You might feel like you’re stuck with what you’ve got in a small space, but there are ways to trick the eye. Some people like to strategically hang mirrors to give the illusion of more space. You can also make a small room seem spacious by using colors and light.
Hang blinds and curtains to your advantage to make a room look bigger. The right curtains will open up the room and add style and interest to your decor. Depending on the type of window treatment you choose, you can completely transform your space.
By being deliberate with your window treatments, you can make your space seem luxurious without making any major renovations. Read on to learn about the perfect types of blinds and curtains that make a room look bigger.
Do Blinds or Curtains Make a Room Look Bigger?
If you have a small room with windows, you can use the natural light to your advantage. Letting light shine in can make a room seem more open, even if you don’t have much in terms of square footage.
Instead of keeping your windows plain, you’ll probably want some type of treatment for them. Using blinds and curtains can give you privacy, but they also add style to the interior of your room.
Curtains usually make a room look bigger than blinds do. Though blinds fit inside the window frame, the slats can often make a room feel shuttered and confined. Blinds also cast shadows across the room throughout the day, which means you don’t get as much light as you could.
Even when they’re closed, blinds still have gaps that allow light and heat to enter your room. If you want to have blinds in your home, it’s best to combine them with curtains, so you get complete coverage. The curtains will also add style to blinds, which are usually pretty plain-looking.
Different Styles of Blinds
Blinds may seem like a basic window treatment that provides an additional layer of protection from the sun and heat, but there are several different styles you can choose from, such as:
- Vertical blinds
- Panel blinds
- Pleated shades
- Venetian blinds
- Roman shades
- Roller shades
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds have slats hanging from a track. You can twist them to open or completely open them by pushing them to the side or parting them in the middle, depending on the type you buy.
These blinds are most commonly used on patio doors but can also look nice when used on floor-to-ceiling windows. The slats are usually broad, but you can find different widths to suit your needs.
Panel Blinds
Panel blinds are similar to vertical blinds in terms of how they hang and work. These options are usually larger fabric panels, so you’ll need fewer to cover your window or sliding doors. This style makes the room seem larger because you don’t have as many lines breaking up the flow of your walls and windows.
Pleated Shades
Pleated shades are a large piece of material with pleats that allow you to easily raise and lower the entire shade at once. The material folds into accordion pleats so you can tuck it out of the way, similar to how you’d raise Venetian blinds.
Because these consist of one piece of fabric or paper, you can’t open the shade to allow light in as you can with Venetian blinds. As a result, this style softens the light coming in through your window and gives a more cohesive look to the window when compared with individual slats.
Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are what most people picture when they think of window blinds. They are a popular style because they come in many materials and colors. These blinds have horizontal slats that attach with thread or fabric strips.
You can buy Venetian blinds with different-sized slats. Mini blinds have slats that are one inch thick, which is smaller than Venetian blinds. Micro blinds are even tinier, with slats about half an inch thick. The smaller sizes mean you will have more slats in the window, which will give your room a different look.
You can twist this style of blinds open and closed. You can raise them to allow more light in. When you lift these blinds, the slats fold together neatly, so they are totally out of sight.
Roman Shades
Roman shades come in fabric, jute, or paper. The solid piece of material hangs down from the top of your window. When you want to allow light in, you raise the shades completely. The fabric folds in on itself beautifully and hangs from the top of your window in a graceful drape.
The way these shades fold in on themselves will block the uppermost portion of your window. They look elegant in place, but if you want to get the full range of light from your window, then you might want to select another option.
Roman shades are versatile because you can use a thin fabric to allow light in even when they’re closed. You can also choose a heavier, lined fabric that will block heat and give you more privacy.
Roller Shades
Roller shades hang at the top of your window and have material rolled up compactly. You can pull the material down to cover your entire window. They come in thin fabric or thicker materials that block heat and light.
Since roller shades retract into the top of the window, you might want to pair them with a valance or swag so the rollers won’t be in sight.
What Materials Are Blinds Made From?
You might think of blinds as clunky, plastic-looking window treatments, but you can find stylish blinds made from a variety of materials such as:
- Wood
- Plastic
- Metal
- Fabric
- Paper
If you’re buying blinds to make your room look bigger, you’ll want to carefully consider the material you choose. Wood blinds will be thicker and darker than other options, so they will draw more attention. They might make your room look more cluttered as a result.
You can choose plastic or metal blinds covered with a faux wood treatment if that’s the look you want for your room. However, keep in mind that lighter-colored blinds will make your space look bigger because they’ll virtually disappear in natural light. Darker colors will pull the eye and break up the open space of the window.
Fabric and paper blinds are thinner and allow more light to pass through. They will also pair nicely with fabric curtains without drawing too much attention to your windows.
The best way to ensure blinds make your room look larger is by installing them as close to the window’s glass as possible. This will make them low-profile like they are part of the window instead of something you’ve added on.
What Type of Blinds Make a Room Look Bigger?
Vertical blinds, panel blinds, and Roman shades can be beautiful, but if you want to use blinds with curtains, these choices are out of the running. They are too bulky on their own to pair with even the sheerest of curtains.
If you want to use blinds to make your room look bigger, choose from these three types:
- Venetian blinds
- Pleated shades
- Roller shades
You can install Venetian blinds, pleated shades, and roller shades within the window’s frame so they will lay right against the glass. Because they’ll be inside the frame, you can hang curtains outside of the window to accent these types of blinds.
