Small rooms are the bane of any interior designer or proud homeowner that wants to maximise the space available to them. Small rooms can be quite off-putting and can make or break the sale of a house if that is your end goal. But what can you do without demolishing and rebuilding an entire room? Well, luckily there are a few covert methods you can use to grant an effective illusion of size to any viewer and make a room appear much larger than it actually is.
Make the room brighter
Making a room brighter through whatever method you deem the best for you adds an airy and light quality that grants the appearance of size. Consider adding lighter furniture or re-painting the room a lighter colour to reflect more light back into it. For those with a bigger budget or who possibly are renovating consider adding a new window or, if possible, roof lanterns to the build. The added light goes a long way to making a room seem larger than it is and this is especially useful when putting a house up for sale.
Hidden storage
Large storage items can take away vital floor space from your room especially when you are already struggling to place your furniture. In this case, look for furniture with extra storage built in such as sofas with hidden drawers underneath. Having chairs built into small corners of the room allows you to build storage options into them more easily and means you can save on vital floor real-estate.
Smaller furniture
If you have a small room you want to make larger, it is advisable you don’t fill it to the brim with overpowering furniture. Larger furniture that just barely fits in is going to scream lack of space. If you planned on a 3 seater sofa, use a 2 seater. Try not to have large cupboards and chairs where you can help it. The larger your furniture and the more you have, the more cluttered the room becomes, the smaller it looks.
Go vertical
Instead of having furniture that goes out, have furniture that goes up. Emphasise the vertical height of the room with taller shelving units or centrepieces. If you add emphasis on the fact a room is tall and remove the focus from the lack of floor space, you can add depth and space to a room that is severely lacking it. Think of a tall ship. It may not be the widest vessel on the ocean, but the over-emphasised height can make the smallest boat look huge.
Don’t use blocky furniture
Tables and chairs that block out more of the light contribute to the lack of size in the room. If you use furniture that has more leg and less block and allows you to see more of the floor space, you can create a more effective illusion of size. By blocking the view of the floor space you are cutting off light and air moving around the room. The moor of the floor you can see, the larger the room will appear.