A blue paper house appears larger under a magnifying glass among white model houses.

11 Design Tips to Make a Room Look Bigger

When it's time to show your home, you need to make sure it looks as big, light, airy, and spacious as possible. Even when a buyer is looking for a "cozy" space, they don't want it to feel small. Help your home sell faster by following these great tips by this awesome local interior designer, Simrin Nichole Interiors. -Ronel

Decorating and furnishing a small space can seem like an impossible task, with a few of these quick and easy design tips from Simrin Nichole Interiors you can create a beautiful, open and inviting space no matter the size.

1. Eye to the Sky

Paint or wallpaper the ceiling to draw the eye upward. Too often we forget about that 5th wall in a space. Instead of an accent wall use the ceiling as a canvas to draw attention.

Compact white home office with a navy armchair, geometric ceiling, and gold starburst chandelier.

Selectblinds.com

2. Soft and Sophisticated

Use lighter paint colors on the walls to make the room appear more spacious. Light and neutral colors used within similar color tones throughout, create optical illusions of more space. Example: use gray neutral tone fabrics and continue with similar colors of different tone in your rug on the floor.

Bright living room with a gray sectional, built-in shelves, and two patterned ottomans.

Grayscale Neutral Coloring

3. Off the wall design

If inches allow, try pulling your furniture away from the wall to create the illusion of more space. Pushing everything against the wall can make everything looked cramped, or can even have the opposite effect of making all your furniture appear way too small or sparse in a larger space. Find ways to still create usable space, add a long sofa table between the wall and your sofa this will create more storage and a usable surface but still appear off the wall from a distance.

Living room with a gray sofa beside a console table decorated with blue hydrangeas and candles.

Try this DIY Sofa Table

4. Two for one

In the small space you do have, use multi purpose items. Coffee tables, ottomans, and tv stands that double as storage will allow you to remove clutter and minimize the pieces of furniture you fill the room with.

Light upholstered seating with a raised tabletop revealing hidden storage in a furnished living room.

Crate and Barrel Lounge II Storage Ottoman

5. Long lines (without the wait)

Hang curtains closer to the ceiling rather than the window casing, to draw the eye upward. This creates a longer line and makes the ceilings appear taller. Long curtain panels from floor to ceiling add a finished elegant look to any space.

Living room with a beige sectional, neutral cushions, and a tall bright window with taupe curtains.

6. Fill up on things you love

Choose fewer amazing furniture pieces that fill the room rather than multiple smaller pieces. This surprisingly reduces the look of clutter and makes the room feel larger.

Bright living room with a gray sofa, teal striped rug, and large abstract artwork.

7. Show off them legs

Furniture with exposed legs are perfect for small spaces and give an illusion of more floor space. Boxy furniture appears “heavy” and bulky and allows for no line of sight beyond the furniture. This cuts the floor line short of the already small space you have to work with.

Light gray two-seat sofa with squared arms and dark tapered legs.

YES to this style

Room & Board Modern Furniture Campbell Sofa

Red-orange two-seat sofa with broad cushions and low arms.

NO to this style

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams GiGi Skirted Sofa 

8. Stripe up your life

Use stripes to elongate a room. Either on the floor in a beautiful striped rug or on the walls in your curtain panels. A striped rug will help elongate the floor space. Position the rug so that the stripes line up with the longer direction of the room. If using stripes in your curtain panels use vertical stripes to elongate the floor to ceiling line.

Bright living room with a white sectional, striped rug, and wall of bookshelves.

Decoraid.com

9. From the Window to the Wall...

Open up window coverings daily to allow light in and create more depth to your space. Use window coverings such as faux wood blinds that can be opened easily to let light in. Or a cellular shade that can be pulled tight to the top of the window almost disappearing. Keep all window coverings the same throughout the space. Choose a color that is fairly similar to the wall color. This allows your window treatment to blend in with the wall instead of causing contrast. Stark contrast causes the eye to stop and can make the room appear even smaller.

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Selectblinds.com

10. Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Hang mirrors adjacent to a window. Reflect light into the space and create an illusion that there is more to the room beyond that wall.

Living room with a blush-pink sofa, a HOME pillow, and a blue upholstered ottoman.

11. Fake it Until you Make it

Light, open, or translucent furniture fake the appearance of more space. Being able to see through or beyond a piece gives the appearance of more space.

Living room with a glass coffee table, cream sofa, pale rug, and daylight from a large window.

All Modern Liberty Coffee Table

Smiling woman standing in an open blue front doorway.

Simrin Herrington

Simrin Nichole Interiors

Simrin is an Interior Designer providing beautiful and quality design work to Eastern NC. Services include design & color consultations, home staging, finish selections, remodels, interior furnishing & accessorizing, and much more.

Need help executing these great ideas?

Contact me today to set up your Design consultation.

For more inspiration and advice, follow Simrin on social media.

Instagram: @simrinnicholeinteriors

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Ronel brings a bulldog mindset to real estate, combining international sales experience with local expertise to win the best deals. Backed by a dedicated team, Ronel keeps your property visible and competitive. Ready to move? Contact Ronel today right now.

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