Four Hacks to Make a Small Space Feel Bigger

When my husband and I bought our first home just over seven years ago I learned a lot about space. How to use the space and it made rooms feel bigger and more spacious.

One of the first things I wanted to change was the paint color in our small bathroom off the kitchen. It was dark red almost the color of my favorite wine. It made this already small room feel even smaller. I picked out a nice powder blue and put in a brighter light fixture and a brushed bronze mirror.  It was much larger than the mirror before. Suddenly, this really small bathroom felt a lot more spacious.

I couldn’t believe the transformation. Just with a few cheap fixes. So that became my thing. Keeping the walls simple not cluttered with art. I have learned over the years less is more. Plus, clutter messes with my energy. It also makes me feel more anxious.

If you are feeling shut in and perhaps just need to make your small place feel bigger do I have some good news for you.

Here are some hacks you may want to try before wanting to list your home.

1.  Follow the "rule of three" when it comes to lighting.  Each room should have at least three light sources.  It gets rid of hard shadows and creates more depth.

2.  Don't fill every wall with art.  Small spaces tend to feel bigger if you leave one or two walls open.  When there's too much on the walls, it can feel clutter.

3.  Think about rug size.  A tiny rug that's too small for a room can make your place feel smaller than it is.  In general, there should be about two feet of space between the edge of a rug and the wall.  So if the room is 10-by-12, the rug should be 8-by-10.

4.  Create the illusion of taller ceilings.  One way to make a short ceiling feel taller is getting extra-long curtains that hang from up ABOVE your windows.

I think it is definitely worth a try. It’s always fun to freshen things up a bit.