How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger Using Creative Wall Art

Small rooms are often dark rooms. There is simply not enough space for light to bounce around, brightening it up. You may even be dealing with a room with no windows where you rely entirely on artificial light. 

A lack of light can be oppressive and it makes sense to maximize any light you do have in a room. Mirrors are perfect for this task. They can be used to direct light, natural or artificial, from one surface to another. Place a mirror where it reflects the most light (and preferably the outside view if you look out onto trees or sky) but take care not to direct the full glare of sunlight onto a bed or cot, a caged pet, or treasured possessions.

The beauty of mirrors is that these days they come in so many attractive forms, allowing you to choose one for everything from beachside decor to vintage French, and from prairie style to contemporary urban.

Mirrored doors and panels can create an entire mirror wall which will visually lengthen a room by reflecting it back on itself. A couple of smaller mirrors in different places may be a better choice for a tiny room that can be swamped by a bigger mirror.

Standing mirrors suit period homes and vintage style.

Mirrors are also important to feng shui, which has its own recommendations for auspicious mirror placement. I'm no feng shui expert but have found a couple of links below that may interest those who wish to explore these principles further.

Pictures that look like windows are a great way to add an illusion of depth to a small room, especially in a windowless room or one that has no view to speak of.

These fake windows feature a variety of beautiful scenes that can help lift the mood and bring more life to a room.

Choose a scene from nature that fits with the style of your decor. You can add a beach scene for a coastal living theme, a mountain view in a rustic frame, or even an aged stone window to create the illusion of living in your own castle. Many other combinations are also available from this store.

If you prefer artworks, there are a number of painters who specialize in beautiful window scenes full of sunlight, which will complement bright and breezy decor. Alice Dalton Brown and Lynn Fecteau are two names to look out for.

In trompe l'oeil  painting the intention is to create a picture on a (normally) flat surface that uses perspective and realistic painting in such a convincing way that the viewer believes the objects or scenes are real.

Janet Shearer is one of the world's best trompe l'oeil artists. I used to own the book featured here and it is fascinating even if you never pick up a brush. Of course, the real fun lies in trying your own tromple l'oeil artwork using her tips and techniques!