If you are feeling the crunch in your living room, don’t worry. It’s super easy to make an indoor space look – and feel – bigger than it is.

Here are some of our tips for visually opening up your living room.

Use Mirrors

Designers agree that the best way to achieve the illusion of more open space is to use one supersized mirror with a narrow frame. A mirror basically doubles the space the eye sees, which means the bigger the mirror is, the bigger your space looks. However, big mirrors aren’t always an option due to the damage some of them might do to a wall. If that’s a worry for you, it is possible to achieve a similar effect by creating a mirror gallery with a collection of smaller mirrors. Just stick with mirrors that have minimal frames to emphasize their reflective effect. If you can, try to put the mirrors in a location where light from a window will hit them, which can also help make a room look bigger.

Keep Wall Art Big & Simple

You might gravitate toward small wall art in order to make your living space look bigger than it is – but this is actually the opposite of what you should do. Believe it or not, having one or two large pieces of art on the wall will make the space look much bigger than using several smaller pieces. Stick to art with light colors and lots of negative space, and make sure the frames are thin and minimalist.

Pare Down the Furniture

If you want the illusion of more space, stick with minimalist furniture – especially items that have visible legs and open chair backs. By creating all these visual pathways, you’ll make the space look a lot bigger than it is. And keep in mind that smaller is better. Don’t try to squeeze in the biggest couch that can fit into your living room space. Go for something smaller, leaving plenty of open space in the room.

Use Light & Bright Colors

Light and bright is always the way to go when you want to make a space look bigger. Stick to whites, light neutrals, or pastels to trick the eye and keep dark, deep colors to a minimum.

Follow The Preserve at Greenway Park blog for more home décor tips and tricks.