9 Tips to make a Small Room Look Bigger

Almost every house has a small room that they wished look bigger. Whether it’s the box bedroom, being used as a study or just a small living space, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can help you to make the room appear and feel larger than it is.

However, this doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag! There are a few cheap and easy décor tips that will help a small room bigger.

In this post, we’ve compiled nine of the easiest (and possibly the cheapest) ways to cheat your home to a bigger space.

1. Teaming light colours with patterns

It’s perfect science that light colours reflect light and patterns draw the eye in. Paint walls in light, bright colours to make the ceiling appear higher and use patterns in accessories to add personality and make the room feel larger.

2. Stripes can work wonders!

The same rule applies to interiors as it does in fashion. Thin stripes give the appearance of stretching, vertical stripes will make a room appear taller and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider. Consider applying striped wallpaper to not only create an illusion of more space but to create a simplistic feature wall.

3. Hang wall accessories higher

This décor tip is a super quick fix for making a small room look bigger! Put wall hangings a couple of centimetres higher than you would usually expect to see them. This will create the illusion that the walls are ever so slightly taller than they actually are.  

4. Use repeat patterns

Believe it or not, we’re going to suggest totally opposite to painting walls and floors with a basic, light colour. Repeat patterns are another great illusion of making something look bigger than it actually is. If you’re going to create a feature wall, consider using it to make the room look larger by choosing a patterned wallpaper.

Mural in image: Nouveau Reflection

5. Frame the window

Moving on from your walls and floors, consider styling to frame your window. When trying to make a room look larger, patterned curtains can be a bad idea for two reasons. They can draw attention to the size of a small window making the room appear smaller than it actually is – YIKES!

The second reason is that causing a break in the pattern of the wall can also make the wall look smaller. We don’t want to draw attention to the window, just accentuate it. To combat this, choose curtains that are a colour similar to your wall, or skip them altogether and use an alternative light blocking method like blinds. Shutters, in particular, are totally on-trend!

6. Use dramatic wall murals to add depth and detail

Murals are a great way to make a wall appear larger and make it appear as if there is more ‘going on’ in a space than there really is. The best types of murals to use in this instance are 3D wall murals as they are great for creating depth.

Take this Into The Distance mural. Not only do we love that it’s a black and white timeless wallpaper, but it’s simply mesmerising. We can’t help but feel drawn into it!

7. Large mirrors reflect a whole lot more beauty

Ok, so this may be the most obvious tip but that’s why we couldn’t miss it out. A large mirror is an easy (and cheap) way to create the illusion of a bigger room. Hanging it onto the wall will reflect the room and its light making it instantly appear bigger.  

8. Separate open plan spaces with rugs

Open plan spaces are a great way of opening up small rooms. However, to ensure you don’t lose two rooms by making it into one room, use rugs to create separate areas in the room. Creating separate areas in the room will give the appearance of more space and functionality.

9. See through glass

This may be a little tricky if you have small children. Small room furnishings like coffee tables and end tables can look cluttered and chunky. Glass furniture is not only contemporary, but its transparency will make sure it takes up less space, providing it’s not over-styled.

We hope we’ve inspired you into making your small room look bigger! We’d love to hear your cheap and easy décor tips for extending your room in the comments box below. Alternatively, if you liked this blog post, you might want to read our post on styling a map mural.