10 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Feel Bigger

Whether you’re itching for a complete makeover or want to refine your current style, turning your home into a true sanctuary where you enjoy being is an absolute must. As we’ve all had to become accustomed to spending more time at home, ensuring that our spaces don’t feel stuffy and claustrophobic has become increasingly important.

Extensions can be expensive and lengthy projects, so physically making your home bigger is certainly not the answer for everyone. However, there are some brilliant interior design tips you can utilise to make your house feel bigger and more open.

You can also check out our interior design ideas for small bedrooms if that is a particular room you’re struggling with.

Lighter Colour Palettes

Darker colours can offer a striking effect, but as light does not reflect particularly well off of them, rooms decorated with darker shades can appear to recede, sometimes creating a more closed-off feeling.

Choosing a lighter colour palette with whites or pale pastels as your base can help open up a room and more effectively bounce light around the space. Combining lighter tones is sure to bring an extra element of airiness and softness to your home.

Mirrors

While we’re on the subject of reflecting light, the clever use of mirrors to enhance the illusion of more space certainly cannot be ignored!

Adding mirrors to smaller spaces is one the easiest and most effective ways of bringing more dimension and openness to an otherwise oppressive-feeling room. Placing a mirror adjacent or opposite to a window is often the best route to go down as this will not only reflect light but will also reflect an outside view.

Remember to remain mindful of where you place mirrors - for example, a reflection of a cluttered corner will have the opposite of the desired effect.

Emphasise Vertical Space

Draw the eye up and create a sense of elongation by emphasising any vertical space and highlighting the height of the walls.

You could do this by installing floor-to-ceiling shelves, vertical wall panels or hanging lights to create clean lines. This idea also creates an enhanced sense of flow and movement.

Reduce Clutter

Clearing the clutter and visual noise is an essential step when it comes to increasing the feeling of space and openness in a room.

Adopting a minimalist approach will help you curate a design that feels cohesive and intentional. Reduce the amount of decor you have on display and arrange it in a way that emphasises the clear space between items. This will further open up the space and give it that airy feeling.

Keep in mind that you should continually edit down your space, discarding anything that doesn’t get used or contributes to a stuffy, cluttered feel.

Strategic Lighting

Consider the kind of lighting that is going to work for your space - harsh lighting will make your room feel more enclosed. A mix-match of smaller lights positioned around the room can be a great way of ensuring every corner is illuminated without the need for larger, intrusive lights.

Wall sconces, slender pendants or recessed lights are excellent options for diffusing light around a room, creating more depth and a softer ambience.

 

Forgo Curtains

Heavy textiles and curtains can weigh down a space and prevent natural light from being projected around the whole room, even if they only cover the window slightly. Bigger curtains or drapes can also introduce the feeling of clutter back into your space.

Opting out of curtains helps you retain that lightness and projects a sense of simplicity. If you need the privacy that curtains can give, consider blinds or lighter weight materials to avoid closing off your space.

Scaled-Down Furniture

Pay attention to proportions when it comes to choosing and placing furniture in smaller spaces. Consider what is best suited to the space.

You don’t need to stay away from larger pieces completely - combining one large statement piece with smaller elements will create a striking look without overcrowding your room. When deciding on the layout of furniture, make sure that none of the pieces overlap and you are not blocking any walkways.

Leaving a bit of room between furniture and the wall will help create a sense of roominess as air and light will be able to flow through the space more effectively.

Low Furniture

Choosing furniture that is low to the ground is another brilliant way to establish openness and create a more extensive space.

When a sofa, bed or coffee table is closer to the ground, you have more space above it which, again, draws the eye up and leaves a room feeling less cluttered.

Midcentury or elegant 19th-century furniture will often have lower profiles so are perfect to embrace for this approach.

Wall Art

Gallery walls may be trendy, but in smaller spaces, they can contribute to a sense of clutter and prevent a room from feeling spacious. Instead of displaying lots of little frames, photos or paintings, opt for one or two statement pieces, leaving plenty of blank wall space around your chosen art.

Hanging any wall art at eye level will also create the illusion of increased upward space and help make your rooms feel taller.

Keep it Simple

Ultimately, keeping your interiors simple is one of the best ways to make your home feel bigger. Smaller spaces benefit from being decorated concisely - avoid bold patterns, rich textures, bright colours and too many accessories as these elements will only take up space and leave you with a room that’s too overcrowded.

Be intentional with your choices and use pieces that work well together and contribute to those all-important feelings of lightness and openness.

Whether you want to create the feeling of more space in your bedroom, living room, kitchen or anywhere else throughout the house, there are plenty of ways to achieve this goal! Hopefully, we have given you a place to start.

Discover our guide for more home interior ideas.

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