7 Tips to Make a Small Home Office Feel Bigger

Increased productivity, no commute, and wardrobe flexibility—working from home in the wake of a pandemic has its perks. But it also comes with its challenges, especially for those who live in smaller homes or apartments, or for those who don’t have an office space. If you’re feeling stressed working from home, try one of these tips to revitalize your space and make it feel bigger.

1.  Paint Your Walls with Light Colors

It’s a known fact that lighter colors make a room feel bigger while darker colors make it feel smaller. Bright and light walls are more reflective, which makes your office feel more open. This helps capitalize on the effect created by natural light. Darker colors, on the other hand, absorb light, making a room feel smaller.

For an optimal effect, paint your home office with soft tones of white, blue, or green. Also, keep in mind that brighter rooms look bigger and are more inviting. Thus, paint your wall moldings and trim in a brighter color than your walls. This’ll make your walls appear farther back, making your home office seem bigger.

2.  Lighting is Crucial in Opening Up an Office

Allowing natural light in your office opens up the interior, making it look larger. However, if you don’t have enough natural light, don’t worry because you can add some creative effects using lighting fixtures, such as ceiling lamps or desk lamps.

However, if you have access to natural light, bringing it into your home office through large windows can instantly connect your office with the outdoors, making your space look larger.

To allow more light into your office, use sheer window coverings, or you can pull back the curtains completely. But if you don’t like your view, put plants or flowers near the windows and use desk lamps to brighten your workspace.

3.  Well-Placed Mirrors can Make Your Space Look Bigger

Mirrors can do wonders and make your small office feel bigger! Using a focal point, angle your mirrors toward it to get an illusion of depth. Also, mirrors reflect both artificial and natural light, making your home office brighter during the day and night. Plus, they bounce light deep into a room, making it appear larger.

Mirrors are more effective, especially when placed near a window as they reflect the outdoors. Also, having mirrors on your walls and glass tabletops will make your room feel more open. You can use mirrored cabinet doors to make your spaces feel even larger.

4.  Reconsider Your Furniture Arrangement

As you know, sometimes furniture can occupy too much space. You can avoid this by using multi-functional furniture, such as office cabinets that you can use as a coffee table, or a standing desk, which acts as a sitting or standing workstation.

Placing larger furniture against a wall can help you maximize the open space. Scale your furniture to fit the size of your home office and avoid blocking pathways. Also, avoid blocking the view into your office with furniture or accessories because this can make your office look cramped. Moving furniture out and away from pathways opens up space, making your space appear larger.

When picking out your office furniture, make sure some of it is the same color as your walls. Because even bigger furniture, such as chests and armoires, can blend with your style, expanding your office.

In any room, the longest line is the diagonal. So, placing furniture at an angle leads the eye to the longest distance rather than the shortest distance. Using glass tables can help you maintain the appearance of a larger space.

5.  Limit Clutter

Having too much stuff can make an office feel cramped. However, keeping your things neatly arranged and out of sight can make your office feel orderly and open. Thus, a cluttered office equals a smaller office.

Avoid placing a lot of pictures on your walls. Actually, one large picture works better than a group of small pictures. Because if there’s too much going on, all clamoring for attention; this can make your office space feel busy and crowded.

So, when decorating your office, create a focal point—one area or feature that’ll draw the eye. Make sure the focal point is the star of your office. Arrange your furniture such that the attention is drawn to that area and keep the décor in the rest of the room to a minimum.

Also, avoid cluttering the floor. This is one of the most effective ways to maintain a sense of spaciousness.

6.  Use Vertical Space for Storage

When buying storage units and cabinets, think vertically. Up to the ceiling if possible. Office storage that extends to the ceiling not only keeps your office tidy, but it also keeps your office clear because it accommodates more documents and other office materials.

This way you create the illusion of a larger space.

7.  Organize Your Cables

By organizing your cables, or even better, choosing wireless solutions if possible, your office will look neater, tidier, and more organized. Also, it’ll look bigger.

This is because leaving your cables lying around creates a cramped feeling. Poorly organized cables are a serious safety hazard issue; all the more reason to keep your cables neat.

Final Thoughts

If you have a small office space, it may frustrate you because of how small it feels. Large office space provides you with all the room you need, but not everyone has that luxury. But the seven tips mentioned above can help you to fool the eye and make your interiors seem more spacious than they are.

No matter how small your office is, a few changes can make it look bigger and feel more open. From color techniques, vertical storage, furniture arrangement to smart lighting; these minor changes can make your small home office feel larger than it is. If you spend most of your time within the same four walls, it’s worth all the effort to figure out how to create a workspace that’s comfortable, which ultimately improves your productivity.