Even if you’re redecorating a small room and want it to have a cozy vibe, cramped probably isn’t the look you’re after. Yet, it’s common for homeowners to make furniture, styling, and rug mistakes that dwarf their homes.
If you want your room to look put together and a bit bigger, avoid these decorating mistakes that will make your room look tiny.
Using the Wrong Size Furniture
Scale compares the size of one item to another. The scale of items in a room and relative to the room’s size can make it look put together or off. (For example, an overstuffed couch would look silly with two miniature-sized accent chairs next to it since they are entirely different scales.)
Choose furniture that fits the size of the room, ensuring that there’s still an easy path for family members to travel in and out. When you’re working with a smaller room, extra small furniture can make it look even tinier. On the opposite end, oversized furniture will create a crowded, cluttered look.
Placing an Oversized Bed in a Small Bedroom
Even in rooms where there’s only one main piece of furniture, like in a bedroom, scale is still important. An oversized bed in a small room will only make it look smaller. When choosing a bed, ensure that there’s at least enough space for a small nightstand on each side and enough room for you to comfortably get out of bed.
Cluttering Up Your Space
Whenever you want to make any space look bigger, walk around with a trash bag and donation box and ditch all your clutter. Pay special attention to flat surfaces, like countertops, dressers, and end tables, as they accumulate the most junk. Create a place for everything in your home to keep it neat and clutter-free.
Hanging Heavy, Ornate Drapes
Heavy, ornate drapery can cause a small room to look even smaller. Unless you’re going for a regal, glam look, skip the heavy drapes and opt for sheers, lighter color curtains, blinds, or shades.
Decorating with Too Many Competing Patterns
While we love mixing patterns, they can overwhelm a small space. Stick to one or two bold patterns and pull the rest of the colors for the room from those patterns.
Ignoring Natural Light
Natural light is the key to open, airy spaces. If you have windows in your room, hang sheer curtains or skip the curtains altogether and install blinds only. Let natural light pour in through the day.
If there’s no window in your room, work with accent lighting rather than relying on one harsh overhead light, decorating with lamps of different sizes.
Not Creating a Cohesive Color Scheme
Does a small room all need to be one light color? Of course not. However, a cohesive color scheme that repeats colors is necessary for a look that’s pleasing to the eye and avoids overwhelming the room.
When you use a bunch of dark or bright colors without a plan, there’s no natural place for the eye to rest, causing the room to look disorganized and smaller than it is.
Covering the Entire Floor with an Area Rug
Just like furniture needs to be the correct scale, so does your rug. If a rug is covering more than 75% of the floor, it will make the room look small.
- For living rooms, an area rug should fit under the edge of the couch and accent chairs. Alternatively, the accent chairs and couch can sit completely on the rug as long as it isn’t taking up the entire room.
- Bedroom rugs can go under the bed, halfway under the bed, or be placed beside the bed. Feel free to experiment until you find what works best in your room.
