12 Styling Tricks That Will Make Your Small Living Room Feel Bigger
No one wants to feel cramped in their living space, especially after a long day of work. A roomy, spacious living room can make your place feel more inviting and be much easier to move around, especially if you have company.
But what if you don’t have a large space to begin with? With these 12 brilliant styling tricks, you can make your living room feel larger than life!
Paint Your Walls
If you can only change one thing about your living room, paint the walls a light neutral shade. Light colours make rooms feel bigger while dark colors have a way of closing in on you.
Painting the trim, moldings and baseboard in the same shade will also visually add height to any space, which also helps to make a room feel bigger. If you’re renting, try peel-and-stick wallpaper in a light pattern for the same effect.
Give Your Ceiling a Makeover
Using a shade of paint on the ceiling that’s lighter than your walls will bring your eyes upwards and make a room feel much larger. If painting isn’t your thing, hire a pro (or bribe a couple of friends with a pizza!)
If you’re renting, try using a solid peel-and-stick wallpaper on the ceiling for the same effect, without the mess!
Floor It
Changing the flooring in your living room can make a big impact. Apply any new flooring diagonally—whether wood, laminate or stone—for a huge visual impact. If your walls are already light, choose dark flooring to make your room look even bigger.
Add a Large Accent Rug
Accent rugs in light tones can make a small room feel more spacious by tricking your eyes into thinking your room is bigger than it is. If your home is open-concept, a large rug will also help define your living room as its own space.
Raise the Ceiling
If your living room has windows, making a few simple tweaks will not only make your windows look nicer but will also make your room feel larger. Hang your curtain rods as close to the ceiling as possible, then add a set of extra-long curtains in a light colour or simple pattern, ensuring they drape all the way to your floor. Doing so gives any room the illusion of being taller and makes it feel larger.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Large mirrors are perfect for small spaces. They double as wall decor and natural light reflectors. Mount mirrors directly across from light sources, such as windows or lamps, to make a small space brighter and feel larger. Go for a thin yet ornate frame for extra opulence or frameless to have the mirror
Mount Light Fixtures
Large or heavily ornamented light fixtures and lampshades visually fill a room and make it feel smaller. Limit your funky light fixtures to one accent piece and use narrow light fixtures or fixtures with clean, minimal lines if more than one light source is needed.
Lighten up Your Funiture
Squishy, shapeless couches and heavy coffee tables with blocky legs eat up a lot of space in a living. Switching to comfortable yet smaller pieces—such as a modular or MCM-style couch lower to the ground and tables with clean lines and thin legs—opens up a room.
Better yet, eliminate your coffee table altogether and add a couple of C-shaped console tables to the ends of your couches to maximize your open floor space! If you’re trying to stick to a budget, look for companies that offer open-box items. Check your local Facebook marketplace or Kijiji—there are so many hidden gems online!
Be Mindful of Your Walls
Gallery walls might be a tried-and-true way to display photos, but having too many frames on one wall, especially if they don’t have a common element, can make it feel smaller. Instead, put up one large framed photo, print or paint to make your wall—and your living space—feel larger.
Declutter Your Space
Having what feels like a million items covering your usable surfaces in a room makes it feel cluttered and small. Start by clearing off commonly-used spaces, such as coffee and console tables. Then clear your shelves (if you have any) of any decor. When adding pieces back into your space, ask yourself whether you want to keep it in the living room, if it would be better suited to another room, or if you want to donate/get rid of it completely.
Think Vertical
If you don’t have a lot of storage space in your home, look for storage pieces that draw the eye up, such as floating shelves or bookcases. Opt for lighter wood or paint items to match your walls for a seamless effect.
Hide It in a Basket
Large woven baskets aren’t just a piece of decor, they also help to disguise messy areas of your living room. Use baskets for items that you might not want on full display, such as blankets, toys, and throw pillows.
