Home Improvement

The Art of Arranging Furniture in a Small Space to Make It Look Bigger

Fantastic Team
Published: Sep 29/2020
Last update: Jun 10/2024
4min read
Views: 423

Image source: Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock.com

Are you tired of your tiny living room? Do you barely find space to walk around your bedroom? Don’t want to repaint the room or rip up the floors? Don’t worry! There are several things you can do to make a room look bigger.

All you need to focus on is choosing the right furniture for small spaces and arranging it properly! Luckily, the experts at Fantastic Services are here to let you know just how you can get this done with some helpful tips and tricks.

Table of Contents:

Choosing furniture
Colours and patterns
Lighting
Floors
Arrangement

So, if you:

Have a room in your home that is smaller than you’d like;
Are thinking of arranging furniture in a small space to make it look bigger;
Want to know how your furniture choices can affect the size of your room,

Then keep on reading, because this post is just for you!

Be smart about furniture

Before you even think about buying any furnishings, consider the size of the room. Yes, that king-size bed with the fancy headboard or that giant 7-seat sofa with the soft cushions may look dreamy, but you still need some space left in the room for other essential objects. And besides, you don’t want the place to look cramped, right?

Now that you know what size of objects you can afford to place in the room, it’s time to think about using furniture for small rooms specifically. Luckily, your options are not too limited! There is an abundance of furniture in many different styles that suits any taste and looks great in small rooms, as well. So, here are our tips on how to choose small space furniture:

Multi-functional furniture.
These objects are perfect for small rooms, as they have multiple functions, such as seating, additional storage in a small space, and more. Chests that double as coffee tables, ottomans, beds with storage underneath – all of these are great small room furniture options!
Foldable furniture.
Foldable objects, such as chairs, tables, and wall-mounted folding desks, are an excellent choice for small rooms. When not in use, you can simply fold them and move them out of the way, leaving your room looking open and bigger than it is. An adjustable dining table saves space while still allowing you to extend it and make room for guests.
Furniture with exposed legs.
We love a good exposed-leg sofa or armchair! This type of furniture leaves more of the ground free, creating the illusion of an open and airy space. The same goes for furniture that is closer to the ground, as it leaves more room above it, creating more negative space and making a room look bigger.
Tall furniture for a taller room.
If your ceilings aren’t as high as you’d like, adding floor-to-ceiling bookcases and curtains can make it look taller than it is. Not to mention the extra space a tall bookcase can offer!
See-through furniture.
Glass and other see-through materials can bring a more modern look and create the feeling of more space in a room, as your eye is tricked into thinking there is no object there. Transparent coffee tables and nightstands are a great small space furniture choice. When it comes to fabrics, for example – when you fit curtains, use lightweight or sheer textiles to make the room feel breezy and airy.
Simplistic designs.
To stop the room from looking cluttered or too busy, keep your furniture choices simple or minimalistic. This way, it will be easier for the eye to travel across the room without too many interruptions.
Less is more.
Speaking of keeping things simple, a few larger pieces of furniture or decor are better than many small ones. A bunch of objects will only add to the visual clutter, making it feel cramped, busy, and tiny.

Colours and patterns and textures, oh my!

Colours and patterns are essential when it comes to making a room look bigger. Generally, it is known that lighter colours can make a tiny room look larger, as they reflect more light. Dark shades, on the other hand, absorb that light and can make a space feel smaller and stuffy. So, keep these tips in mind when choosing the colour of furniture for small rooms:

Opt for monochrome.
Keeping your furniture the same colour as your walls will create the illusion of an open space, as the eye will effortlessly glide across the room without unnecessary interruptions.
Embrace contrast.
If you have dark floors and/or walls and aren’t willing to change them, then light-coloured furniture is a must! If you choose darker tones for small space furniture, the room will close up, looking smaller than it actually is. Additionally, light-coloured artwork looks great on dark walls and helps brighten up the room.
Be wise with patterns and textures.
When picking patterns for furniture for small rooms, choose sparingly and opt for small or seamless ones. Leave the large prints for accent pieces, such as cushions or lampshades. Don’t go crazy with many different patterns, either, as they can clash and make the room look tiny. If prints are too harsh for you, textures are a great alternative that can breathe some life into an otherwise dull space.

