Mirrors are one of the most effective ways of expanding space, adding depth as well as character, so it is an ideal solution to making a narrow room feel wider.
Try horizontal stripes
Simple strips painted horizontally along the wall is a great paint technique to help make a room feel larger. Horizontal stripes in a narrow living room draw the eye outwards and make it appear as though the walls are farther apart than they actually are.
Paint and Color
When you look at how to make a small room look bigger with paint, keep in mind that medium shades will make your space appear smaller than it is. Using dark and bright white colors that open up a room, in contrast, creates the illusion of a much larger area. Small rooms are not always square.
Create a Focal Point
An easy way to make a room feel wider is to create a wide focal point at one narrow end of the room. In this teal bedroom, a wide, bright yellow cabinet draws the eye inward, focusing on the length of the piece and creating the illusion of width.
If your room is particularly long, divide it into two separate zones. Consider two different conversation areas. A seating area and a small office or dining area is another option to make the most of the space. Use area rugs to define each area.
Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms. Here, we dive deeper into this topic with 5 specific painting techniques to make rooms look bigger, brighter, and more beautiful.
Wide Planks
Selecting wide floor planks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a room look bigger. Instead of thin strips, go for boards at least seven inches wide. Longer planks (four or more feet in length) can help as well.
Keep your furniture refined
To make a small living room look bigger, you need to remove visually heavy furniture which will drain the light from your living room, and chunky pieces that are simply too big.
Narrow Living Room Colour Scheme
As a general rule, light colours make a room feel spacious by reflecting light. Darker colours tend to feel as though they are closer (and cosier), it's all to do with how your brain perceives colour.
Measure the Room and Use One Large Area Rug
One large area rug — rather than several small ones — makes a room feel larger. Measure the room's dimensions first. Then select a rug that will rest within 12 inches of all four walls.
To help small spaces along, paint your longest walls dark paint colors. Deep colors like pewters, bronze, and charcoal emphasize the length of the longer walls if you… A wall with a window is an excellent choice for a lighter accent wall. It tricks people into thinking the window and wall recede together.
White furniture and white walls both make your room appear larger. Although too much white without adding other colors can make the general aesthetic appear stale, the importance of the color white in expanding the feel of the room is undeniable.
Narrow Living Room Layout: Two Options
Option 1: Keep the TV over the fireplace and incorporate two couches into the space. Option 2: Move the TV to the side wall and add a couch and chairs.
'To make an existing room appear bigger is a challenge that is usually achieved by the use of reflective items, such as mirrors, openings, windows where applicable, but accent walls painted in a tone much darker than the rest of the room also works to make a room feel bigger,' he says.
Contrast is one of the core rules of any style or decor, so the easiest way to match furniture and floors is to go with dark furniture on light floors or light furniture on dark floors.
In most cases, you'll want your floors to be darker than your wall color with a flat white ceiling. As a rule of thumb, go at least 3 shades lighter on the walls than the floors. However, there are instances when you can add accent wall colors or paint in darker shades.
Larger planks stretch the eye, giving the appearance of more square footage. On the other hand, it's important to avoid narrow or thin planks, as the many small lines offer a more crowded atmosphere. Whether you're installing hardwood, laminate, or luxury vinyl planks, wider is better.
Lighter colors such as whites, creams, and light grays can help a room feel more open and spacious. Darker colors tend to make a room feel smaller and more enclosed.
'Contrary to traditional thinking, dark paint allows the room to appear larger and taller than it may be. Dark colors add depth, visually enlarge the space, and make a great statement,' says Lichelle Silvestry.
Light-colored furniture can help a small room feel bigger and more airy because it doesn't stand out in the way that dark furniture does. It brings more light into the space. But furniture in light tones may not work as well in a large room, because the space may feel too open.
A tall headboard in a small bedroom will instantly draw your eye upwards, thus making the room appear bigger. If you are not keen on a headboard that is too tall, you can always add a piece of artwork above it as it will achieve the same eye-drawing effect, perhaps even more so!
Pastels work wonderfully in small rooms, as do whispery-light shades of gray. Try white mixed with one bright or mid-tone color, such as the blue and white shown here. For the most impact, stick with cool colors—shades of soft blue, green, and purple help enlarge a space, while the warmer hues have the opposite effect.
Tall headboard
It's probably pretty obvious by now that by drawing attention upwards by any means can make a room feel bigger than it is.