Small room feeling too stuffy? Make your space appear big with these lighting tips

Lighting can help in making the space appear bigger and more open. The room looks less cramped.

It is already known how much lighting plays a role in defining the mood of the room. But it can also give an illusion of more space, making the room appear larger and more open. With the right lighting styles, the illumination can help even accentuate the unique architectural features, turning them into focal points.

Small rooms can get a glow-up with the help of lighting.(PC: Pinterest)

In an interview with HT, Raj Kothari, Co-Founder of Litomatic, shared a few practical suggestions on how to make your rooms appear bigger with lights, creating a sense of depth. He shared lighting styles for each suggestion.

Layered lighting

Employ a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to establish depth and dimension. Ceiling fixtures and wall sconces can distribute light evenly, while directed spotlights or LED strips emphasise specific elements, breaking visual monotony and enhancing spatial complexity.

Integrate recessed or track lighting

Fixtures embedded into ceilings or mounted on tracks eliminate the need for bulky luminaires, maximising headroom and preserving clean, uninterrupted surfaces. This approach creates an impression of openness, especially in compact environments.

Vertical illumination

Highlighting vertical planes, such as walls and ceilings, elongates the perceived height of a room. Wall washers or up-lights strategically directed upward can expand visual boundaries. In addition, emphasising architectural features, like beams or mouldings, enhances verticality.

Leverage reflective surfaces

Mirrors and glossy finishes amplify the effect of light, dispersing it across the space and creating an illusion of greater volume. Pairing reflective materials with well-placed light sources increases their efficacy, especially in smaller interiors.

Perimeter Lighting

Illuminating the edges of a room with concealed cove lights or baseboard LEDs softens harsh shadows, making walls appear farther apart. This technique creates a seamless flow of light, diminishing the perception of confined spaces.

Go for neutral and uniform lighting temperatures

A consistent light colour across a space eliminates visual interruptions, promoting a sense of unity. Warm white or daylight LEDs, matched with the overall design palette, ensure harmony and continuity.

Add floating fixtures

Suspended lights with minimal hardware reduce visual clutter and give the illusion of weightlessness, fostering a sense of spaciousness. Transparent or translucent elements in pendant designs further aid this effect.

So in conclusion, lighting is such a powerful tool that it can change the perception of space, making it look more open and bigger.