How to Make a Small Space Look Grand

Is your space suffering from a lack of legroom? 

It’s a familiar story. You love your home, but sometimes, the rooms just feel a little undersized and overstuffed. How can you turn even the most petite of places into something grand?

Believe it or not, it is possible to turn a closet-sized space into something spectacular while showing off your style. Read on to find out some of our favorite tips for bringing small spaces to life.

Big and Bold

The number one tip for glamming up small spaces? Go bold! It might seem counterintuitive to dress up a small space with large decorative items, printed patterns, and loud colors, but it’s actually one of the most effective ways to achieve some grandeur.

There’s no need to shy away from big art pieces, murals, photography with outsized frames, bold color choices, and large-print wallpapers. These elements, when used judiciously, can make your room feel expansive.

If you’re not sold on a fully-wallpapered room, try it on one wall (aka ‘the accent wall’). Color block the other walls with a simpler hue, so the attention goes right to the eye-catching pattern.

Maximize with Mirrors

It is a well-known trick of the trade: use mirrors to make any space appear larger and lighter than it is. Mirrors create the illusion of a bright and airy space and will take what’s there and amplify it. The more reflective surfaces there are, the more you’ll be able to play with light and visual trickery. 

The great thing about mirrors is that they go with every single style. Play with different shapes, sizes, framing, and placement to find what works best for you and your space. For a fun and unique look, try smaller clusters of mirrors. While they’re less effective for seeing your reflection, they create beautiful fractal images when the light hits them.

Add Definition

Your choices in furniture will help give shape and definition to your space. Instead of selecting several smaller pieces of furniture, like a couple of loveseats, go for one statement piece, like a long couch. Skipping the filler pieces will help make the room look less cluttered and more cohesive. 

Hefty, space-filling décor items will make your room feel full without being overstuffed. Make sure, though, to choose furniture that is the appropriate size for your room – there’s a fine line between filling a space and flooding it. Outline the shape of the room with an area rug to give extra definition.

Another tip for visual trickery is to ensure that your furniture doesn’t touch the walls. A few inches between your couch and the back wall of the room can make the space feel less cramped. To maximize this space, a custom console or slim-line storage unit shorter than the furniture is a perfect fit. You can give your furniture the buffer room it needs while utilizing space efficiently.

Heavens Above

Drawing the eye upward will help give the sensation that the room is bigger than it is. This can be done in a few different ways. 

You can use floating shelves in the upper quarter of the wall to hold a few decorative items. Don’t overcrowd them – they’re just meant to display a few interesting items, show off your style, and bring attention to the upper regions. 

Try using full-length curtains. Like a petite person wearing vertical stripes, it will give your room a lengthened effect. And a taller room will, without a doubt, feel more substantial and airier overall. This can also be accomplished by using a hanging light fixture.

Make sure everyone’s eyes go up when they enter a room by giving your ceiling a makeover. One amazing way to do this is with decals and wallpapers. There are beautiful, textured wallpapers and stick-on decals that will give any ceiling a remarkable facelift. Some even mimic that retro pressed-tin look so accurately that nobody will be able to tell the difference!

The best part? You can do this in any color, pattern, shape, and texture, depending on your preference. 

For a classically elegant look, we love white decals that mimic the look and feel of Victorian panels. It gives any room incredible visual appeal, and you may find yourself gazing at the ceiling more than ever before.

Still not sure how to make your small space work to its best advantage? Connect with Winthorpe today. We can turn even the most diminutive den into your personal palace.