Different Styles of Curtains
Just as there are different types of blinds, there are many different styles of curtains, including:
- Panel pairs
- Single panels
- Valances
- Window treatment sets
Panel Pairs
Panel pairs hang on either side of the window. They might be slender panels that stay on the outside edges of the window. You could choose panels with enough fabric to meet in the middle when you pull them closed.
Single Panels
A single panel is a stylish way of creating an asymmetrical look in your home. One panel is large enough to cover your window so you can pull it across for privacy. When you open the panel, you tie it back to one side for a unique appearance.
Valances
A valance is a short curtain that only covers the top of your window. These are ideal for pairing with blinds or shades because otherwise, you won’t have anything covering the rest of your window.
Window Treatment Sets
Window treatment sets are everything you’d ever need to decorate your window. They include two curtain panels, a valance, and often a sheer curtain to leave over your window even when you pull the curtains back.
While window treatment sets can be elegant, they are fairly eye-catching. Because there are so many layers, they take up more space in your room than other curtain options. For these reasons, using an entire window treatment set to decorate your room isn’t the best choice if you want the area to seem larger.
What Materials Are Curtains Made From?
You can find curtains made from almost any type of fabric, though certain materials drape better than others. You can test the drape by taking two yards of the material, pleating it between your fingers, and seeing how it hangs from your hand.
Cotton is a popular fabric because it allows light to pass through while also providing privacy. They come in many colors, and you can wash them at home, which will ensure they look nicer for a longer time. Linen and synthetic fabrics are also good curtain materials because they come in different styles and are durable.
Thinner materials are better for curtains because they drape well and won’t weigh down a curtain rod. They’re easier to push back and allow more light to come through your window. Choosing a thin or sheer material in a light color is ideal for curtains. Try to match the color to your walls or keep it a shade lighter. This will help your curtains blend in with the surroundings.
If you want a printed or patterned fabric, stick to light colors if at all possible. Vertical stripes will help your space seem taller, which will make it feel bigger overall. Bold colors and busy patterns will attract a lot of attention, making your room seem smaller since the curtains dominate the space.
As with any style, you can ignore these guidelines if you want to be big and bold. You can opt to use bright, busy patterns for curtains in the hopes that everyone’s eyes go to the curtains alone. This will cause the rest of the room to fade into the background, and then the size of the space won’t matter at all.
If you go big and bold, keep in mind your curtains will be getting a lot of sun exposure. This will cause colors to fade. Darker colors and prints will fade faster than lighter colors.
You can prevent fading by hanging a liner between the glass and the curtain. This liner will provide a protective barrier between the sunlight and the curtain fabric. It will also help insulate your house against heat coming from outside. In cold weather, a liner will help keep heat inside your home.
What Type of Curtains Make a Room Look Bigger?
After you choose your curtain style, fabric type, and color, you’ll want to be sure they make your room look bigger once they’re installed. Hang the curtain rod strategically to give the illusion of height and width.
Allow the curtain rod to stick out from the window on the sides. Having the rod stick out slightly will make your windows seem larger. You’ll be able to push the panels off to the side and allow the entire window to show. When it’s framed by curtains this way, it will give the impression that your window takes up more space than it really does.
Using layers of curtains can also make your space seem larger. It might seem counterintuitive because hanging two rods with two sets of curtains adds more bulk to your windows. However, you can effectively layer sheer and opaque fabrics to add depth to the room.
Continuing this train of thought is the idea of using textured curtains. While bold patterns might seem too busy in a small space, the texture is ideal for adding motion and interest to your curtains without being overwhelming. Many neutral fabrics can have added texture that is almost the same color as the fabric itself.
Curtain Length
The length of your curtains can influence how much space they take up in your room. Floor-length curtains brush the floor and help a room seem taller. Longer curtains, like trouser length and puddle length, actually have fabric touching the floor. This can take up space and make the room seem more cluttered.
Apron-length curtains hit right below the window sill, perfectly framing the window. These curtains can help your window blend in with the walls around it, making your space seem bigger. Sill-length curtains show the window sill, which can make the windows look small. This style can make the rest of the room appear larger in comparison.
Hanging Height
You can install a curtain rod wherever you think it would look best with your window. Most designers prefer to hang the curtain rod six inches above the top of the window frame. This makes the room seem taller. It also helps your curtains drape elegantly.
Hanging your curtain rods higher than six inches above the frame will make your space look regal. Instead of breaking up the wall line, you’ll be providing a smooth visual from the ceiling to the floor. Having curtains hang this way can also give the impression of floor-to-ceiling windows when you close the curtains. This will make the room seem larger as well.
Final Notes
If you want to use blinds to make your room look bigger, choose ones that you can install within the window frame, such as:
- Venetian blinds
- Pleated shades
- Roller shades
You can use these blinds alone to enlarge your space or add curtains for extra style. Using these two treatments layered will also prevent heat from entering and escaping your home, lowering utility bills.
When it comes to curtains, less is more. You might want to go all out with your window treatment, but the curtains that will make your space seem the largest are:
- Panel pairs
- Single panels
- Valances
Picking a fabric that is thin or sheer will help your room feel more open. It’s also better to choose light colors that are close to the same color as your walls so they will blend in with their surroundings.
When you add curtains to a room, hang them as high as possible to give the room more height. Following these steps will ensure your blinds and curtains make your room look bigger, even if you’re dealing with very few square feet.