It is easy to fill a large space with furniture to make it appear cosy and intimate. However, the opposite can be challenging: how can small rooms look and feel bigger than they actually are?
Read on for some tips to make compact spaces seem larger.
Keep the Colour Scheme Simple
When painting the walls or putting up wallpaper, it is best to avoid many contrasting colours, loud patterns, or large prints, as they make the room look cluttered and overcrowded.
Instead, it would be best to stick to a simple colour palette. When multiple colours are used, your eyes instinctively stop at the line where two colours meet, which creates the appearance of boundaries. On the other hand, using a single colour makes the space appear continuous.
Light and cool colours are ideal as they are more reflective, making the space appear more open and spacious. Avoid dark colours, which absorb light and make rooms feel smaller.
Reduce Clutter
As clutter makes spaces seem smaller, it is best to store your belongings out of sight. With everything out of the way, the space in view will seem more organised and open.
Multifunctional furniture is an excellent way to declutter your space. For example, you could purchase a chest that doubles as a coffee table or a bed with drawers, allowing you to hide away items such as magazines and newspapers.
Mind Your Proportions
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need small furniture for a small room. Having one or two large furniture pieces can help make the room seem bigger, especially if they are lower to the ground. These furniture pieces leave a large space above them, creating a feeling of openness.
It is also helpful for the furniture to show its legs. For example, a sofa with visible feet or a glass-topped dining table can visually expand the space.
Adjust Furniture Arrangement
You may be tempted to push your furniture against the wall to maximise floor space. However, doing so can emphasise the lack of space, causing the room to appear crowded.
Leaving some space between the walls and your furniture helps create a feeling of airiness and roominess.
Use Reflective Surfaces
Reflective surfaces like lacquered furniture and glass table tops create the perception of space and the illusion of volume.
Mirrors are also ideal; by placing one across a window or an artificial light source, you can reflect light around the room, making the space seem open.
Draw the Eye Up
Long vertical lines draw the eye upwards, making a room appear bigger. As such, consider purchasing a tall shelf that extends up the wall or floor-to-ceiling curtains that boost the room’s apparent height.
Maximise Light
Create a sense of openness by flooding your room with as much natural light as possible. Therefore, you should opt for sheer day curtains that let light filter in through their translucent fabric.
If privacy is a concern, consider layering these curtains with night curtains in a colour similar to the walls.
Conclusion
There are many ways to open up a room despite limited space constraints. For example, you could rearrange your furniture or repaint your walls to make the room appear larger than it is. Finding the right curtains is also beneficial.
If you’re looking for day curtains that allow sunlight to seep gently into the room, check us out at the Furnishing Shop. We also offer window blinds, including perforated and blackout roller blinds, and curtains, such as day and blackout curtains, in Singapore.
