25 hacks to make a tiny home feel bigger, function better and look its best

Incorporate as many of these small home hacks into your interior design to make your home feel and look much larger

1. Show a lot of leg

Grassington Sofa, Sofas & Stuff

The more floor space you can see in your home, the more spacious it will feel. To make a small home feel bigger, where possible, opt for furniture that is raised up on legs, like this Grassington Sofa. The same goes with bed frames, wardrobes and sideboards.

2. Build up to the ceiling

Bespoke wardrobe by Inspired Elements

Whether you're installing kitchen units or fitted wardrobes, always take them right up to the ceiling when you can. You will maximise your storage area and you won't be left with a dusty, redundant space at the top. You may have to go bespoke, but the additional storage may be worth the extra cost.

3. Reflect

Silver Mirrored Bevelled wall tiles, My Furniture

To make a small home feel bigger, choose reflective surfaces over a matt finish wherever you can. This space enhancing tip will help to bounce more light around your home and make it feel lighter and larger. This even applies to details, such as door handles, and accessories, such as kettles.

4. Levitate

ME by Starck, a bathroom design collaboraton between Duravit and Philippe Starck

Opt for sinks and toilets, kitchen units and sideboards that are cantilevered out from the wall, so that you can see the floor beneath them. Your rooms will instantly feel larger. 

5. Go for glazed doors

Oxford Oak veneer internal door, £110, Wickes

Glazed internal doors bring in more light and draw the eye further into your home, making your place feel brighter and more spacious. Glazed kitchen units, dressers and sideboards will enhance the feeling of space in your home too. 

6. Strategically place mirrors

Gisella mirror, Cox & Cox

Mirrors automatically make a room feel much deeper than it is, but placing them so that they can reflect a window or doorway will enhance that feeling even more. And, as they bounce light around, they will brighten up your space too. Cox & Cox have a lovely selection.

7. If it's out, make sure it's attractive

Sophie Allport Rose collection home accessories

You can't hide everything away. Whether it's washing-up liquid or coat hooks, if it's on view, see that it's pleasing on the eye. In the scene above, the dishcloth, oven glove and pot stand are all used regularly, and you can trust Sophie Allport to make sure these practical items look good and function well.

8. Opt for glass tabletops

Porada Infinity round contemporary glass dining table, Chaplins

A glass-topped contemporary dining table allows the eye to see through it, further into the room, making the room feel larger as a result. 

9. Go square

To get the most out of the space in your kitchen units, you need to go square. Opt for square storage canisters and even consider right angles for your plates too. That way you can push everything right into the corners. This EHC set of three storage jars is available from Amazon.

10. Go for handleless units

Lava grey matt lacquered units, Rational

Handles protrude into the room and take up unnecessary inches. Instead, to make a small home feel bigger, go for handleless furniture and kitchen units where the handle is cut into the door itself. Every little helps.

11. Keep the colour scheme light

Marble Small Ridge Table Lamp, Industville

This is one of the more obvious small home hacks, as shown here in this living area, light colours help to create an optical illusion, they push the walls out and make a space feel larger. The light coloured accessories help to do the same.

12. Slimline appliances

Whirlpool slimline dishwasher

You don't need to cut down on your whitegoods, because of lack of room, just opt for slimline appliances. You can even get narrow wine fridges.

13. Hush your appliances - look for the Quiet Mark

Whirlpool Supreme Care FSCR 10432 Washing Machine certified by Quiet Mark (UK)

It's unlikely that you have space for a utility room, so you want to make sure that your washing machine, tumble drier, fridge, freezer, dishwasher and extractor are as quiet as possible. Look for the Quiet Mark. Appliances certified with the Quiet Mark are certified as being the quietest products in their category. 

14. Flatten that hob

Industrial copper and slate kitchen, Wren Kitchens

Induction hobs are best for small kitchens as they sit flush with the worktop and so help to visually extend your worktop space. They are super easy to clean too than traditional gas hobs too. 

15. Streamline that sink

Logic Kitchen 3, Rational

The latest worktops can be created as one single surface with a sink and drainers moulded in to them. As the worktop space is one whole seamless piece that includes the sink, it will make the whole area feel a lot larger than it is and make it easier to clean.

16. Be Transparent

It's time to be clear. Transparent pieces of furniture that you can see through, such as the iconic Philippe Starck Kartell Loulou Ghost chair available from Amazon, lead the eye further into the room and will instantly make it feel larger.

17. Choose pedestal tables

Vinicius pedestal table, Essential Home

By opting for a pedestal table you reduce the amount of table top supports by three, this means that there are less obstacles crowding your room and that you can squeeze more people around it.​

18. Get nesting

Two Ardmore Nesting Tables, Cox & Cox

Occasional tables are useful, but when they are not needed you want to be able to tuck them away, so be sure to buy the nesting variety.

19. Open up stairs

Stairway painted in First Light and Regal Select Matte, Benjamin Moore UK

Make sure that your stair parts are as open as is safely possible. Don't hide away your stairs, show that they are going somewhere. This will help to add depth to your home.

20. Opt for multifunctional radiators

Termoarredo Elettrico di Design, Viadurini

Heaters shouldn't just heat. Multifunctional radiators can double up as towel rails, shelves, benches and even mirrors. 

21. Cut those cords

Don't have wires snaking across your walls and floors. Instead, opt for wireless music systems, such as the Sonos One (Gen 2) speaker from Amazon, shown above. Go for wireless printers and wireless keyboards too.

22. Forget screens, project

Don't clutter up your wall with a giant TV screen. Just paint it white invest in a little projector and project an image on to it when you want to consume some media.

23. Let your windows shine

Don't block any part of your window with a curtain, blind, or other window dressing. Let it sit so that it doesn't cover any part of the glazing. You want to maximise the light that shines through. The more natural light filtering into your space, the larger it will feel. Here the blind sits just above the first pane of glass.

24. Go for multifunctional furniture

4YOU 4 poster king bed with storage and shelves, Cuckooland

Wherever possible, choose multifunctional furniture. This four-poster double bed with storage doubles up as a bookcase. Look for dining tables incorporating drawers, sofas that double up as guest beds and stools that offer storage too.

25. Let things lean

Rustic Ladder desk, Vincent and Barn

This is one of those lesser known small home hacks, don't let four legs support your furniture and take up floor space when two will do. The more floor you can see, the larger your room will feel. Ladder desks, shelving and console tables can all be found leaning.

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Fantastic design tips for small kitchens