Easy Tips for Spacious Small Rooms

The smaller rooms in your home are often the best for creating a cozy environment, but they're also the easiest to clutter. If you want to keep your smaller spaces cozy—yet comfortable—work toward creating a more open atmosphere. Discover our quick and easy tips for making your smaller rooms more spacious—no bulldozers required.

Lighten up. When choosing a color scheme for a small room, go with light and cool pastels, such as blue and green. Lighter shades actually reflect the light, while dark colors absorb it—making your room appear smaller than it really is. Another tip to keep in mind: Once you pick a color, stick to it. This is especially important when selecting accent pieces for your space. Keep throw pillows, vases, and other decorative elements in the same tone as your wall color. It's okay to alternate the shade, but being consistent with one color will balance out your room, thus making it appear larger.

Go big with wall décor. Instead of hanging several small picture frames on your wall, choose one big piece. To really increase a room's size, use mirrors rather than artwork as wall coverings. Mirrors reflect color, light, and images, and will help create the illusion of more space.

Cut down on clutter. Nothing congests a room like piles of clutter. And not just miscellaneous pieces of junk mail and old magazines—too many accessories can instantly clutter a small space as well. To make your room appear larger, limit the number of decorative accent pieces and keep the miscellaneous clutter to an absolute minimum.

Minimize contrast. If you enjoy decorating with prints, the only rule to keep in mind in a small space is: One works best. Just as color can increase the size of a room, uniform patterns will have the same effect. Decorate your couch, curtains, and throw pillows using one harmonious theme. Your blended furnishings will help maximize the space.

Smart seating arrangements. When deciding between a large couch and a snug love seat, think of what else you plan to add to the room. If you decide on a big, comfy couch, keep the rest of the furniture in the room to a minimum. If you go with a small but cozy love seat, it's likely you'll have space for more seating arrangements, but placement is important. To fit additional seating without occupying too much space, arrange a few chairs against the wall, and pull them toward your main seating area when entertaining guests.

Stow away space. Look for furniture that expands when you need it and shrinks when you don’t. Try a drop-leaf table or a table that folds out from the wall for a space-saving work area.

Go with glass—tables, that is. Not only are glass tables modern and fashionable, but their transparency makes the room feel larger. Whether you're adding an end table or a dining room table, go with glass to make your space appear more open. The idea being, the more you can see through a space, the more open it appears.

Maintain a sense of stability. A key factor in making your space appear larger is balance. This idea of balance comes into play with every element—from selecting a room color to finding furniture. This is the final component that will tie the rest of your room together, creating a spacious haven for you and your family to enjoy.

Follow these tips to make a small room feel more organized, put together, and—most importantly—more spacious!