Decorating a small room can feel a lot like playing Tetris. Furniture pieces pile in and you have the pressure of slotting them into the right places. It takes a lot of imagination and a few rounds of rolling out the tape measure to get it right, but without a little extra consideration, it can quickly become a jumbled, crowded mess.
Proportions, materials, colors, and the illusions certain items emanate are all useful features to consider when shopping around. An acrylic side table, for example, blends into a room and tricks the eye into thinking there’s more space. A great couch on the other hand can properly fill the length of a living room wall and prevent any overcrowding that can happen when a room is stuffed with too many items.
Picking decor based on this can steer you clear of creating a space that feels limited by square footage and restricted by decor that’s not cut out for a room of its size. The following items are useful in making small areas feel larger. Though they don’t necessarily eke out more square footage, they certainly give the impression that they do.
Wade Logan Fiedler Accent Mirror
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Wayfair
Reflecting light around a space is a great way to open it up, and there’s nothing better than a mirror to do so. Because of its reflective surface, it not only brightens the walls and contents of the room, but it makes the overall space appear larger, too, by giving the illusion that the space continues further. Floor-length mirrors excel at this, but hanging a smaller one above a mantel or console table in an entryway can provide the same effect.
Highland Dunes Palermo Jute/Sisal Area Rug in Off White
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Wayfair
The key to finding a rug that makes your space feel bigger is getting the dimensions right. A rug that’s too big for a room can draw attention to its more compact size and can feel superfluous (wall-to-wall carpeting is a different story thanks to its continuity). But don’t assume a tiny rug will make everything else feel bigger—this can often cause a space to look strangely proportioned…
