Good things come in small packages… and great homes don’t have to be large to pack a stylish punch! Recent trends suggest that people are tiring of McMansions and moving towards more personal, cozy spaces. A smaller space in no way means less stylish or chic. In fact, smaller rooms can be incredibly charming and welcoming. But no one likes to feel cramped, so how do we make a small room feel larger and still chic?

Below are some tried and true methods we have for making your smaller rooms feel bigger. We implemented them all in our Dragonfly Cottage project and can attest to their success!

First things first: go bold or go home. We painted the main room of our cottage a beautiful, rich black by Benjamin Moore called Black Panther. It’s so sexy and dramatic, it’s paint perfection. It's a misconception that dark walls shrink a room. Dark wall colors do not make a room look small just like a light color will not cause the room to look any larger. Dark wall colors tend to recede and can open a space, making it feel larger, airier, and more inviting than you think.

Just because a room is smaller, does not mean you have to push all the furniture against the walls. It’s actually best to play with angles. Because the longest straight line in any room is the diagonal, positioning your furniture at an angle leads the eye along the longer distance rather than the shorter wall. This can be especially helpful when trying to make a small living room look bigger. While it may seem counterintuitive, keeping the furniture away from the walls can make it easier to move around in the room and can make the room feel bigger.

Another way to make your room feel bigger is to avoid heavy window treatments. A roman shade or wooden blind will give you the style and privacy you desire without overpowering the space.

We also suggest looking towards lighter materials when decorating a smaller room. A glass coffee table or a Lucite side table can be practical without taking up too much visual weight. They can appear to be floating!

When it comes to how to style a smaller living room, decorating with mirrors is a simple, inexpensive, and effective way to make the room appear larger. Try placing the mirrors across from windows, as the reflection will give the room more depth and reflect the natural light. The mirrors will create the illusion of space.

Show a little leg. We love using furniture pieces that have a lighter leg, or base to them as to not weigh the room down. It’s nice to use a non-skirted sofa or a coffee table with pin legs as your anchor pieces to make the room feel lighter.

Edit, edit, edit! Use your smaller space to display only the items you love the most. Less is more when it comes to styling. Make sure your eye has a chance to rest on important items without being overwhelmed by clutter.

We love the warmth and personality that small rooms offer. Don’t shy away from making bold design choices in a smaller space. The risks are worth the reward.