Having smaller spaces in the home can help create a sense of coziness and warmth. They can also, however, easily start to feel claustrophobic. If you’re dealing with a number of small rooms that you’d like to open up a bit more, the best tactic is to start with the right choice of carpet. It might not seem like the obvious choice for creating a solid optical illusion in a small room, but in fact, your rug choice can do the work of enlarging a space or cutting it in half depending on carpet size, pattern, and even fabric type. If you’re stumped about where to start, here are a few things to look for the next time you’re browsing your favorite home goods website.
The Right Size of Carpeting Opens Up Space
If you’re working with a tiny space, there are plenty of things you do to open up the room before you start to think about furnishing. Using light and the right wall hangings can go a long way toward creating the illusion of more expansive space. Keeping the door open is also a great way to achieve a larger, more inviting space. When the time comes to install a carpet in your room, choose an option that won’t emphasize your space’s natural shortcomings. While choosing a wall-to-wall carpet might not always be the best option for tiny rooms, opting for a larger rug is usually best, especially if you’re planning on placing larger pieces of furniture inside. Having a wide area rug will make your space feel immediately more expensive, especially if the space is already getting a lot of natural light. If you’re thinking about placing a few statement pieces around the area, consider using a few smaller rugs to break up the space and create the illusion of different sections around the room.
The Right Pattern Creates Depth
You’d be surprised how much good the perfect pattern can do for the smallest spaces in your home. Even if you find yourself having to add dimension to an impossibly small room, using vertical patterns can help widen the space you’re working with. For instance, installing striped rugs can elongate the natural appearance of a space, provided it’s not too striking or ‘busy’ looking. If the right pattern can do wonders for opening up a space, the wrong one can create an even more claustrophobic effect. Loud, colorful patterns tend to draw the eye to the rug as a centerpiece rather than opening up one’s vision. Whatever you do, don’t go for a show-stopping rug when it comes to your cozier spaces. Instead, opt for something neutral and understated. You’ll also want to stick to a pattern that doesn’t look too large for the room itself. Rugs with smaller details that are more spaced out can create a much more expansive, roomy feeling inside a smaller space.
Color Can Enlarge a Room
Just as natural light can play a huge part in creating warmth, depth, and space in a room, so can the right color scheme. While nobody wants to risk being too ‘matchy-matchy’ with a small space, using gradient shades of the same color can actually trick the eye into thinking it’s looking at a much larger space. Using the natural undertones of the space, choose a color scheme and stick to it. For instance, if your space gets a lot of natural light, you might want to accentuate that natural warmth by going with a yellow color scheme. You can use your carpet as the centerpiece, choosing a bright, vibrant shade of yellow, or you can use it to subtly tie all the other pieces together by choosing a more neutral eggshell or beige shade. You’ll also want to choose a rug that doesn’t detract from the amount of natural light in the room. Choosing a neutral shade will help draw in the sunlight, creating a much wider look and feel for your space.
Pay Attention to Installation
Making your space look larger isn’t always about what rug you install. Sometimes, it’s how you install it that makes all the difference. One key tip is to make sure your rug is installed without any seams or separation showing. If you’ve opted for wall-to-wall carpeting in your space, it’s important that your rug stays seamless, creating a wider, more grounded sense of the space. Any irregularities or breaks in patterns will disrupt the illusion and end up making the room feel less expansive. Take extra care during installation to make sure your rug gets laid down flawlessly.
