Simple Ways to Open Up Smaller Rooms

Making your home appear larger isn’t only possible through costly renovations and additions. With a little creativity, there are many ways to make your existing home feel roomier without breaking the bank. A little paint color, natural light, and shelving can turn a cramped room into an open, airy oasis. Here are our top three tips for simple ways to open up smaller rooms.

Careful Paint Selection

Paint color has the power to completely transform a room’s appearance. Darker colors make a room appear smaller and shadowy, while bright colors make a room feel bigger. This applies to not only the walls but also the ceiling and floors. Cool tones like soft blue and green will have the most noticeable effect on opening up the room. Using a combination of paint colors, like a pale blue on the walls and ivory on the ceiling, will further enhance the illusion of a larger space.

Strategic Lighting Choices

Similar to paint color, a room’s lighting also has the power to make it appear larger or smaller. As a general rule, darker rooms and rooms filled with artificial lighting appear more cramped than rooms with lots of natural light. Large windows are the best way to capture natural light, but you can easily enhance this with a few strategically placed mirrors. Mirrors can be used to great effect, drawing light from outside and making the room appear more extensive than it otherwise would. Several mirrors can be used in combination to create the illusion of a bigger room.

Utilize Vertical Space

Cluttered floors instantly make a room feel tight and cramped. Luckily, it’s easy to put up some bookcases or floating shelves to free up floor space. Installing coat hooks and wall organizers are also affordable, effective ways of utilizing your untapped floor space. Plus, wall features have the added bonus of drawing the viewer’s eye upward, which gives the illusion of higher ceilings and a bigger room. 

Small homes can fill up quickly after placing all the furniture in the right spot and after you might have the feeling of being cramped and cluttered. The good news is that you don’t need to invest in a bigger house or pricey renovations to make your cozy home feel larger and airier. Just a few simple, affordable DIY changes will completely transform your smaller rooms into the wide, open spaces you’ve been dreaming of.

Eliminating clutter is key to opening up your space. Donate your extra stuff to us for a good cause!