10 Easy Ways To Make Your House Feel Bigger

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) points out that the average house size in the United States dropped 68 square feet between 2022 and 2023. This decline contrasts with the consistent increase in square footage from previous years. Many house hunters claim that it’s rising costs that spark their desire for smaller homes, but that doesn’t mean your house has to feel tiny.

Choose lighter colors and finishes when selecting decor and designing your home. Maximize natural light with sheers, glass doors, and by washing windows regularly. Pay attention to furniture scale so you don’t use pieces too large or tall for the space. Trim outdoor foliage so it doesn’t block windows, declutter, and ensure your home has sufficient lighting to help make your house appear larger.

Buyers searching for a new home must consider their needs and the reality of how their budgets match growing property costs. As of May 2024, the median home price in the United States was $438,441. If you find yourself in a home a bit smaller than you were hoping for, use these tips to make your house feel larger. (But don’t worry, there’s no need to tear down walls or rip out your ceilings.)

Keep Your Current House! These 10 Tips Make Your Home Feel Bigger

It could be that your preference is a smaller home. But if you were happy with the size of your home exactly as it is, you wouldn’t be reading this, right? So, here you are, trying to decide if your house is too small and if you should pack up and move.

But it’s not that easy. Besides the fact that moving is stressful and can take a toll on your overall well-being, houses are expensive. And logically, in most cases, larger houses cost even more money.

Therefore, leave your furniture where it is, put away the bubble wrap, and close out Zillow. It’s time to find your happiness in the home you’re in by using these tips to make your house feel bigger.

1. Think Light When Choosing Design Elements

In most circumstances, going lighter with your design choices makes a room seem larger. Softer colors help a room feel airy and bright, visually expanding the space. But this trick doesn’t just apply to your wall colors.

Think about the color of your furniture, accessories, flooring, and artwork. It doesn’t mean you can't have any dark colors in your home, but you should be intentional about how much of them you use.

Also, consider more lightweight choices when choosing textures and materials. For example, choose a linen couch over a plush velvet one. Opt for soft, cotton sheers instead of heavy drapes. 

2. Include Mirrors In Your Home Accessories

Mirrors are a great way to brighten up a room and make your home feel larger. The mirrored surfaces reflect light and bounce it around the space, illuminating dark corners and other shaded spots.

But don’t go overboard. Using mirrors to make your room feel bigger doesn’t mean installing a mirrored wall or ceiling à la the 1970s. On the contrary, be strategic with where you place mirrors or reflective surfaces like a mirrored vase or glass-front cabinet. Position these items in different areas of a room so they bounce light all around instead of focusing it in one place.

3. Get Rid Of Clutter

It may seem obvious that if you want your home to seem larger, get rid of the stuff that’s taking up space. The problem is, that after you live in your home for a while, you tend to develop clutter blindness. In other words, you don’t notice the stuff piling up and cramping your style — but you still feel the weight of it.

When you think about it this way, clutter is sort of like a ghost — you sense its presence, even if you can’t see it. Decluttering your house makes a big impact physically and mentally. Take some time to go through your rooms and pare down items, donating or selling things you no longer need or want.

4. Maximize Natural Light

Take a walk through your house and see if you’re taking advantage of all the natural light. Natural light is a quick, no-cost way to brighten up a room instantly, making it feel larger. 

Open curtains and move furniture away from the front of windows. In spaces where privacy isn’t a concern, swap out thick, heavy drapes for lightweight sheers. Another way to maximize natural light is to replace solid doors with French doors. If you have room in your budget, add sidelights on either side of your front door.

5. Wash The Windows

Of course, natural light doesn’t do you much good if it can’t shine into your home. Over time, dust, pollen, and grime build up on windows, forming a coating that dims the light that gets through. Make it a habit to wash your windows and glass doors regularly. 

6. Replace Oversized, Bulky Furniture

If your home feels cramped, assess your current furniture situation. Scale is a critical point in good design when it comes to making a room feel balanced and comfortable. If furniture is too big for a room, it makes the whole space feel heavy. 

Towering pieces also affect how big or small a room feels, even though they don’t take up more floor space. In addition to the size of your furniture, consider how much of it you have. Only keep pieces that are necessary for your home to function at its best.

7. Use Hidden Storage

Part of making a small home feel bigger is being creative about how you store your stuff. After decluttering, be intentional about the things you keep. Display a few key pieces that are special to you and stow essentials elsewhere.

Instead of using a lot of open shelving, opt for closed cabinets, drawers, and opaque bins or baskets. Although you have the same number of items, they make a lot less visual noise when they’re out of sight.

8. Assess Your Home’s Lighting

We touched on the importance of natural light earlier and how it helps your space feel larger. However, artificial lighting also plays a valuable role. When you strain to see because of poor lighting, it affects how a room makes you feel.

Low lighting also makes it challenging to find items, which can trick you into thinking a room is too small or cramped. Make sure you have adequate lighting throughout your home, especially in areas like the kitchen or office. Choose the same color temperature (warm white, daylight, cool white, etc.) for all of your lights to create a cohesive look.

9. Trim Landscaping Near Windows

Examine the exterior of your home, primarily the windows, to see if overgrown foliage is blocking them. If so, use shears to snip and trim any bushes, trees, or plants, so they no longer cover your windows and block light.

10. Brighten Dark Floors Using Rugs

Dark floors can make a room feel smaller, depending on the other elements, colors, and finishes in the space. But it’s not exactly practical to rip out your floors and replace them with a lighter style (possible, but not practical). If you want new floors, great, but if they’re not in the budget, no problem.

Cheat by using rugs. Get a large rug in a softer color to lay over floors and lighten the space. If your existing flooring is dark carpet, there’s nothing wrong with placing an area rug on top.

Benefits Of Making Your House Feel Larger

If you still have the itch to upsize, consider these benefits of making your house feel larger.

• You don’t have to deal with the stress of packing all of your things and moving.
• When your home feels more spacious, you don’t feel as overwhelmed.
• You get more space without buying a larger, more expensive home and driving up your mortgage payments.
• Your home feels larger, but it’s still the same size, which means you don’t need to clean a bigger house.
• A smaller home is easier and more affordable to maintain.

After using these tips to make your existing home feel roomier, you’ll discover you’re content with the space you have. Sure, in some cases, your only solution may be to buy a bigger residence, but, more often, it’s about reimagining what’s in front of you and tweaking a few pieces of the puzzle.

Related Guides:

• You Don't Need To Move: 14 Tips To Love The Home You're In
• How To Make A Small Space Feel Bigger
• 25 Minimalist Dresser Alternatives (for Small Rooms)