One of the questions often asked during an onsite consultation appointment is, “How do I make this little space (a bedroom, office, family room, etc.) look bigger?” There are two main points to make. How much décor and furnishings are the right amount and how to paint the space.
Our common mantra is often “less is more” when decorating a vacation rental. We aim to offer enough décor to feel warm, personal and unsterile, yet not too much to feel cluttered or too personal. It’s a fine line. Vacationers typically want their rental to feel homier than a hotel room, but they prefer to not feel reminded by personal pictures or many knick-knacks, that they are in someone else’s space. Above all else, cleanliness and lack of clutter is paramount.
Paint may be the least expensive yet most effective way to change, brighten and enlarge a room. Lighter colors work best for smaller rooms, and we have seen homeowners use mirrors and window treatments (or no curtains) to aid in making the room feel bigger.
We love how The Spruce summarized 9 suggestions for making a small room bigger in their article focused on bedrooms
9 Tricks to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger. One suggestion we learned was to choose furniture with legs to offer some height, again aiming for a vertical focus. They also suggest avoiding too many patterns, such as solid bedspreads in a small bedroom.
Here's a home we photographed in Eastham that offered a nice balance of décor with minimal items on display, but enough to give the home a warm, homey feel. This living room was not large, but the light paint color and one piece of vertical wall art helped the room to feel larger and uncrowded. Which brings us back to the importance of removing clutter and offering a very clean rental house.
