Six Ways to Make Your Living Room Appear Larger

If you are living in a closed concept or older home, you may run into an issue of feeling cramped in your main living areas. Ill-conceived paint colors, furniture placement and the wrong decorative accents can add insult to injury in an already too-small space. These clever design tips and tricks will have your living room feeling larger than ever but still cozy.

Coordinate your paint colors for your ceiling and trim. A common mistake that people often make when painting a room is to leave the ceiling and trim unpainted or painted white. This stark contrast to the wall color can make these elements stand out, creating a very boxed-in look. Choose a color pallet with three different shades of a similar color. Your wall shade, then a slightly lighter color for your ceiling and a slightly darker color for your trim. This cohesive color scheme will have your room flowing much better.

Hang a large oval mirror on a wall opposite your windows. This handy mirror trick is as old as design itself. Mirrors have been used to reflect light since the days or the pyramids, and it has been proven to be a tried and true method for enhancing the appearance of a small space. Hanging the mirror opposite the windows in the room will also create the illusion of another opening.

Keep your furniture choices size-appropriate for the room and make them work for you.

An oversized couch may seem comfortable in theory, but it can feel like more of a disaster in a room not built to accommodate it. Choosing daintier chairs and small round ottomans can be just as cozy without the cramped feeling. A square storage ottoman can also pull double duty as a lovely coffee table while storing all of the clutter neatly away.

Hang a few conversation pieces to bring life to a dead wall space. Using antique picture frames in similar metals can make even an eclectic collection look like a packaged set. Using your favorite art, photographs or even record albums can start a dialogue about your interests with guests. Are you a sports fanatic? A professionally framed jersey display will let everyone know who you are rooting for, and liven up the season when watching the games.

Let the light in. Save yourself the trouble and hassle of hanging drapes by keeping your windows bare. Letting in as much natural light as possible is a trick to the eye, making the viewer naturally scan to the outdoors. Keeping your fabric choices light and simple can also make the room appear brighter than it actually is, and therefore larger.

Show some leg - on your furniture, that is. Creating more space is easy to do when you’re cutting out heavy furniture legs in the process. Pieces should be simple, lightweight and elevated. The more floor space that is visible, the bigger the space will seem.