Making a Room Look Larger:

It is often true that a current living situation does not allow you to have the luxury of huge spaces in your home. Therefore, the question often arises, “How can I make this small space look larger?”. With some simple painting techniques and attention to decorating, any room can be transformed from a small cubicle to a luxurious living area that seems much larger than it really is.

Paint can significantly aid in making a small room appear to grow in size. Cream and white, icy blues, pale greens, and butter yellows are perfect selections of paint that not only appear to open up a room in size, but aid natural shades that will make the room feel warmer.

When these colors are transferred to furnishings, larger furniture items will appear to almost be part of the walls, and therefore, create a more open feel to the room. Furniture pieces can be distinguished with ornamental trim, such as stenciling, handles or brackets, but the shades of the furniture can aid in the “growth” of the room.

A room may also be made to look larger when the furnishings that are selected for the décor do not block doorways, windows or other pathways that lead throughout the home. These spaces are important to creating a larger space because they are generally areas of light. Light has the ability to appear to expand the size of the room, as well as enhance to richness or tone of the colors that are used in decorating. Therefore, whenever possible be sure to allow natural light, as well as manufactured light to be part of the small space. Light can also be added to bookshelves, corners of the room or to showcase artwork. Light is also a consideration when selected curtains. Most professional designers recommend using sheer draperies that will allow as much light into the room as possible. Sheer drapes also have the ability to reduce the feeling of clutter and weight that the room is decorated with.

The colors of the room that are selected can be transferred to upholstery, as well as large pieces of furniture. When covering upholstered furniture, it is best to either use a complimentary shade of the wall paint, or use neutral tones that are solid, not in floral patterns. The more simplified the colors of the upholstery are the less “busy” and cluttered the room will feel. Splashes of color can be added with accessories, such as pillows if needed.