Surprising Tricks Designers Use To Make A Room Look Bigger

If you have a small space you want to feel bigger, you may think lighter colors and smaller furniture will help. But expert interior designers know what really works to create the feel of a larger space and their hacks are pretty unexpected.

Here are the top room-expanding tricks from designers you probably haven’t tried because they really sound counterintuitive.

• Choose bigger prints for wallpaper – While most of us probably never considered wallpaper’s ability to enhance the feeling of space, interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard knows all about it. He says he loves the comeback wallpaper is enjoying and that using big prints in little spaces can help it feel bigger. “In a small room, you can add a very large pattern and actually feel like you’re increasing the size of a room,” he explains. “Wallpaper can add architecture.”
• Use maximum-size furniture even in small spaces – Interior designer Justin Charette likes to use the biggest size furniture he can fit, no matter how small the room is. “In all spaces no matter the size I like to select furniture that’s the maximum size. Especially in regard to the length of the pieces,” he explains. Charette says that depth is what creates a bulkier look, which you want to avoid in a small room, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t use the full-length of the space.
• Use reflective surfaces beyond mirrors – Decorating with mirrors can create the illusion of space by reflecting the light, but Bullard stresses that it’s not just mirrors that do the trick. He suggests adding reflective items like a metallic side table, sculpture, frame or even wallpaper to add light and depth to a small, dark room. He explains, “A metallic wallpaper on the ceiling in a dark room will not only bring in light, it’ll raise the height of the ceiling.”

Source: Living Etc