3 min readThose of us who live in apartments or small spaces (or really, anywhere) have probably heard plenty of adages over the years about making a room feel bigger. People will suggest painting everything white, investing in smaller furniture pieces, and keeping decor stylistically neutral. These tips work, to a degree, but they’re also pretty boring, and many designers now say those choices can actually make spaces feel more cramped. Instead, the smaller rooms that actually feel airy and big often embrace bolder, moodier, and more dramatic design decisions.
“The spaces that feel the most expansive are usually the ones that feel confident and intentional,” says interior designer Cortney McClure. From oversized rugs and large-scale lighting to color-drenched walls and sweeping drapery, designers say the key is creating visual continuity and avoiding lots of small interruptions that stop the eye. The surprising takeaway? Sometimes the best way to make a room feel bigger is to stop trying so hard to make it look big.
We spoke to designers about their unexpected tips for making their spaces feel, well, spacious.
Go Big With Your Rug
One of the most common mistakes designers see in small rooms is undersized rugs.
“People tend to think smaller rugs for smaller spaces makes sense, but it’s actually the opposite,” says designer Molly Torres of DATE Interiors. “A larger rug in a smaller space can make it feel larger and, somehow, cozier.”
Rachel Fisher of Further Afield agrees, adding that the effect comes down to how the rug visually anchors the room.
“All furniture should have at least the front legs on it,” she says. “This makes the room feel more expansive because it visually grounds and connects all of the furniture.” In some rooms, she leaves only six inches to a foot of exposed flooring around the perimeter of the rug.
Go for Darker Paint
We know this tip may sound odd and counterintuitive, but hear us out! Rather than highlighting the boundaries of a room, deep colors can actually blur them.
“The darker colors make the edges less visible so the space feels larger,” says Rozit Arditi of Arditi Designs, who loves shades like navy, deep aubergine, and chocolate brown. She recently used Farrow & Ball’s Railings throughout a bedroom, painting the walls, baseboards, and ceiling the same shade. “It feels much larger and so much cozier,” she says.
Fisher says the key is fully committing to the look. “Paint the ceiling, trim, built-ins, windows, and doors the same color,” she says. “We did this in a tiny office recently, and it worked really well.”
Use Oversized Drapes and Lighting
Another designer favorite? Going oversized with architectural elements instead of shrinking everything down.
McClure loves taking drapery “wall to wall and ceiling to floor, even if the actual window is much smaller.” She says the technique visually stretches the architecture and instantly makes a room feel grander, especially when the fabric feels soft and streamlined rather than overly decorative.
She also recommends oversized lighting in small rooms. “Tiny fixtures usually emphasize the lack of scale, while a larger pendant or lamp gives the room presence and confidence,” she explains.
Edit, Edit, Edit
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from designers is that spacious rooms are often less about square footage and more about restraint.
“I’d rather see one incredible oversized piece with breathing room around it than a room full of smaller items competing for attention,” says McClure.
In other words, the secret to making a room feel bigger may not be adding more tricks at all. It’s choosing fewer, bolder elements that allow the eye to move easily through the space.
