Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Make Smaller Rooms Seem Bigger

Small rooms can be a challenge when decorating. It’s best to stick with lighter colors but they don’t need to be various shades of white. Light grays, blues and greens are considered cool colors and are very soothing for a small room. When you do choose a paint, bring home samples in various shades to try out. Paint looks different when dry and in different light. 

Paint the walls and trim the same color. When you paint the walls a certain shade and molding and baseboards white, the eye breaks at the trim. A solid color from floor to ceiling makes the eye travel up, making the room seem taller and larger. Use a lighter, cooler color on the ceiling, like a light gray in an eggshell finish to reflect light.

If you have two small rooms close together, paint them in similar colors. Not the same necessarily but on the same color wheel. They will complement each other while also looking larger.

In any event, if you do use a bolder color on the walls, keep your accessories and furnishings neutral. Always go for one bold accent in a small room like paint, furnishings or an architectural feature like a window or doorway. Keep flooring and rugs neutral too, unless they are the focal point.

With furnishings, don’t overdo it. Keep larger furniture to one statement piece. Put a shelf near the ceiling to draw the eye upward. Leave windows bare or without curtains. When choosing decorative accents, use the cantaloupe rule. Use fewer pieces, each larger than a melon. Many smaller pieces crowd a room. Use lower lighting, as opposed to overhead as this makes the eye look around the entire space. Place a mirror across from a window for the illusion of depth. 

KATHY WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO