Does light furniture make a room look bigger? (2023)

Does light furniture make a room look bigger?

If your dark wood floor is there to stay, it is especially important to stick to light-colored furniture. A white or light gray sofa will cover a large part of a dark floor. And in a bedroom, your bed will do the same, so choose light-colored bedlinen to prevent the room from looking crowded.

Contrasting colors tend to break up a space, making it appear even smaller than it is. Pieces of furniture that match the wall color are less jarring and tend to blend with the space, giving the illusion of a bigger room.

Empty rooms almost always appear smaller than they really are because without furniture … it has no frame of reference. This empty room had doorways everywhere and a small fireplace that would make buyers feel like their furniture would absolutely not fit.

Light-colored furniture can help a small room feel bigger and more airy because it doesn't stand out in the way that dark furniture does. It brings more light into the space. But furniture in light tones may not work as well in a large room, because the space may feel too open.

Choose upholstery fabrics wisely

Instead, choose colours that are a shade lighter or darker than your wall colour, so furnishings work well together and maintain their timeless appeal.

“Sometimes the way furniture is arranged in the room can make the room feel smaller,” she advises. For example, if a large piece of furniture blocks the entrance visually or physically, it can create the illusion of a smaller space. Moving that furniture to another wall can make the room seem bigger.

Empty rooms actually look smaller than furnished ones (even we have to measure up sometimes after all these years to make sure our chosen items will fit). Carefully selected furniture gives buyers a measurement of scale to compare their items to – “my dining table is bigger than this one but I can see it will fit”.

By keeping things low to the ground, you are creating more space above, which keeps the wall cleaner and ceiling seem higher. The bedroom pictured here has smaller ceiling, but by keeping the bed on the ground, it makes the bedroom look and feel much bigger.

Choose a low-slung bed.

A low-profile bed quite literally leaves more room to breath above it, making the room look and feel bigger than it is.

Does white furniture make a room look bigger?

Naturally, white is an obvious choice for making a room feel bigger. It's no secret that light colors make a room look larger, especially if the space is bathed in natural light. Eggshell or satin finishes will help reflect the light, creating the appearance of even more space.

If you want to make your living room look bigger, stick to lighter colors that reflect more light and make the space feel more open. Neutrals, like off-white, beige, or light grays, are a great way to add a level of sophistication and calm.

Dark wood can make a room feel smaller and usually requires less furniture. Light wood opens a room up and makes it feel larger. It also typically does better with wear and tear. That's why light flooring is an excellent choice for those with small kids or a dog.

Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms.

Thankfully, the consensus seems to be that there's no need to choose between light or dark colors in a room because, done right, they complement each other beautifully. We'll show you simple ways to mix light and dark colors to give your room a chic, balanced look.

Vertical stripes, ones that go up and down, will help to stretch a room and make it feel taller than it is. Fun fact, that's one of the tricks behind Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion pre-show. Striped wallpaper that runs horizontally, on the other hand, can make a room appear wider than it really is.

Dark colours absorb light and therefore will make a room appear smaller. Select warm, deep tones and perhaps consider painting your ceiling a darker colour to visually lower it. You can also experiment with heavy, textured fabrics in rich colours as well as bold, dramatic window treatments.

Think cream carpets, natural and neutral toned tiles and whitewashed wood flooring. These attractive, light and neutral colours give a room an open and airy feel, making it appear larger, whilst also drawing in the natural sunlight from outside.

Does a dark accent wall make a room look bigger?

Does a black accent wall make the room look smaller? It is a common misconception that painting walls black or another dark color will make the room appear smaller. In fact the opposite is true - dark walls make a space appear larger.

If you have too much dark going on in a space, yes, it will make the room look smaller. That's because dark floors, furniture, and walls, when paired together create a lot of shadows that make the space look filled in. It takes away the appearance of open space in a room.

Acclaimed real estate columnist, Lew Sichelman, interviewed Realtors and real estate agents around the country to estimate how many homes buyers should see in one day. Most set their daily limit around six to eight homes per day, depending on the market. Some would not go on more than four tours in one day.

Change up the lighting in your space.

Having more light in your space can make it feel more airy and open, Barney said. If you have a table or floor lamp in your home that's barely being used, she said, consider putting it in your bedroom to bring in extra light.

Where Should I Put the Bed? As the most significant piece of furniture in your room, your bed will naturally be the room's focal point. Often, the best place to put your bed is along the longest wall. It's a good idea to place your bed symmetrically to create a peaceful bedroom.

What does white furniture do to a room?

It gives a clean, fresh feel which is perfect all year round. Dark colours can feel wintery and pastel shades too summery, but white is so versatile that it can be ideal to cool you down in summer and evoke warmth in the winter. It frames the centrepiece.

Choose light colors

Making the exterior of your home a light color is the best way to make your home look larger, brighter, and more inviting. Light colors such as white, ivory, pale gray, and sage green reflect higher amounts of light than dark colors, tricking the eye into perceiving the home as larger than it is.

Start by putting your bed in the center of the most visible wall. (It's usually the wall facing the doorway.) Putting your bed in the center will give your small bedroom layout symmetry so you can make the most of your space. You'll have enough space to jump under the covers from both sides.

Mirrors are multitaskers. Not only do they make sure that you look good, they can also make your rooms look bigger, brighter, and better.

If it is dressed in childish patterns or colors, the room will look juvenile. Steer away from anything in pinks, baby blues or bright primary colors. Invest in more mature fabrics like brocade or tapestry for your draperies. An excess of ruffles or bold prints will make the room look young.

Every small room will look larger when it's well lit, whether naturally or artificially. Therefore bright light is the best for 'how to make a small room look bigger with lighting' as it will open up a space.

Light colors have an inherent reflectivity, which is why they can make a room feel bigger. Another way to achieve this—or to boost the already enlarging effects of a light color—is to go with an eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss sheen instead of a matte. Don't pair dark colors with a light trim.

Sofas with slim bases and higher legs let the light disperse from underneath. Also, keeping within the same color palette, the space will feel larger and more cohesive, which will allow it to feel less disjointed. '

Use contrasts and light colors

In the design world, it's well known that light paint colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Light and bright walls are more reflective, making a space feel open and airy, which helps maximize natural light's effect. Dark shades tend to absorb light, making rooms feel smaller.

How do you make a room bigger and brighter?

Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms.

Invest in eye-tricking furniture

If you're buying new pieces for your smaller living room, know that anything with legs holding it off the ground will let the eye see the floor continuing under that piece of furniture, tricking it into thinking the floor (and therefore the room) is bigger than it actually is.

Clear End Tables

By seeming to disappear into the surroundings, see-through furniture can make a room feel larger. These clear acrylic end tables blend into a room with zero intrusiveness, providing a little storage without adding to the clutter.