If you’re like me and have lived in, or are currently experiencing life in an apartment, then you know how important it is to maximize your living space. Even if you don’t have a lot of room to work with, there are a lot of things you can do to make small spaces look bigger. 

Follow these tips and you’ll be surprised at how much of a difference they’ll make to the overall feel of your home!

1. USE LIGHT-COLOURED PAINT

White or light-coloured paint is probably the easiest trick that can make a room look larger than it is. Consider choosing a neutral colour theme. Your eyes won’t be drawn into the corners and edges of a room like they would if it was painted a darker colour and the space will feel bright and inviting, too!

2. PAINT THE CEILINGS A LIGHT COLOUR

Keeping with the theme, light-coloured ceilings reflect light and make the room’s walls look higher than they are. Choose a nice, semi-gloss paint for your ceiling to complete the look.

3. KEEP YOUR FURNITURE LIGHT AND LINED UP 

The furniture doesn’t need to be light coloured. What I’m referring to here is light in build. Look to add furniture with straight, clean lines. You could also add a couple of bistro chairs to tie it all together. 

Furniture with long legs looks spacious and lends that sense of space to the room. A leather sofa with a flatter back and cushions, or a sectional lining two walls of the living room would be a great example of furniture that blends into the space. It’s a much better option than a large and bulky couch that takes up room.

4. UTILIZE CONTRASTING COLOURS

Now that I’ve touched on some of the types of furniture that work well when you want to open up a space or make it feel bigger, it’s time to match up the colours to help with this. Contrasting colours like white walls and a black sectional or a wood table in the dining room with blue or green chairs draw the eye in as a focal point and the neutral colours around it will open up the room.

5. HAVE THE WALLS MATCH THE FURNITURE IN THE BEDROOM

If your bedroom feels crowded, consider painting the walls in the same colour theme as the bed frame to open up the room a bit. When the walls blend in with the furniture, it’s easier on the eyes and the lack of space isn’t the focal point of the room.

All in all, a room tends to look larger when the woodwork matches the colour of the walls. This is also true when you’re talking about window treatments.

6. BRING IN THE OUTDOORS

This may sound simple, but allowing as much light into a room as you can really opens up the space. Ditch the bulky curtains on the windows and keep the blinds up when it’s sunny outside. If you have some trees and nice landscaping in your view, this pop of bright-green colour is a welcome addition when you can see it all from inside. 

There are other ways you can add to that lush, outdoorsy feel in your home. Consider adding green tablecloths, napkins, even a green dishpan and dish drain. A herb garden on a windowsill or a hanging plant at the corner of a room is another nice touch that connects the backyard feel to your home and opens up the space.

7. USE MIRRORS

Adding a mirror on a wall or a standing mirror is a surprisingly easy way to make a room appear larger than it is. When you and your guests see the reflection of the space, the “double vision” has you thinking the room continues on behind the wall. A mirror with an elegant frame also serves as a nice finishing touch on a room’s decor.

8. DECLUTTER

Naturally, clutter will make a small room seem even smaller. If you haven’t used an item or even thought about it after a year, get rid of it. List it on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace, have a yard sale, donate it, or give it to a family member who will appreciate it more. This applies to furniture, kitchen tools, knick-knacks, books, sports equipment – whatever it is. 

The money you get from selling unused items can be put to good use on some of these tips, like a fresh coat of paint to open up your living space!

9. OPT FOR MULTI-PURPOSE FURNITURE

Benches and ottomans make great storage spaces as well as seats! Find pieces where the top opens up so you can store items that you don’t use often in them. Open shelving and cabinets with square slots for cubbies are perfect for the living room. You can store most of what you need as close to the wall as possible, leaving empty spaces for plants or other decorative items. This allows you to keep as much free space as possible around you.

I hope you find these tips helpful in your home and create the feeling of more space where you want it. While some of these decor and design tricks may not seem like much by themselves, they really do make small spaces look bigger. When you add them together you’ll see a noticeable difference and wish you did it sooner!

Originally published Aug 14, 2017; updated Jan 6, 2023

Author: Casey C.

I enjoy long walks on the beach...just kidding. Diehard Oilers Fan (#SorryNotSorry). Old Man Millennial.