We are all familiar with common ways to make a small space appear larger or a big space feel more open. You might hang mirrors to create visual depth, paint every wall white, or declutter aggressively. However, did you know that a suitable window covering, such as a sheer curtain, can also make your space look bigger while adding beauty and warmth?
Maximize Natural Light with Sheer Curtains
First of all, light is a very important factor in making your space look open and wide. So avoid thick drapes that make your place dark. What you'll need here are sheer curtains. Unlike heavy, opaque drapes that create a solid wall of fabric, sheer fabrics act as a soft diffuser. They allow sunlight to filter through, scattering it deep into the room.
- They can soften shadows: The diffusion process eliminates harsh lines and bathes your walls in a soft glow.
- They can blur boundaries: When a room is filled with light, the walls seem to recede, creating an illusion of expanded square footage.
There is a great middle ground for people who are worried about being too exposed: sheer privacy curtains. These fabrics are woven a little tighter or with threads that have different textures. They let you enjoy views of the outside, connecting your home to the yard or sky, but they keep your neighbors from seeing what's going on inside. If you use semi-sheer curtains, the visual break of the window frame is softened, making it look like the room goes on beyond the window.
How Light Filtering Shades Can Make Your Space Feel Bigger
Curtains can be lightweight and airy, but they can also be bulky. When you're in a small room, heavy cloth that pools on the floor takes up valuable visual and physical space. Light-filtering roller shades are the best way to get a cleaner, bigger look.
Choose "Inside Mount"
If you want to make the most of your room, put your shades inside the window frame instead of on top of it. This works because:
- It shows the walls: You leave the wall space around the window empty when you mount inside the frame. The brain thinks that a room is bigger when more wall surface is visible.
- It gets rid of clutter: Rolling shades have a smooth look. When rolled up, they're almost invisible, so they're not in the way.
Pro Tip: Match Your Shade to Your Wall
Pick a shade that goes with the color of your walls. When the color blends in perfectly with the wall color, your eye moves freely across the space, giving it a feeling of openness.
Use Vertical Patterns to Add Height to Your Room
Even a big room can feel like a cave if the ceiling is low. To fix this, you need to make the eye go up. In a small room, vertical space is very helpful, and the window curtains can help guide your eyes upward.
Picking Out the Right Fabric
When picking out curtains, look for fabrics with small patterns or lines that go up and down. You don't need big, bold lines for this. Subtle vertical stripes or a vertical weave can make a room look taller by drawing the eyes up and down from the floor to the ceiling.
The "High and Wide" Hanging Method
Hanging the hardware correctly is the best way to create the illusion of high ceilings.
- Hang high: Hang your curtain rod at least 4 to 6 inches above the window frame, or even right under the crown molding.
- Go wide: Make the rod 3 to 6 inches longer on each side than the width of the window.
The brain is tricked into thinking the window is bigger and taller than it really is. It gives the room a bigger feel, even with standard 8-foot ceilings.
Why Top-Down Cellular Shades Are Perfect for Small Spaces
Small spaces often face a difficult trade-off: you want natural light to make the room feel big, but you need privacy because your neighbors are close by. Traditional shades force you to choose one or the other—you either pull them down and lose the light, or pull them up and lose your privacy.
Cellular shades with top-down bottom-up models solve this specific pain point. This innovative design allows you to lower the shade from the top while keeping the bottom covered.
The Benefits:
- Sky views: You can leave the bottom half of the window closed to block the view from the street, while the top half remains open to let in sunlight and views of the sky.
- Psychological openness: Seeing the sky is a psychological trigger for openness. By keeping the top unobstructed, you maintain a connection to the outdoors.
- Slim profile: Honeycomb (cellular) shades have a crisp structure that fits neatly within the window frame, preserving precious space in tight areas like bathrooms.
How to Choose the Right Colors to Make Your Room Feel Bigger
The last piece of the puzzle is color. When it comes to interior design, colors are usually put into two groups: "advancing" and "receding."
How Colors Move
- Warm and dark colors draw the eye in, making a room feel cozy but smaller.
- Cool and light colors move away from the eye, making things seem farther away.
Best Colors for Small Rooms
To maximize space, your best strategy is to keep things light. Dark colors tend to absorb light and make the edges of a room stand out, while light colors reflect light and make the room feel open.
- Stick to neutrals: Classic colors like beige, off-white, white, and soft gray reflect light and make a room feel bigger.
- Match your walls: Pick white curtains if your walls are white. By doing this, the curtains blend in with the walls, creating a smooth flow. The room seems to go on forever because there isn't a sharp contrast between the colors.
- Stay cool: If you want to add some color, pick soft, cool shades like mint green or airy blue. The way these colors "recede" (move away from the eye) makes you feel calm and creates a sense of distance.
- What to avoid: Do not use velvets that are too heavy or designs that are too busy or loud. These block your view and make the room feel smaller by creating a visual barrier.
Find the Right Curtains to Elevate Your Home Now
You can bring out the best in your home by using sheer curtains to let in as much natural light as possible, light-filtering roller shades for their sleek look, and vertical placement to draw the eye upward.
We at Joydeco think that every family should be able to access exceptional quality. We offer custom options that are made to fit your needs, whether you need a certain size for a window with a unique shape or a specific fabric to match your home's style. Explore Joydeco’s custom collection today to find the perfect mix of style and functionality.
3 FAQs about Privacy, Light, and Space
Q1: How can light filtering roller shades enhance privacy?
Light filtering shades are designed with materials that obscure the view from the outside while still letting light pass through. During the day, they appear opaque to anyone looking in, ensuring your privacy without turning your room into a dark, small cave.
Q2: What's the difference between semi-sheer and sheer privacy curtains?
While both allow light in, standard sheers are very transparent and offer little privacy. Sheer privacy curtains (or semi-sheers) have a denser weave or texture. This allows them to let in a glow of light while blurring details enough that people outside cannot see clearly into your home.
Q3: Can I hang a big picture to make my room feel bigger?
Yes! Using one large piece of art instead of many small ones is a great trick. A large painting creates a focal point and gives the eye a place to rest, preventing the "cluttered" feeling that comes from a gallery wall. It adds a sense of grand scale to the room, much like floor-to-ceiling curtains do.
