If you live in a small apartment or have a particularly small room in your home, you might feel physically confined and aesthetically restrained. Thankfully, there are ways to make your room look bigger and capitalise on the space you do have (without knocking holes in walls). Small rooms can be narrow, have low ceilings or be a combination of both, and there are a number of ways to address these constraints.

Below are a few simple tips to expand your space and design possibilities.

Pick Your Finish

There are a variety of ways paint and other finishes can make your space seem larger, depending on the dimensions of the room. Smaller rooms can be narrow, have low ceilings or a combination of both, and how you finish each of these spaces will have a pronounced impact on how it feels.

Dark finishes will make your space seem small and more cramped. If you have a narrow room and a low ceiling, keeping everything light is the best way to go.

An accent ceiling and wall will help enlarge your space vertically, but is best used in a room with a higher ceiling.

Darker walls and a light ceiling will elongate your room, and can work well in wide spaces with a lower ceiling.

Light finishes don’t always have to be pure white - any light or neutral colour that isn’t very saturated can be used and will still have a positive impact on the size of the space - experiment with feature colours following the guidelines above. A top tip for all configurations is keeping trims (skirting, cornices and architraves) lighter than your wall colour, which will make your walls seem further away.

Make a Perimeter

A quick and easy way make your room feel larger is to select furniture and storage with a minimal profile and arrange these items around the perimeter of the room. Sleeker profiles which take up minimal space will give the illusion of a larger room, and keeping the center of your space empty will make it feel more substantial and less cramped.

Use furniture and decorative items to draw attention away from the size of the space, placing focus on its contents.In rooms with low ceilings, create the illusion of height by contrasting full height storage with low set furniture. Tall storage is also useful in narrow spaces where it is important to draw the eyes up and emphasise the height of the room. This can also be achieved by installing sweeping vertical artworks on walls and feature elements on the ceiling (pendant lighting, hanging plants, exposed beams, decorative ceiling tiles).

KEEP FURNITURE AND STORAGE MINIMALIST AND POSITIONED AROUND THE PERIMETER

*Interior decor by Casulo*

Let There Be Light

Brightening your space, using natural or artificial light, will make it seem larger and more open. If you have a small room with little to no natural light, it is worth seeing if a window can (and should) be installed. If that’s not possible, or you are looking for a less time and money consuming solution, installing a solar-powered LED skylight is a cost efficient and effective way to create a natural open feel in your home.

If you have a low ceiling, avoid using pendant lights in the center of your room as they will make the entire space feel squat. If you want to use a pendant, take it to the corner of the room which will elongate the space. Wall lights are also a good alternative to decorative pendants in rooms with low ceilings.

Mirror, Mirror…

Mirrors in narrow rooms create an illusion of width and additional space, as well as being a functional decorative element. In narrow rooms with higher ceilings make the most of the height and wall space to add a larger mirror. Larger mirrors will result in a more convincing sense of additional space, however may make a room with a lower ceiling appear cramped. Spaces with lower ceilings are perfect for wall mounted mirrors or narrow mirrors that extend full height, creating the illusion of a higher ceiling.

*Lynda Gardener’s Room + Board, Daylesford - by Marnie Hawson.*

As with all design, a lot of your choices will be based on personal preference and style, but it is important to be aware of spatial and physiological factors that can impact the feel and experience of your space. We hope this little guide helps you, and we are always happy to help if you need!