Shabby Chic Boho In the pursuit of a stylish and functional home, many homeowners and property stylists unknowingly fall into the trap of making furniture choices that diminish a room’s sense of space. Whether you’re preparing a property for sale or seeking to maximise your living area, avoiding common furniture missteps can have a remarkable impact on how large and inviting your rooms appear.
Overcrowding with Oversized Furniture
A frequent styling misstep is choosing furniture that’s disproportionate to the room. Oversized sofas, tables, or armchairs can obstruct movement and dominate the space, making it feel noticeably smaller.
Selecting well-proportioned, low-profile pieces with clean lines can help maintain openness and visual balance. For those unsure where to begin, services like Huntley and Co can assist in sourcing appropriately scaled pieces for homes of any size, helping to maintain both visual harmony and spaciousness.
Neglecting the Flow of Movement
Rooms must allow for natural traffic flow. Blocking walkways with poorly placed furniture not only reduces functionality but also disrupts the visual continuity of the space. When furniture placement interrupts easy navigation, it subconsciously signals a lack of space.
A helpful guideline is to maintain a minimum of 60–90 centimetres of clearance around key furniture items. This ensures accessibility and preserves an airy feel throughout the room. Floating furniture arrangements, where pieces are pulled slightly away from the walls, can also promote better flow and enhance the perceived spaciousness.
Using Too Many Pieces
More isn’t always better. Filling a room with excessive seating, tables, or decorative items creates visual clutter that can make a space feel smaller. Each extra piece adds visual weight, which can overwhelm compact rooms.
Instead, prioritise multi-functional furniture. Consider ottomans with hidden storage, extendable dining tables, or modular sofas that adapt to the room’s needs. A restrained, considered approach allows each piece to breathe and contributes to a more open, organised look.
Ignoring Light and Reflective Surfaces
Lighting plays a critical role in defining spatial perception. Heavy, dark furniture can absorb light, casting shadows that shrink a room visually. Similarly, choosing materials and finishes with low reflectivity can dull the overall atmosphere.
To counter this, integrate furniture in lighter tones or reflective finishes, such as glass, acrylic, or mirrored surfaces. These materials bounce natural and artificial light around the room, enhancing brightness and creating a more expansive feel. Mirrors, in particular, are an effective tool for adding depth and opening up closed-in spaces.
Mismatched or Bulky Rugs
Rugs can ground a room, but when chosen poorly, they can also disrupt its harmony. A rug that’s too small will segment the space awkwardly, while one that’s too large can swamp the furniture layout and make the room appear congested.
As a rule of thumb, rugs should anchor all major furniture pieces in a room, ideally allowing the front legs of sofas and chairs to sit atop the rug. This creates a unified zone that promotes balance and prevents visual fragmentation.
Vertical Blindness: Forgetting Height
While horizontal space is often top of mind, neglecting the vertical dimension of a room can contribute to a feeling of tightness. Low-hanging art, short curtains, and squat bookcases draw the eye downward, compressing the perceived height of the room.
Maximise vertical space with tall shelving units, floor-to-ceiling curtains, and vertically-oriented artwork. These elements lead the eye upwards and amplify the room’s proportions. Utilising wall-mounted lighting instead of floor lamps can also reduce clutter at ground level.
Designing Rooms That Feel Bigger
The way we furnish our interiors has a profound impact on how spacious and welcoming they feel. Avoiding oversized furniture, maintaining clear circulation paths, embracing cohesive styling, and incorporating reflective and vertical elements can transform even the most compact rooms into inviting spaces. With the right approach, furniture becomes not just functional, but a strategic tool in shaping perception and enhancing liveability.
