There are many reasons why a small home may feel restrictive, and it’s typically not the case that a small number of square feet is the issue. Factors such as the layout of the home, the color palette, storage solutions, lighting, and furniture may all contribute to why a small home feels claustrophobic. Making minor adjustments to each of these may help to ameliorate the feeling of confinement.
The objective in each case should be to improve the functionality of the home while retaining a sense of comfort.
Keep Your Sights Set on the Horizon
One way to make a small space feel even smaller is to obstruct lines of sight. Storage units or furniture may break up the space and make the space feel disjointed.
KurWin Lau, an interior designer and founder of My Reno Service, recommends thinking about movement before adding furniture.
“If a large piece of furniture does need to go against a wall, consider using a wall unit or other storage pieces to break up the mass. Avoid placing storage units or furniture against both walls of a pathway, as this may give the illusion of being trapped in a small corridor.”
Using Light Colors
Painting walls or adding trim with lighter colors can provide the illusion of more space by reflecting light and giving the appearance of greater depth. Colors such as cream, off white, light beiges and grays, and soft greens can help amplify available light.
To further enhance the illusion of more space and add depth to a room, try using variations of the colors throughout the room on walls, furnishings and other larger accessories. Strong contrast, however, can be used to separate various areas of a room.
Irena Cara, cofounder of Nova Wrap, agrees that the use of lighter colors can add the illusion of greater space.
“Too many finishes can create a cluttered effect. For small spaces, I try to keep the material palette simple. Reflective surfaces help to bounce surrounding light and give the illusion of greater space. Once again, it’s not about completely removing your personal style, but rather picking a few things to work together.”
Using Appropriate Furniture
Furnishings can quickly consume the available space in a small room. This doesn’t mean that larger, bulky furnishings can’t be used. When choosing larger furnishings, consider if the item provides more function than form, and if the item helps achieve the goals of the design in a more efficient manner. Furnishings can also be designed to be off the floor to help give the appearance of more space.
Steve Jafari, managing partner at Restoration Doctor, notes homeowners need to look beyond the surface when thinking about home improvements.
Water damage and damaged finishes give a space an aged and neglected appearance and can make a space look small. Other, less obvious, maintenance problems can also make a small space look smaller. For example, poor ventilation can give a space a closed in look.
Prior to adding improvements that add “flair”, homeowners should make sure the basics have been taken care of. A well maintained home has a greater chance of feeling larger.
There are a number of ways to improve storage to increase the functionality of a space. Vertical storage helps to free up precious floor space and gives walls a greater utility.
A large mirror, for example, can help create the illusion of greater depth. Placing a mirror across from a window can help spread the light in a space.
Create the Illusion of More Space with Windows
Using the right techniques you can use your windows to enhance the amount of space a room appears to have.
Heavy curtains can obstruct your view and cover a large portion of your window. A better alternative would be to put your curtains up higher. This will make the window look bigger and improve your view.
To get the most out of your window, leave as much of the surrounding frame unobstructed as possible.
Improve Connectivity Between Rooms
Connected rooms that have drastic design differences can make a house feel like it is made up of several disjointed parts.
A slight similarity in rooms, such as a consistent color scheme, can tie rooms together.
Small changes can be made throughout the house to improve connectivity and still make each room feel unique.
## Give Every Piece of Furniture a Purpose
Small homes benefit from furniture that performs more than one job.
A storage ottoman can provide seating and hide blankets. A console can double as a workspace. A dining table can become a place for meals, homework, or remote work.
Sain Rhodes, a real estate specialist at Clever Offers, says flexibility can make a meaningful difference in how buyers experience smaller properties.
“When people walk into a smaller home, they want to understand how they can actually live there. Furniture that serves more than one purpose helps show that the space can support different routines without feeling overloaded. The goal is to demonstrate function without making every room look like it has been packed with furniture.”
Multi-Purpose Furniture
Buying furniture that serves more than one purpose is a good way to maximize the space in a smaller home. A good example would be using a storage ottoman to replace a normal ottoman.
Flexibility in the furniture can also improve the experience a buyer has while looking at smaller houses.
People want to be able to imagine themselves living in small spaces, so efficient furnishings become even more critical. Pieces that are fully or partially flexible can demonstrate the potential for a space to adapt to a variety of uses without becoming cumbersome and cluttered. The ideal situation is to communicate flexibility and function without reaching a furnishing density that feels uncomfortable.
In smaller spaces, it’s especially important to maintain visual access to the floor. Floating and wall-mounted shelves and cabinets are great for achieving this. So is strategic use of furniture with legs that are as far from the floor as possible.
Items placed around a small space, especially if those items are small and numerous, can fragment a room and create unnecessary focal points. A well-designed space will always feel larger than one that is poorly organized, no matter how many useful objects are at the occupant’s disposal.
Since small spaces typically don’t have the luxury of flexibility that larger spaces do, the design of a small space must incorporate a range of different light sources. Using a variety of light sources helps to prevent corners from going too dark.
From a product placement perspective, small spaces also require flexibility. According to Sarim Oezdemir, Head of Growth at EZContacts, if a space is too small to comfortably accommodate a table, it probably can’t support the placement of a stool, either.
“Simple design principles can be applied to many things, including how to organize a small home. All the design principles for creating a large effect with small means can be applied at the level of the room.”
Using a variety of small rugs can assist in defining different regions of an open plan space, but a multitude of small rugs can fragment a space.
Using a large rug can anchor a space and visually connect regions of a space, for example, a seating area and a dining area.
Large pieces of art in a series can be vertically spaced to give the illusion of space and create an effect similar to the use of a tall bookcase. Floor to ceiling curtains can also have the same effect.
Taking advantage of high ceilings is one of the few bright sides of having a large house. Storage can be gained by using taller closets, which also leaves more space for walking.
Stop Covering Up Small Space Solutions
Small spaces don’t need to cover up small space solutions with large solutions to give the illusion of more space. There are better ways to capitalize on the spaces in your home.
Small spaces often lack large furniture, and large walls. If a small space has good organization and a good flow, it can appear large.
The Truth
The goal of designing small spaces should not be to trick people into thinking small spaces are large. Good design principles can be just as effective for small spaces. True small space design often involves good storage solutions and a clear flow, as well as the judicious use of furnishings. Good design often incorporates natural lighting and good edge to edge design.
