This tiny terrace uses all the tips below to create a feeling of space
To help your home feel more spacious, I’m sharing my favourite space‑boosting ideas, many of which I’ve tried myself – from faking floor‑to‑ceiling windows to rearranging furniture, choosing smarter storage, layering lighting and using mirrors and rugs to open up your room.
Each tip is easy to try and surprisingly effective – and doesn’t need to cost much (or anything!) so give these ideas a go…
Widen your windows
Bigger windows equal a larger-feeling space, right? We’ve all been in rooms where floor-to-ceiling windows create a feeling of spaciousness – but there are two reasons for this and we can fake both of them!
The first reason is that taller windows make the ceiling feel higher. And a loftier ceiling creates an airier interior. But to make your windows appear bigger, there’s no need to carry out expensive building work to increase the aperture and you certainly don’t need to splash the cash to replace your glazing.
First of all, you just need to replace your curtains and hanging rails. You can install the rod higher above the window – as close to the ceiling as possible – and choose curtains that hang all the way down to the floor, creating the illusion of a longer, taller window. This can be exaggerated by curtains with a striped print or neat pencil pleats, as vertical patterns draw the eye upwards.
The second reason that larger windows make a room feel spacious is the amount of natural daylight they allow into the room. So, to fake this element, when you’re buying those new curtain rails, extend the width of the rods beyond each side of the window frame. This allows you to open the long curtains all the way back onto the wall, making every part of the glazing visible to allow as much light into the room as possible.
Image from my home tour of a 1957 Mid-Century house
Pull furniture away from the walls
The simple act of pulling furniture away from the walls can go a long way towards creating the illusion of spaciousness. You may think that pushing them right up against the wall creates more space, but in fact, it makes the room appear more cramped and cluttered – as if your furniture doesn’t fit in the room.
Just a few inches of space around sofas, armchairs and side tables will do the job nicely, as it allows air and light to circulate around the room and gives the impression that you have more space than you need. You can achieve this effect with your existing furniture, making this an entirely FREE way to make your home feel instantly larger.
Or to physically gain even more space, you could downsize to a two-seater couch with more compact dimensions or choose a smaller coffee table. Opt for pieces with legs so that you can see the floor beneath the furniture. This makes the room visually larger, as it brings an airiness and looks like you have ample space around your pieces.
Use creative storage solutions
Nothing makes a place look more cramped than clutter all over the place. Try choosing furniture items which double up as storage, such as coffee tables with drawers and ottomans that can be used as seating. Or you can install cupboards in alcoves to keep them flush to the walls.
That way, you can store clutter out of sight – or better still, have a clear out so that you’re storing fewer items overall. It’s free to give away or recycle items you no longer need, or you could even make money by selling the things you don’t want to store.
If you are going to hang some shelves for books, try positioning them nearer the ceiling in an effort to draw the eye upwards, just like the longer curtains did. Using the space above the picture rails can give the impression of a taller ceiling and therefore more space.
Strategically position mirrors
One of the oldest tricks in the book is positioning your mirrors in strategic locations to maximise the feeling of space. For example, you could place a mirror across the room from a window as a way of reflecting light, making the whole area brighter and the room appear larger.
Plus, you can install a large mirror over a piece of furniture, such as a hallway console table or behind the living room sideboard, to make the space appear deeper. And an entire mirrored wall can make it seem like there’s a whole other room back there. Mirrored wardrobes work wonders in making a small bedroom feel spacious – with the added bonus of ample storage!
Don’t just use overhead lights
If you only have overhead lighting, this can end up pooling all the light in a single space – often the centre of the room. This draws in the space so make it feel more compact, rather than showing the extent of the size of the room. To draw more focus around the perimeter of your room, use a variety of lighting options: floor lamps, under-shelf LED strips, table lamps and desk lights.
You could also consider installing a dimmer switch so that you can turn down the overhead light in the evenings to allow the soft lamplights to push the walls back and make the room feel bigger, even at night. Add some paintable brass plates for switches & outlets for extra glamour when installing a dimmer switch, and you can even use colour-changing bulbs on a fresh daylight setting during the daytime to enhance the natural light.
Check out my home tour of Kate’s cosy interior
Use rugs to separate spaces
A great design trick for those who live in a studio apartment or similar, rugs can be used to separate one room into several spaces with different uses: a cosy living area, an office workspace, under the dining table. This makes the room feel larger because of all the spaces it contains. Make sure you choose rugs which are an appropriate size for your room, as ones which are too big or small can end up creating the opposite effect.
I hope these simple styling tricks inspire you to look at your home with fresh eyes and experiment with ways to make your rooms feel more spacious. I’d love to hear what you try – share your own tips or results in the comments, it would be great to learn more about the ways you’ve made your home feel roomy and airy.
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