How to Make a Small Condo Look and Feel Bigger
Maximize every square meter of your small condo. Learn how to use colors, décor, lighting, and layout to make any room look and feel bigger.
By:
The Good Home Daily
Posted on November 12, 2025
Living in a small condo in the Philippines means making the most out of every square meter.
According to one real estate company, 42 percent of for-sale and 41 percent of for-rent condos in the country have floor spaces of 50 square meters or smaller.
At first glance, that size may seem limiting. But with the right strategies, design choices, and a touch of creativity, even the smallest unit can feel brighter, more open, and surprisingly spacious.
This guide will show you how to make a small condo look bigger. From clever lighting tricks to color schemes and smart storage solutions, we’ll give you small room design ideas that will make your condo feel more open and comfortable.
Why Do Some Rooms Feel Smaller or Larger Than They Are?
Why do some rooms feel cramped while others seem surprisingly spacious? Believe it or not, it’s not just the square meters that make a space feel small. It’s how your eyes and mind interpret the room.
Factors like lighting, furniture placement, and clutter can trick your perception, making a home feel tighter or more spacious than it really is.
According to a 2017 study, elements like color, lighting levels, patterns, and room shape have a significant effect on perceived spaciousness. What’s more, rooms with brighter walls, minimal clutter, and simple layouts are consistently rated as feeling larger and more comfortable.
With that said, every design choice matters. Flooring patterns, wall art placement, and uncluttered sightlines subtly influence how open a room feels. And with clever condo interior design, you can actually make small spaces look larger than their actual size.
In the next section, we’ll explore practical ways to maximize your space that help your room appear bigger and more inviting.
10 Simple Ways to Make Your Small Condo Feel Bigger
With the right approach, you can make your apartment feel more spacious. Here are small room design ideas and some practical tips that will help make your small space look larger.
1. First, Declutter
The first step to making your room feel bigger is to let go of the things you no longer need. It may sound simple, but clearing out excess items is the most effective way to create the illusion of space. Too much stuff can make even a spacious room feel cramped.
Go through your belongings with a critical eye, and only keep what you truly use and love. Decluttering is more than just cleaning. Doing this can also bring a sense of mental calm.
Studies have found that a disorganized living space can lead to constant, low-grade stress and anxiety. The human brain prefers order, and clutter forces it to split attention, which increases cognitive overload.
2. Paint Your Walls and Ceiling with Light Colors
Light colors can instantly make a room appear bigger. Shades like whites, pastels, and soft neutrals have high light reflectance values (LRV), meaning they bounce more natural and artificial light back into the room. This creates a brighter, more open feel compared to darker shades, which absorb light and make a room feel smaller.
Use these light colors specifically on your walls and ceiling. A 2017 study found that the lightness of walls and ceilings directly influences the perceived height of the room. And the lighter these surfaces are, the taller and more spacious a room feels.
This means that choosing lighter shades for both walls and ceilings is one of the most effective ways to create the illusion of height and openness in small spaces.
3. Opt Darker Floors
While light walls and ceilings help open up your condo, going too light everywhere can make the space feel flat. That is why you need to pair your light-colored ceilings and walls with darker floors.
A darker floor provides contrast and depth, grounding the space while allowing the lighter upper surfaces to feel more expansive. In many cases, it also visually recedes, giving the impression of taller walls as you enter the room.
Now, if your condo room already has pre-installed light-colored tiles or flooring, consider using dark area rugs or carpets to achieve the same effect without renovation.
4. Keep Windows Clear to Maximize Natural Light
Allowing natural light to enter is one of the most effective ways to make a small condo feel bigger. The brighter a space is, the more open and airy it appears. However, this effect can be easily lost if windows are covered with heavy curtains, bulky blinds, or large furniture.
A 2017 study on spatial perception found that view access is the most significant factor in how spacious a room feels. Larger windows that connect an interior to the outdoors consistently make spaces feel bigger, both in real and virtual environments.
This means that when you keep your windows clear, you’re not just letting the light in—you’re visually extending the boundaries of your room.
To maximize this effect, use sheer curtains or light-filtering blinds instead of thick drapes, and avoid placing tall furniture in front of windows. Even something as simple as keeping glass clean can enhance brightness and clarity, making your condo feel more open.
5. Use Mirrors to Double the Light and Space
Mirrors are a classic trick for making small spaces feel bigger. They reflect both natural and artificial light, instantly brightening the room.
Place a large mirror opposite a window. This not only spreads light but also doubles the view, making your condo feel more open.
Beyond light, mirrors also create the illusion of depth. A well-placed floor-to-ceiling mirror can make a narrow hallway appear wider, while smaller mirrors grouped together can add visual interest without overwhelming the space.
Just be mindful of what your mirrors reflect. Aim for windows, plants, or art pieces so that they add beauty instead of clutter.
6. Layer Your Indoor Lights
Relying only on one overhead light can create harsh shadows and highlight the limits of a small room. This makes the space feel tighter than it really is.
You can try the lighting triangle by layering three kinds of light:
- Ambient light (your ceiling light) for overall brightness
- Task light (like a desk lamp or under-cabinet light) for focused activities
- Accent light (such as wall sconces or a floor lamp) to highlight features and soften shadows
For example, you can pair your ceiling light with a tall floor lamp in one corner and a small table lamp near the sofa. Instead of shadows pulling the room inward, the light spreads evenly, brightening the edges and making the walls appear farther apart.
This balanced distribution of light tricks the eye into perceiving a more open and spacious environment.
7. Hang a Large-Scale Artwork
Small pieces can make a room feel cluttered. One oversized artwork, on the other hand, can make the wall appear bigger.
A huge framed piece draws the eye upward and outward. This trick helps walls feel taller and rooms appear more expansive.
A large frame can also create a striking focal point in the room without overwhelming the space.
But if you are worried about budget, consider DIY canvases. You get the same visual impact without the hefty price tag.
Another creative way to showcase huge art pieces is by simply leaning the frame against the wall. This adds a laid-back, modern feel and saves you from drilling holes.
8. Choose Multi-Functional Furniture
Efficiency is everything in a small condo. That is why multifunctional furniture is a must.
Pieces like a sofa bed or a coffee table with hidden storage give you more than one use in the same footprint. You save space while keeping the layout flexible for different activities.
These smart choices also allow you to keep your layout flexible. You can easily adapt the space for lounging, entertaining, or even working from home without feeling restricted.
9. Use Vertical Lines
Did you know your eyes naturally see vertical lines as longer than horizontal ones of the same size? Psychologists call this anisotropy, and you can use this philosophy to make a room feel taller.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains, tall shelves, or vertical paneling help draw the eye upward and create the impression of higher ceilings. You can even apply the same idea in smaller spaces like bathrooms by choosing vertical tiles.
This simple visual trick creates a subconscious sense of height, making your room feel more spacious without any structural changes.
10. Leave a Breathing Room
When we arrange furniture in a small space, it can be tempting to push everything against the walls to free up space. That’s totally understandable. But did you know that if you leave a little breathing room around key pieces, you actually make your condo feel bigger?
Even a small gap between the sofa and the wall creates the illusion of depth. The same goes for leaving clear walkways between furniture. It signals openness and prevents the room from feeling overcrowded.
So, pull your furniture away from the wall. Doing this doesn’t make you waste space. Instead, you create a visual flow that tricks the eye into seeing a larger area.
More Than Square Meters
A small condo does not have to feel limiting. With thoughtful design, you can create a home that feels bigger than its floor plan suggests.
It comes down to how space is used and perceived. Apply the suggestions above, and you might just enjoy your condo makeover more than you expected.