Let the light shine bright

Lighting is crucial to a small room – it can make it feel bright, open and airy. There are several tricks you can use to improve the lighting and make a room look bigger than it is.

Ditch the curtains.
Leaving your windows uncovered by curtains or blinds will not only let in more natural light, but it will also make it seem open and therefore – larger. Or if you need the blinds, but don’t want to drill, check our post on how to put up blinds without drilling holes.
Make friends with reflective surfaces.
The more reflective surfaces you add around the room, the more light will bounce around and increase the brightness of the room. This is especially helpful for rooms with few or small windows. Reflective furniture for small rooms can bring a futuristic look, as well as make the space feel larger.
Mount a mirror on the wall.
A strategically-placed mirror can make a room look bigger easily. Put up a mirror near a window or on a dark wall to brighten up the room. Large windows are perfect, as well, as they will reflect the room and create the illusion of extra space.
Add artificial lighting.
Place several light sources around the room to light it up evenly. Don’t just rely on a single overhead light, as they are rarely powerful enough to illuminate the whole room. Opt for several wall lights, instead.

The floor is lava

Remember playing that game as a child? It was so much fun! What if we tell you you can apply that same game when choosing furniture for small rooms, too? We already mentioned leaving more floor exposed when we talked about objects with exposed legs.

We can’t stress this enough – keep the floors as clear as possible to “increase” the size of the room. Keep the following tips in mind:

Use rugs carefully.
Unless it’s a wall-to-wall carpet, rugs can make a room feel cramped, especially ones with heavy patterns. However, if used right, area rugs can section off the room and give the illusion of a separate space. So, either opt for simplistic ones or avoid them in general if you can’t make them work.
Wall-mount whatever you can.
Use wall-mounted or ceiling lamps instead of floor or table ones. Choose mounted shelves over floor units. Mount your TV on the wall to free up space below. All of this will keep your floors clear and create the illusion of more room.

Arrangement is everything

Arranging furniture in a small space can be challenging, but don’t worry! With our helpful tips and some trial and error, you’ll be well on your way to making your room look bigger! So, let’s get right to it:

Declutter.
Get rid of any clutter and useless objects that are just taking up space. This will not only free up more room to store and display the things you actually enjoy looking at and using, but it will stop the place from looking crowded and cramped, too, which is exactly what you want in a small space.
Decorate sparingly.
When decorating small spaces, less is more. For example, choose one large statement piece of artwork over a gallery wall, consisting of many smaller ones. And, as we mentioned previously, opt for a few large decorative elements, rather than many tiny figures. This will make the room feel less cluttered.
Let your shelves breathe.
Leave a bit of empty space on your shelves and bookcases. That way, the room will get an airy, open feel.
Create a focal point.
Turn the farthest visible point from the door into a focal point/accent area, concentrating your decorating and furnishing efforts there, while leaving most of the remaining space clear or sparsely furnished. This will elongate the room the second you open the door, making it look bigger.
Don’t cram the furniture.
Placing your small space furniture at an angle or away from the walls, surrounded by empty space, will create the illusion of a larger room, as the objects have room to breathe and are not crammed next to the walls.

Thinking of renovating your small room?

This is no small task, and you’d be better off enlisting the help of the experts. At Fantastic Services, we offer you a professional home renovation service that includes, among other things, painting, tiling and grouting, wallpapering, electrical installations, and refurbishment. No job is too big for the experienced team of technicians!

And that’s not all! Need help assembling your new furniture? We can take care of that! Can’t find a piece of furniture that suits your style? The expert carpenters can handle it! Rest assured, Fantastic Services has all your needs covered! Simply book your required services using our booking form and choose the perfect date and time for you.

In need of home renovation?

Find a professional to cover all your needs!

Takeaways

Keep the size of the room in mind when selecting furniture.
Objects with exposed legs and ones that are close to the ground will create the illusion of an open space.
Floor-to-ceiling bookcases and curtains will make the room seem taller.
Simplistic designs will stop the room from feeling crowded and cramped.
Lighter colours make rooms appear bigger.
Choose furniture in the same colour as your walls.
Natural light is essential in small rooms. Increase it by adding mirrors and reflective surfaces around the room.
Keep the floors as clear as possible.
Be smart when arranging furniture – declutter, leave some empty space, create a focal point, etc.

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Was this article helpful to you? Are there any rooms in your home you wish were bigger than they are? Tell us in the comments below!