Sometimes a small room can feel like a cave rather than a comfortable retreat. If natural light, plenty of storage, and the right color palette are missing, the space can be dark and uncomfortable. But with the right techniques, even the smallest room can be much more functional and look larger. Discover our design tips for visually enlarging a small room.
Optical enlargement for a small room – the perfect example
Shor Home
This small room has everything. The small bed, with additional storage below, makes the room feel like a living room instead of a bedroom, without losing warmth. The bedside table and lamp are mounted on the wall to maximize every inch of space. A classic acrylic chair offers an extra seat while visually disappearing.
1 Built-in wall shelves for setting up a small room
Jeanne Finnerty
Built-in shelves in a niche can help you make the most of the space. Choose shelves that are no more than 12 cm deep. The units work as bedside tables, eliminating the need for additional furniture. Arrange them so the bed does not lose its place in the center. You can paint the back wall in a contrasting color to create depth. If the shelves reach the ceiling, they can visually increase the room’s height.
2 Let natural light flood into the room.
Shannon Malone
If the bed is in front of the window, you can enjoy maximum sunlight. Try a bed with a metal frame and a transparent headboard.
3 Closet doors with mirrors.
JADO DECOR PTY LTD
Using a mirror, you can visually double the space. This trick has been used for centuries. For a small room, choose a wardrobe with mirrored doors. The effect is best if the mirrors extend from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.
4 Use a modern sofa bed instead.
Chandos Interiors
A sofa bed can help create the illusion that the room is a small sitting area rather than a small bedroom dominated by a large bed. The sofa often offers additional storage space, another asset for a small room.
5 Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls to enlarge a small room.
Baxter Interiors
This can help erase the lines that visually define a space. A white ceiling above dark walls immediately frames the space and lets the eye notice the room’s size. Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls softens that boundary.
6 Pendant lamps
Natalia Skobkina
Do not overload the bedside table with large or oversized lamps. Instead, mount pendant lamps. Remember to measure the height carefully, especially if they hang fairly low.
7 Wall shelves next to the bed.
Michelle Hinckley
A bedside table can take up a lot of space in a small room, but a wall shelf on one side of the bed can give the room an open atmosphere and additional living space.
Large wall mirror
White wall color and wardrobe with mirrors
Narrow room with an accent wall
Anna Lohan
miranda_shida
Taus Kishiev
