Interiors expert Sophie Robinson reveals her budget tip to open up a small living room

The Dream Home Makeovers host shares her wallpaper trick that will make your space feel larger

Sophie Robinson has shared a simple wallpaper trick she swears by to make a small living room feel bigger. Speaking exclusively to Ideal Home the interior designer and presenter of Dream Home Makeovers with Sophie Robinson, explained why a fine-lined print is perfect for a small space.

Creative small living room ideas can really maximise a tiny room. If you usually shy away from the idea of wallpaper, Sophie is here to change your mind.

floral wallpaper in pale green tones with wooden furniture

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dowsing & Reynolds)

Sophie Robinson's small living room wallpaper tip

'With a small room, I'd put a patterned wallpaper up,' Sophie begins. 'And I know that's counterintuitive, but sometimes patterns create more depth.'

The Great Indoors podcast's co-host recommends something trailing, such as a lovely floral or botanical print. 'I've got quite a small kitchen and I've got wrapped wall-to-wall wallpaper in there,' she shares.

'And everybody says it makes the room feel bigger because your eye travels through the pattern and beyond.' Sophie makes the point that painting a small room a pale colour can still leave you with an uninspiring space.

floral wallpaper and side table

(Image credit: The French Bedroom Co)

'Small rooms need a bit of punch,' she says. But there's a balance to strike, as a small living room wouldn't suit anything too in your face. We'd definitely avoid anything too blocky or bold.

Instead, Sophie suggests 'a lovely delicate wallpaper with a fine-lined print' to open up the space. The good news is with a small space you don't need too many rolls of wallpaper either, so it's a win-win.

'Do all the walls. This isn't a feature wall thing – all the walls so that you get that full immersive feel,' she says.

sophie robinson

(Image credit: The French Bedroom Co)

Feeling inspired? Check out the latest wallpaper trends for 2022 to see what kind of prints you gravitate towards.

We think a delicate floral print in uplifting hues would be a fabulous way to update your home and inject some spring home decor into your space. It adds a touch of nature while also creating the illusion of depth.

Dream Home Makeovers with Sophie Robinson airs Wednesday at 7pm on Channel 5.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.