How to make a small room feel larger

Maybe you have a Texas-sized house. Or maybe, like many of us with older homes, you are crammed into your little box like sardines. If it is the latter, this post is for you!

How to make a small room feel larger

Okay, so full discloser, you aren’t actually going to gain square footage by doing any of the following things, BUT you will create the feeling of more space, which can be a total game-changer in how you perceive your small interior.

I also want to say there is a TON you can do in terms of editing and organizing what’s in your home, but this post is not going to focus on that. This is more about smoke-and-mirrors design tricks to enhance your expanse ;) I highly recommend hiring a professional organizer to help you declutter and make your house as efficient as possible. Without this, it won’t matter what else you do, so that’s step #1.

Do one or all of the following tips and you might just feel like you have more space than you ever needed!

2. Paint trim and doors to match walls

Why? Because this creates an uninterrupted visual flow in the room. It allows you to bring the focus to one statement piece, like in this case the headboard, while everything else melts into the background.

painting the trim and doors the same as the wall

3. Paint the ceiling the same as the wall color

Why? Similar to above, this is going to create a feeling of height in the room as your perception of where the wall ends and ceiling begins is less jarring than if they were different colors.

painting the ceiling the same color as the walls

See more of this room

4. Add a mirror

Why? Mirrors are like windows, or should I say portals? They add sight-lines and create depth, while also bouncing light around in a room. Your eye doesn’t stop at the wall, but rather extends beyond it.

See more of this room

The bigger the mirror, the more spacious a room will feel. In fact, I think it’s a great idea to use a large wall or floor mirror in a small room!

5. Fake a tres ceiling

Why? This is a little trick I tried with tape and it did wonders at elevating the short ceiling height. Rather than noticing where the ceiling actually begins, you first notice the white “tres ceiling”.

See how I did it here

6. Use roman shades rather than drapes

Why? This exposes more of the wall and floor which will always make a room feel larger. Often, I will use drapes for clients with big open spaces for the exact opposite reason!

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7. Use a solid colored rug that extends almost to the edges of the walls.

Why? Rather than using a rug that exposes much of the flooring underneath, a rug that takes up most of the floor space will create less contrast. Also, a solid colored rug is going to create an open, airy feeling whereas patterns tend to create more movement/tension in a room, which can make it feel more full.

Neutral dining room with sisal rug under table and bent wood chairs

8. Ditch the rug altogether

Why? That extra layer, even if it is a neutral, solid color, is still a breaking point in your visual lines from wall to floor. Try removing a rug in your room and watch it instantly expand. Now, I’m not saying this is always the best choice - rugs provide comfort, among many other advantages, but in a room you can tolerate it, losing the rug might be just the thing it needs!

white eat-in kitchen with black grid windows

9. Go Dark

Why? Contrary to popular opinion, a dark color can actually make a room feel larger as it confuses depth perception. Lighter colors tend to make it more obvious where walls begin and end, whereas it is not as immediately clear with a dark color that’s absorbing light, rather than reflecting it.

10. Remove the popcorn ceiling

Why? This little bit of texture may not seem like much, but removing it makes the ceiling feel so much higher by reflecting more light in the room and removing that added movement the texture brings.