Do you feel cramped in your living room or bedroom? You should know there are solutions that give an impression of space without the need to break down walls and partitions. Brightness, minimalism, color, furnishings… We provide you with our best advice for making a room look larger.

1: Sort out and keep only the essentials

Sorting through your belongings is the first step towards achieving a clean effect. It’s obvious that the more crowded a room, the more it can feel cramped. Keep only the furniture that you really need or truly appreciate.

For decorative items, remember that "less is more." Don’t forget that your most beautiful pieces will be better highlighted if they are not surrounded by uninteresting objects.

2: Play with colors and optical effects

To make a room look larger, we recommend that you paint your walls a light color. Shades of white or pastels are perfect because they won’t darken the room.

If you want to add a dark color or something a little more flashy, apply it to one wall and avoid the one facing the window.

You can also create a horizontal strip of color on certain walls to accentuate the effect of length or make the room look larger. Finally, you should know that satin colors reflect light better.

Need to increase the impression of ceiling height? Add a colored strip at the top of your white wall.

3: Unify your floor coverings

Tiles in your kitchen, parquet for the living room area, terracotta in the entrance… If you want to define the different spaces of your living room by assigning different floor coverings, you should know that this technique is not recommended in a small room.

Stick to clear and plain floor coverings. Lay parquet slats across the width of the room to enlarge the space. On the tile side, choose large square or rectangular tiles.

4: Clean up your window coverings

Brightness plays an important role in the concept of space, so you have to make sure your windows let in as much light as possible. For this, avoid superimposing several layers of fabrics: curtains, drapes, Venetian blinds, or Roman shades ...

Still want to dress up your windows? In this case, use curtain rods long enough that your drapes don’t encroach too much on the surface of the windows.

Last tip, avoid plants and trinkets as decorations on your window sills.

5: Choose low furniture

Low furniture has the advantage of taking up only floor space. By avoiding tall, dark furniture that clutters the space, you broaden your field of vision. If possible, choose furniture with little depth. Above all, avoid the classic combo: massive table, 6 chairs, sideboard and display case ... Not only is it no longer trendy, but above all, there is nothing worse for reducing the feeling of space in a room.

6: Hang mirrors

There’s nothing like a mirror to make a space look larger. It’s also a great alternative to the frame. Placed on or above a low piece of furniture, a mirror lengthens the visual field and gives a double surface effect.

The current trend is to hang several different mirrors. Play with shapes or materials and create a mirror patchwork.

Finally, if you are looking to maximize the effect, install two mirrors facing each other on opposite walls. Each will project the reflection of the other and the effect of space will be even greater.

7: Choose lightweight furniture

Finally, to give the impression of space in a room, it’s better to choose furniture with clean lines. Opt for a light sofa and avoid adding too many cushions. For your furniture and chairs, use thin aluminum, iron, or light wooden legs.

Some clever furniture is perfectly designed for small spaces. This is particularly true with nesting tables, stacking stools, folding chairs, extending tables, or even sofa beds.

Making a room look larger requires action on 3 main aspects of the decor: brightness, furniture, and choice of materials. By drawing on our advice, you can create a feeling of space in even the smallest of your rooms. If you’re an owner you can thus avoid major work, and if you’re a tenant you’ll be able to arrange your accommodation pleasantly without having to carry out transformations which require authorization from the lessor.