At Creative Home Stagers, we get asked a lot about how to make rooms and in some cases, entire homes, feel bigger. Staging a small home isn’t an impossible task and in fact, developers are building smaller homes than in years past, so you’re in good company.

Here are a few easy staging tips for your small space.

Let in the Light
It’s a trick as old as time: Add more natural light! Natural light (or the appearance of it) makes any space feel bigger, or at least more open. The worst thing a small home can feel is cave like, so get rid of the curtains, move that window-blocking furniture, and add recessed lighting if you must. Light is your best friend when you’re trying to sell a small home.

Use Mirrors
One simple trick designers use to open up a room is to place one or more mirrors on the walls. Mirrors reflect the space itself, making the room appear bigger. They also reflect any natural light that’s already coming into the room. Just be sure not to place the mirrors across from something you don’t want reflected, like a big screen TV.

Think Neutral
A light, neutral color palette makes any space feel larger. When the furniture fades into the wall color that fades into the ceiling paint…everything tends to seem bigger! You don’t have to go all white – that’s a common misconception about decorating small spaces – but you should think tans, creams, and beiges for the most soothing tones.

Tone Down the Furniture
Heavy furniture is weighing down your small home. Consider switching out your hefty, traditional pieces for items with smaller legs, that sit up off the ground slightly, or that don’t include so much poufy fabric. Where possible, get rid of freestanding furniture altogether and focus on built-in uses such as a bar you can turn into an eating area or a small closet you can stage as a desk area.

Embrace Long Lines
Long lines actually elongate your space. If you’re using an area rug, make it a long one, and use it to emphasize the length or breadth of a room. Replacing your hardwoods? Go for long, thin planks that run the length, not the width, of the house. Longer lines draw the eye with them making a space intrinsically feel bigger.

Staging a small space? If you need help staging your small home for sale, contact Creative Home Stagers today. We’ve got years of experience opening up tight spaces and highlighting the assets of small houses. It’s just what we do!