Bring In the Light: 7 Ideas for Expanding Small Rooms
Whether you live in an apartment or a larger home that features one or two, all of us have to design a small room as part of our space. The team at Billy.com have some helpful lighting tips to ensure that your smaller spaces can feel just as comfortable as the bigger ones!
These simple lighting design tricks can make smaller spaces seem airy and spacious. Lighting is vital when it comes to maximising space, and these seven design tips will help you make the tiny areas some of your favourites in the home.
Our 7 lighting ideas for small rooms
Making small rooms feel bigger with some lighting tricks is easy, just check out our top seven and see if they will work well in your space today:
Tip #1: The illusion of space with glass lights
Our first and favourite tip is the use of glass lights, a wonderfully elegant and simple way to utilise a feature that can create the illusion of more space in a room. Thanks to the translucent properties of a glass light, the eye sees straight through them. Why is this good? Because the dominating light feature in the room no longer causes a visual blockage.
Lights can often obscure the room, but the light blends seamlessly into the space with a glass option. See-through lights will also optimise the amount of light spilling into a small room which means you create a significant amount of brightness with fewer fixtures and even more space. It's the perfect optimisation strategy, and it looks great!
Tip #2: Making the most of a mirror
Mirrors are a classic trick when it comes to making small rooms feel bigger. If you are opting for this strategy, the larger the mirror, the better! Always place the mirror opposite a light source or window to allow as much light as possible to reflect around the room.
We always recommend this tip when you want to brighten up dark, hard to reach corners. Creating the illusion of more space is easy with a well-placed mirror that preferably matches and enhances the aesthetic of your room.
Tip #3: Keep it simple
It may come as no surprise, but the minimalistic approach to your interior design is always a good way to make a small room feel bigger. This applies to every room, from tricks in the kitchen to various small master bathroom ideas. You want to avoid cluttering the space, and a great way to do this is with clean and simple lighting. Too many lights can overwhelm the space, which is why you should avoid things like floor lamps in smaller spaces.
We recommend overhanging pendants in a small room as you won't unnecessarily lose floor space. Take this idea even further by avoiding lampshades that appear bulky and overbearing. Instead, choose industrial and elegant modern yet traditional pieces; this way, you take up minimal space with a timeless look that is set and forget.
Tip #4: Embrace the natural light
Windows are your best friend in a small room. They not only open up the space but can provide a beautiful view! Never overcrowd your windows with elements like bulky curtains. Natural lighting is precious, and the key thing a small room desperately needs to look bigger.
Opt for clean-cut blinds that look while optimising the amount of sunlight you get to enjoy in the room.
Tip #5: Always choose LED light bulbs
The second most sustainable light source you can have after natural light is LED. When dealing with a small room, invest in some LED statement bulbs. The use of high-quality bulbs will elevate the look and feel of a small space while also offering unique and interesting features that move beyond their functional use.
If you are to take one important tip for small rooms from this article, it's that you should always turn functional features into design features!
Tip #6: Wall lights and downlights
Wall lights are perfect for small rooms, but they need to be placed correctly. Small rooms are low on space, so utilising the wall area is a great way to save it. Place your wall lights over large surfaces like desks or chests of draws. If you have a small kitchen, use your wall lights to brighten up dim worktops.
Downlights are another useful tool in smaller rooms. These handy space savers are no fuss, powerful lights that will brighten up even the most awkward space. Downlights essentially tick every box from all of the tips listed above! They are recessed, so they won't take up visual space and can be placed into sloped ceilings or walls, making them perfect for just about any location.
Tip #7: Spread out your light sources
Our final tip to consider when lighting a small space is to avoid having just a single light source. Why? Let's say you have a single light in the middle of the room, this will create loads of shadows, hiding the little space you have, and you don't want that. Shadows make a small room look even smaller!
If you spread your lights around the room as evenly as possible, you'll brighten up everything, including the hard to reach corners. When the whole room is evenly lit, and perfectly in view, it can look twice the size!
Start with lighting when enhancing your small rooms
Hopefully, the seven tips above can be useful to you when designing the look of the smaller rooms in your home. As a final thought, we recommend you keep to a regular cleaning schedule, as a clean home can really make a room look bigger!
Making the most of a small space can be easy with just a few simple and quick light design tricks! So give them a go and create a light and airy room that you'll love to relax and spend time in today.
