your room.

Something like a clear glass coffee table can create the illusion of space whilst still fulfilling your need for a coffee table. Or you could get an extendable dining table that pulls out into a larger one for mealtimes and folds smaller when you need the space.

If you have children, try to invest in clever storage solutions so that toys can be packed away at the end of the day rather than taking up floor space.

8. Fewer patterns – go for plain

Too many patterns can make a room feel more cluttered, even without the mess, so opt for plain-coloured sofas, rugs, carpets, and walls.

You can still choose bright or striking colours if that’s your thing, but maybe hold off on any intricate carpet patterns or funky wallpaper in your smallest rooms, as these can make a small space feel even more closed in.

9. Mount your TV to the wall

A big TV stand is not very practical in a small living room or bedroom. They can look bulky and take up precious space you can’t afford to lose.

A quick way to fix that problem is to mount your TV on the wall. This immediately minimises the furniture in the room, and it looks nice and modern too.

10. And finally – choose the right flooring

The right flooring can make a huge difference to the aesthetics of a room. Light and neutral-coloured flooring is a good choice for a small room as it immediately makes it feel bigger by reflecting the natural light.

For carpet, look for grey, beige, brown, and cream shades. If tiles are your thing, go big – large tiles will open up the room more than lots of smaller ones.

If you opt for laminate or wood flooring, choose large planks to create the effect of a larger space. Lay LVT or wooden planks lengthways instead of widthways to elongate the room. Lighter shades work better in small spaces.

Herringbone-style flooring can create the illusion of movement, making the space appear more expansive, so this is a good option for hallways or living rooms.

And you can still add rugs to brighten up your space, but something plain and neutral will work better in a small room than something with a complex pattern.

Need a little inspiration or advice?

There are hundreds of flooring manufacturers, suppliers and installers, so it can be hard to know where to turn.

At Beyond Flooring Direct, we understand the importance of getting the right flooring for your home – it’s a big investment. That’s why we focus on quality – quality products and quality service.

Every product in our range has been hand-picked by our team so you can have complete confidence that your new floor will be of the highest standards.

And with our measuring guide and choice of delivery and payment options, it’s easy to get your perfect flooring solution with Beyond Flooring Direct.

Browse our range for a little inspiration or come along and visit our showroom in Leeds. Our friendly team are always happy to help you select the perfect flooring for your home or commercial space.