Spatial Design Tips to Make a Room Look Bigger

You’ve heard about interior design, but what about spatial design? This term has come into vogue in recent years as a way to expand upon the traditional notions of home design. Instead of mainly focusing on color palettes, furniture upholstery, and other decorative elements, as is typical with interior design, spatial design looks at how those elements work together to create greater flow and harmony in a space. Comfort and livability are key.

Whether you live in a grand mansion or a tiny house, the proper use of spatial design can make your rooms feel warm and inviting. Architecture and interior design are major influences on a room’s spaciousness. For instance, an architect can draft a home plan with large windows that bring in natural light to make a room feel larger, while an interior designer can use sheer drapery that allows sunlight to stream in while also providing privacy. Other important factors are balance, symmetry, and proportion. When a room has these things, it feels capacious—even without a lot of square footage. That’s right: Even small rooms can be big on space and style with some smart design strategies that don’t require you to add on a new wing to your house.

How to Make a Room Look Bigger

There are several interior and spatial design tips you can implement in your home to achieve the environment you want. They don’t require a significant remodel, only the judicious use of color, fabrics, and light to create the illusion of spaciousness. If you want to know how to make a room look and feel bigger, just try one of these design tricks:

Color

• Use neutral or light palettes (creams, soft blues and greens) to create a bright, airy feel in your room.
• Paint everything in your room—walls, baseboards, moldings, and ceiling—in the same shade of white to reflect light and suggest expansiveness by creating a seamless floor-to-ceiling look. (It’s also one of the top design trends for 2020).
• If you love color, paint one wall in that shade to use as a focal point in the room and provide a sense of depth. Just remember not to go too dark, as those shades can look heavy and make a room feel closed in.
• Moldings and trims should be a lighter color than the walls—it makes the walls appear to recede.

Furniture

• Avoid placing furniture flush against walls. Leaving a little space in between the two gives the space a roomier feel.
• Study how people move in and out of the room, and don’t put furniture in those pathways. The room will be perceived as cramped if there’s no logical flow.
• Look for scale and balance in furniture—nothing too large, stuffed, or boxy. Smaller, streamlined pieces that sit low to the ground make the room appear more open.
• Instead of slipcovers or skirted furniture, use pieces with exposed legs. You see more of the room that way.
• To cut down on the number of pieces in a small room, use furniture that serves dual purposes, such as an ottoman that has a hidden storage compartment for small items such as remote controls or throw blankets.

Lighting

• Use as much natural light as possible.
• If you don’t have enough natural light sources, amplify with carefully placed lights. Lamps should be evenly placed around the room to eliminate dark corners that feel confining. Use a statement-making chandelier or pendant fixture as a ceiling light, which has the added benefit of drawing the eye up.

Decorative Objects

• The most important thing is to keep a room free from visual clutter. Use as few accessories as possible for a clean, unfettered ambiance.
• Create a focal point with a large piece of art.
• How can you make a room look bigger? Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors. Their reflection fools the eye into thinking a space is larger than it appears, plus they can be used to bounce light into areas of the space that need a little brightening.
• We tend to think horizontally rather than vertically when we design a room. Objects placed high up, such as a shelf, mirror, or piece of art, add dimension by allowing the eye to move upward.
• Be selective in your use of patterns—too many can make a room feel disjointed and chaotic. Instead, go for a few different textures in neutral-colored pillows and rugs.

Window Treatments

• If your windows are big, use sheer drapery. Heavy fabrics block the natural light you need to create space. Floor-to-ceiling curtains add another vertical visual element. When you draw back the curtains, you want to see the entire window frame.
• For smaller windows, install shades. They are tailored and clean, and they can be customized in a number of neutral colors that fit your design palette. Ideally, you want a color that closely matches your walls so that the shades blend in when they are down. Depending on the material you choose for your shades, they will let in plenty of natural light while still offering privacy.
• A seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors makes any room more spacious. Window treatments such as shades and blinds are a breeze to operate with motorized and automated systems that let you enjoy your view any time you want.

Thoughtful interior and spatial design is the secret to how to make a room look and feel bigger. Start with custom window treatments from Stoneside. Our professional designers are experts in spatial design and interior design concepts, and they will help you transform your home with the ideal shades, blinds, or drapery. Contact us today to set up a free virtual design consultation.

Want to learn how automated blinds or shades can modernize your home? Contact us today for a free design consultation.