Interior decorators reveal 3 ways to make a small room look bigger

By Talia Lakritz, INSIDER

Make the most of your space.

The INSIDER Summary:

• INSIDER spoke to three interior designers about how to make a small space look bigger.
• They suggest creating separate zones in a room to break space up for different uses.
• Large, statement pieces of furniture can make a space look bigger.
• Drawing the eye upward with tall shelves and high curtain rods make a room look more spacious as well.

A small space doesn't have to feel cramped. With the right furniture and layout, even the tiniest of rooms can open up.

INSIDER spoke to three interior designers about how to make a small space look bigger. Here's their expert advice.

Create separate zones

A small sitting area gives the illusion of space.

Caitlin Murray of Black Lacquer Design said that creating different zones for different uses within a room can give the illusion of space.

"It actually makes the space feel bigger if you can layer different purposes in a small area," she said. "It draws your eye to more things, and there's more to take in, but not in a cluttered way."

Fill it with big furniture

Go big or go home.

It might sound counter-intuitive to fill a small space with big pieces, but they'll make it feel roomier.

"You see a lot of 'apartment sized' sofas and stuff out there in the retail world, and I always advise my clients to use the biggest furniture they can," said interior designer Max Humphrey. "It makes the room look bigger, and no one likes laying around on a miniature sofa."

Draw the eye upward

Hang curtains at the ceiling to make the room feel taller.

Holly Hickey Moore said that taller decorative features make a room feel bigger by drawing the eye upward. A few ways to achieve this effect: install high shelving and hang curtain rods above the window frame and closer to the ceiling.

"The whole goal is to draw your eye up in rooms that you want to feel more tall, or more grand or more spacious," she said.


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