This easy, affordable furniture trick will instantly make a small room look bigger

It's such a quick fix, you'll wish you had thought of doing it sooner

White wood panelled and brick wall, chaise longue and polished concrete floor
(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

Truth be told, not everybody's been blessed with the luxury of large rooms – myself included – so oftentimes, we've got to get creative to make the most of even the smallest of spaces.

While there are many different ways to make your home feel bigger without making structural changes, there's one furniture trick, in particular, that does the job without breaking the bank. And when you realise how easy it is, you'll wish you had done it sooner.

Few know that raising your furniture by adding feet or legs to them can instantly increase the look and feel of a room, not to mention, it's quite the novelty as you can turn your furniture classics into bespoke pieces unique to you.

Red sofa in living room, white cabinet, drinks

(Image credit: Future PLC/James French)

Raising furniture trick to make a room look bigger

If you're trying to take advantage of a small kitchen, or trying to make a small living room look bigger, it's no secret that utilising vertical space is the absolute way forward.

'Whether it's stacking more cabinets or going for extra shelving, whatever it is, use it. If you don't take up valuable floor space, it will feel bigger,' says Jen Nash, senior design lead at Magnet Trade.

Therefore, it's no surprise that raising your furniture to utilise that vertical space will also do the trick in instantly transforming a space and making it look a lot roomier.

White chest of drawers with fluted design, decorative accessories, table lamp

(Image credit: Future PLC)

Jenny Shu, interiors expert at Property Rescue explains, 'One of the reasons for this is because by raising furniture off the floor, light is able to pass underneath it, therefore creating a feeling of openness and space. It's a visual trick that really creates a perception of more room.'

'This new gap between the furniture and floor also allows light to flow under the furniture and around the room, again creating the perception of a larger space. What's more, being able to see under furniture and more of the flooring means your eyeline has a direct path around the room which again can make it feel like a bigger space.'

Blue velvet sofa with cushions, black cabinet, houseplants

(Image credit: Future PLC/Darren Chung)

If you want to up the ante even more with this visual trick, it's important to also consider the colour and finish of the furniture legs.

Jenny advises we opt for light-coloured legs to enhance the overall look and feel, and help to bounce natural light around the room.' She also adds that slim legs will look less obstructive.

'As well as installing legs to your furniture, you could also purchase raised furniture such as bookshelves and cabinets which are secured to the wall. This opens up floor space and creates the illusion of higher ceilings, again increasing the amount of space felt,' adds Jenny.

For the best results, it may be well worth combining this raising furniture trick with the use of light colours on walls, mirrors, and effective storage and organisation solutions.

View of grey painted alcove to the side of the chimney breast with inbuilt wooden cupboard and shelves

(Image credit: Future PLC/Anna Stathaki)

So, it appears as though cracking the code to utilise the most of small spaces is to keep everything off the floor – who would've thought? It also instantly updates the pieces you love and gives them a new lease of life, in case you were after an easy way to switch things up in your home. So I'd say it's a win-win overall.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia Joson is a Junior Writer at Ideal Home. She's always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for journalism blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments. When she isn't writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game.