(Updated March 24, 2024)
Since I’ve been living in smaller spaces in my past three homes, I’ve learned tricks to help make those small spaces look larger. So I’m about to give you my “make small spaces look larger” decor advice.
There are good reasons why it makes perfect sense to scale down your home and your possessions. There is less housework. And less yard maintenance. Of course there’s less to go wrong. And thus less to pay for.
But how do you make those small spaces look not so tiny?
Don’t gather large pieces of furniture against the wall. You can put a couch in the middle or angle it to allow more space around it.
This will move the eye around the room instead of having a big hole in the middle.
You might think having a large space in the center of the room makes it look larger. But typically the opposite is true.
Living Space:
Consider using a smaller couch in your living room. Or a loveseat instead of a couch.
Choose furniture that has legs so you can see the space underneath. This makes it look less heavy and cumbersome.
Use a coffee table that is open. This takes up less visual space. Use poufs or ottomans as extra seating or as a foot stool.
You can bring green plants in to “visually” round out the room and smooth those angled corners. And let in the light! Light always opens up a space.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you have to always choose small-scale furniture for a smaller sized room. You don’t want your space to resemble a dollhouse.
Kitchen:
In a small kitchen, white wall paint can sometimes be your beset friend. The white paint opens up a kitchen and lightens the room.
White is usually right is my motto. Especially if you live in a rented home and want your deposit back when you leave.
Dining Space Or Eating Area:
A kitchen banquette automatically helps to accommodate more seating while not taking up much space. There is room to see underneath and instead of taking up more space.
The two black chairs have open backs and legs, which makes the seating look less bulky. Open furniture helps to make your small space look larger visually.
Bathroom:
This bathroom is neutral in terms of flooring and cabinetry and wall color. Mirrors expand a space. As do the mirrored insets in the cabinet doors and drawers. This automatically makes small spaces look larger.
A space always looks larger when mirrors reflect space back at you. A small set of shelves is built into the wall to allow more storage space.
Taking The Plunge:
Don’t let the thought of scaling downsizing to a smaller home intimidate you. Purge where you can. Unless you have a use or a great fondness for something, let it go. Move only what you truly love to a new space.
Then, should you die, your loves ones won’t be digging through all the clutter in the attic or basement to decide what to keep or sell or donate.
You can sell those pieces of furniture that you realize you don’t really need. This will beef up your bank account. Consider placing your furniture on Facebook Marketplace.
A smaller space with less possessions takes less time to clean. You’ll have more time to just get out and enjoy life.
And finally, clear the clutter! Toss the useless mail you didn’t ask for as soon as you bring it inside.
Getting rid of stuff makes your spaces look larger without much effort.
Hi. I haven't commented in a long while because we have been moving. My husband found a job back in our hometown in Kentucky and we are so happy to be here. We've rented a small ranch which is the same size as previous homes, under 1200 square feet. But our problem, as usual, is our stuff doesn't fit well in a conventional house with its walls and little rooms. We have a lot of hobby stuff that requires some work tables and shelves. My dream is to have a very small living/kitchen/sleeping area connected to very large garage or loft or barn where all of the hobby stuff could go. In the meantime, I'll visit here for some creative solutions to small space issues.
This is a great post! We have embraced the "less is more" idea and we couldn't be happier! I love the coziness of smaller homes. These idea are so pretty!!
I love white and light. More storage and less clutter are also definite winners. xo Laura
Our home isn't all that big but it's our dream home and to some, it might not seem in the "dream home" category but to us it is and we are thanful. I often think back to one particular house I lived in as a child. Two bedroom, one bath. Probably about 600 sq. ft……maybe, maybe less. It had a front and back screened in porch. I loved playing in that house, especially those porches. I was ages 3 – 10, when we lived there and it was late 1950's to early 1960's. Such a simple time. When I see a house similar to that old house, I tell my husband how I would love to have a house like that for our golden years. Funny what life does. We grow up in some homes that are small, that don't have central heat and air, that had wooden floors instead of fancy carpet and we can't wait to leave. Then when we finally have our "dream home", we want what we use to have. As a teenager, I remember thinking that my friends who lived in brick homes with central heat and a/c and carpet, were rich people!
some great ideas and lovely pictures. Storage always seems to be an issue for us.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the bathroom!
Love the ideas…except I hated my banquette in my kitchen, it's now sitting in my basement hoping someone will buy it off craigslist, I also paid big bucks for it. But I did like the storage it provided. What I didn't like is 1) we like arm chairs, and 2) you can't move them around. My furniture never sits in the same spot more than 3 months. I love the kitchen…love small space posts.
The first pic is the best because they bought curtains to match their kitty! 🙂 🙂
Thought I love that kitchen…to me that is a large kitchen, lol..I'll take it! 🙂
I'm in love with that kitchen.. I am already deleting a few things from mine.. Seems like I went from no decor to too much so I'll scale that back this weekend;
that bathroom is adorable and would sure help you wake up in the mornings.
Brenda…..small is much more comfortable to me than grand. Good photo example choices.
My house isn't all that big and I used to think I wanted a bigger one, but now that I'm older I am glad I don't. I still need to declutter. I started that job some time ago, but got sidetracked and need to get back at it. After seeing what my cousin has to deal with when my aunt and uncle passed last month, I'm determined not to let that happen to my children! He will be months and months going through everything.
Cheryl, I help a friend with her estate sale business. That has opened my eyes to de-cluttering before my kids have to do it someday.
I am in love with that bathroom!! lol..
I loved all these images Brenda!
Growing up in a cluttered house made me not want to have clutter around me. I think that is another way to make a space not look as small as it is. My house is always neat (not always clean) because just a couple things left out make our small space look even smaller.
Adding a window seat, with storage, made a huge difference in our dining room. We have the seating without the clutter of lots of chairs.
Where did you move your buffet?
i love all the pretty ways you shared to enhance a smaller home. I know SO many people that have held on to their large house after they've become empty nesters and it doesn't make any sense to me. Then they complain about how much work there is to maintain it. I like the cozy factor of a smaller home myself. My grandparents did it right though. They both downsized dramatically and were able to enjoy life in their elder years.