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When decorating, we often aim to create spacious, welcoming environments. However, mistakes can make your room feel cramped and much smaller than it is. To help you optimize your space, here are 10 decorating habits that might secretly make your rooms look smaller.
1. Overcrowding Furniture
Filling a room with too much furniture is one of the most common mistakes that makes a space feel smaller. Large, bulky furniture pieces can overwhelm a room, leaving little room to move around and limiting the flow of the space. Choose appropriately sized pieces that complement the room’s dimensions to combat this. Ensuring there’s adequate space between items will create a more open and inviting atmosphere.
2. Using Too Many Dark Colors
While dark colors like navy or charcoal can create a cozy, intimate environment, they can also make a room feel enclosed and smaller than it really is. Dark hues absorb light, which diminishes the room’s overall brightness. If you want to maintain a spacious feel, try incorporating lighter colors into your palette. Soft whites, pastels, or neutrals reflect light and visually expand the space.
3. Cluttered Surfaces
Clutter instantly makes a room feel confined. Piles of books, random knickknacks, and other objects on tables, shelves, or countertops create visual chaos. Instead, keep these surfaces clear and choose only a few well-curated pieces to display. By reducing visual clutter, you’ll create a cleaner, more expansive feel in the room.
4. Ignoring Furniture Scale
The scale of your furniture in relation to the size of the room is crucial. Oversized furniture in a small space can easily overwhelm the room and make it feel suffocating. Conversely, tiny furniture in a large room may make the space feel disconnected. Be mindful of your furniture’s proportions to ensure it complements the room and allows for open breathing space.
5. Not Using Vertical Space
Forgetting to utilize vertical space—like wall-mounted shelves, tall bookcases, or hanging plants—leaves valuable room for storage and decoration unused. This makes the floor area feel crowded and reduces the perceived height of the room. Maximizing wall height can open up floor space and create a sense of openness.
6. Lack of Proper Lighting
Lighting can significantly impact the way a room feels. Over-relying on harsh overhead lights can make the room appear smaller and more boxed-in. Instead, create layers of light using a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting. This can add dimension and make the room more open, bright, and welcoming.
7. Using Large Rugs
Large rugs can dominate a room, making it feel even more cramped. A rug that is too big can absorb space rather than define it. Instead, opt for appropriately sized rugs for the room, ensuring they leave enough floor area visible to enhance the sense of openness. Smaller rugs can still add warmth and texture without overwhelming the space.
8. Heavy Curtains or Blinds
Heavy, dark curtains or blinds can shrink a room’s appearance by blocking natural light and shortening the visual height of the walls. Choose lighter, airy curtains that hang close to the floor to enhance the sense of space. Floor-to-ceiling curtains will also give the illusion of higher ceilings and create a more open feel in the room.
9. Too Many Personal Photos or Artwork
Although personal photos and artwork can add character, too many can make a room feel cluttered and smaller. When the walls are lined with numerous pictures, the space can feel busy and congested. Curate your artwork collection and try focusing on a few standout pieces to create a more balanced, spacious environment.
10. No Mirrors or Using Ones That Are Too Small
Not using mirrors in a room can make it feel flat and cramped, as mirrors reflect light and open up space. Even using too small mirrors doesn’t provide enough reflection to enhance the room’s size. Small mirrors scattered around the room can clutter the space and fail to create a sense of openness. Opt for a single large mirror or carefully placed mirrored surfaces to maximize light and make your room feel larger.
Embrace Simplicity for Spaciousness
By focusing on fewer, thoughtfully chosen pieces and making small adjustments to your decorating habits, you can create a larger, more airy, and more functional room. Whether scaling down furniture, using light colors, or keeping surfaces clear, every decision you make can help maintain the illusion of space.
