It doesn’t take slight of hand to make a room appear larger and more spacious. Choose from one of these home decorator secrets. Get ready to discover the vast room that is hiding in plain sight.

It may come as no surprise that one of the most impactful ways to enlarge space is to open it up. Going from closed off rooms to removing interior walls for an open concept living area is seen frequently on television home design shows and across many examples in decorator magazines. While the square footage of the home hasn’t changed when a wall or two are removed, the perception of how the space can be used has shifted.

Once the space is opened up the next modification is adding lots of light with open windows, adding more windows, or increasing the window sizes. Letting the sunshine in will brighten the whole room.

Go big with a big rug. Choose a bold color or an oversized pattern print to make this a focal point. And as you’re positioning furnishing around the rug replace the oversized chair and sofa styles with leaner lines for a contemporary, better proportioned look. Keep proportion sizes in mind when adding in a coffee table, end tables, and floor lamps. Clean, compact lines make for smaller profiles when looking across the room.

Paint Strategically

When it’s not practical to remove a wall to make a room more spacious then the next step is to address the wall color. Color can reflect light in ways to dramatically change how a room is perceived. Consider one of these colors:

White: Designers know that white will make the tiniest room feel even more grand. White reflects light and will complement natural lighting. White walls allow you to go bold with rug colors and patterns as well as photos and artwork on the wall. The accessories in a white room will become statement pieces.

Yellow: Yellow walls can have the same effect and be equally reflective as using white. The key to using a shade of yellow is to lean towards softer, buttery hues compared to lemon or neon yellow. The softer hue will be more pleasing and refreshing.

Cool Blue or Green: These soothing colors translate to brightness, depth, and our brains read these “cool” colors as receding or being farther away. Instant spaciousness achieved. Shades of teal or seafoam green with white trimmed woodwork are particularly eye-catching.

Gray or Taupe: If white isn’t to your liking than look to these neutrals that will add a bit of warmth but continue to make a room feel large and roomy. Search for a gentle, calming shade that reminds you of soft summer clouds. Like white and yellow, it bounces light around the room to expand the space. But, unlike white, there’s no glare.

Deep Jewel Tones: Consider rich, dynamic colors such as sapphire, emerald, garnet, or amethyst. It might seem counterintuitive but dark, jewel-toned walls don’t have to feel confining. Deep rich colors will soften corners and make the walls blend together.

Home buyers want more space and better room flow. For this reason, when you’re thinking of selling your real estate agent may recommend changing your wall colors. Have questions about preparing your home for listing? Make an appointment with Hillary Gaynor to get the conversation started. The Bean Group has real estate listings spanning the New Hampshire seacoast and Southern Maine area.