10 Secret Decorating Tips to Make Your Home Feel Larger

She chose a light gray for the walls and two types of white for the trim and ceiling.

2. Spend time decluttering.

Take the less-is-more approach to make rooms feel larger. Start by removing little-used items or goods that belong elsewhere. Instead, focus on texture and color, with accent pieces like throw blankets and pillows. If you have collectibles you want to showcase, limit them to one nook or bookcase.

3. Use lighter fabrics.

Fabrics lighter in color and weight, such as linens and cottons in neutral shades, make a room appear lighter and airier. Think light gauzy curtains instead of heavy velvet drapes. “You want fabric to feel like it’s blowing in the wind,” Bolden says. The same goes for furniture and accessories.

Burton painted all but one wall in her house white and hung creamy linen curtains throughout to create airiness.

4. Install just one kind of flooring.

Use the same flooring throughout a home to make the space look larger and display a cohesive style.

5. Keep pathways open.

Avoid placing furniture against the walls to keep pathways clear so you can easily move around and have a clean sightline through the room. Making space around furniture creates a sense of roominess.

6. Focus on reflection.

Mirrors give the illusion of more space by reflecting light and the view from across the room. Popular locations are near doorways, at the end of hallways or opposite windows.

7. Shine a light.

Adding lighting is an easy way to make a small space feel more open and brighter. Recessed lights require no extra space and provide directed light.

8. Go vertical.

Use vertical items, including floating shelves, a floor lamp or vertical shiplap (wood planks), to create a sense of space. Another trick, says Leeds, is to place curtain rods higher and wider: 2 to 3 inches down from the ceiling and 6 to 8 inches beyond the trim on the sides.

9. Use built-ins.

Built-in furniture like bookshelves or a Murphy bed is not only functional but it also creates space and adds storage to smaller rooms.

10. Scale down.

Avoid bulky, dark furniture that can overwhelm a room and make it feel smaller. Furniture that shows some leg, so you can see underneath, creates a sense of openness and movement, Bolden says.

In her redesigned living room, Packer replaced two overstuffed leather couches with two streamlined couches in grayish-beige twill fabric. “When you come in and look at this room, the furniture is much more to scale to make the room seem more open,” she says. “The couches also have leges that show off the hardwood floors.”