Knowing what wallpapers will make a room look bigger can be just what you need to expand your home, with no construction experience necessary. Check it out!
For apartment dwellers and tiny homeowners, living in small spaces can be a challenge. Luckily, there are several tricks to making a room look bigger than it is. In fact, several types of wallpapers will make a room feel more expansive. By adding even just one accent wall to a room, you’ll give the appearance that it is larger than it is, which can be beneficial to a small space.
It's generally known that darker paint colors tend to make rooms look smaller than they are, whereas lighter colors make rooms look larger. The same goes for different types of wallpapers in that certain ones may make a room look smaller, while others make a room look bigger.
So what wallpapers make a room look bigger?
Stripes
Wallpaper stripes can come in many forms, from vertical to horizontal, and even faux wood planks can lend themselves to making the room look bigger. Vertical stripes, ones that go up and down, will help to stretch a room and make it feel taller than it is. Fun fact, that’s one of the tricks behind Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion pre-show. Striped wallpaper that runs horizontally, on the other hand, can make a room appear wider than it really is. Depending on what you want for the room, you may prefer one or the other, and a good striped wallpaper is perfect for an accent wall or two. As for faux wood wallpaper, wood planks can offer the same effect, depending on which way they are pointing.
Chevron
Similar to stripes, chevron prints offer depth to a room. Chevron prints can make walls appear taller than they are, while also adding a nice focal point to draw the eye. They can also come in a variety of fun colors, offering a nice pop to an otherwise neutral room. We love this Chevron Woodgrain wallpaper for some subtle, natural texture.
Murals
If you want to expand a room, at least visually, you need to draw the eye outward and give it more visual space. Mural wallpaper is a great option for doing just that. Murals will make it feel like a small wall opens up to a completely new world, which definitely makes a room appear much larger than it is. Mural wallpaperworks well ina home office or bedroom, as it transforms a room and transports you outside of your home. Opt for a photographic landscape like our Aspen Trees, Grand Canyon National Park mural for something truly transportive.
Large Patterns
I know, a patterned wallpaper can seem like a big risk, but they can actually add a ton of character and personality to your space. While smaller patterns tend to make a room look smaller, a large repeating pattern will make a room look bigger. Look for a design that has a lot of negative space in between motifs to achieve an expansive look.
Textures
When you choose a wallpaper that has a texture, you’re adding another dimension to a wall, which in turn, helps to make that wall seem bigger than it is. Many textured wallpapers come in lighter colors, which also helps it to make a room seem bigger than it is. Our collection of paintable wallcoveringscome in an array of textured designs, from subtle to patterned, and can be left as is in a tonal white or painted to match your space.
Metallic
Just like having a couple of mirrors scattered around your house helps to bounce light, metallic wallpaper works similarly. Instead of just light hitting the wallpaper, it is reflected off of it, which helps to make the room look lighter. Light and bright tend to make a room look bigger. Metallic wallpaper plays with the natural lighting of a room to help visually expand a space.
Depending on your tastes, you’re sure to find a wallpaper that will work perfectly for making your room look bigger. The beauty of wallpaper is that it can be used in any room, whether that’s the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living space, or even an office or converted attic or basem*nt space. It fits anywhere, and with so many options, you’ll find one that fits your aesthetic perfectly. Not only that, but contemporary peel and stick wallpapers are much easier to install and remove than traditional papers. Let wallpaper breathe a new life into your home.
