When I research “small rooms” the results are often focused on making them appear larger. The size of small rooms can certainly be challenging, but if you’re frustrated with a small room, the underlining “trouble” you’re having isn’t only about the size of the room; it’s usually about the feel and function of the room too.

Small, tricky, or awkward rooms can be challenging to decorate because they often have spaces like narrow hallways, low ceilings, and oddly shaped nooks and corners. These spots can be difficult to furnish and decorate because they often require creative solutions to make the most of the available space.

So, unless you’re planning to bring in a team of contractors to build on, or knock out walls, you may have realized this about you own tricky rooms already.

If not, the way a small room feels and functions is way more in your control than you think.

One of the most effective ways to help a room to have better flow is to utilize contrast in your décor and furnishings.

Today, you’ll learn how contrast can help create visual interest, make small spaces feel bigger, and define areas in tricky or awkward spaces. I’ll also share tips for creating contrast to help you transform your own challenging spaces.

Let’s get into, creating contrast: the key to decorating small, tricky, or awkward spaces.

Definition of contrast: In the context of decor and finishes, contrast refers to the difference between two or more elements in a space. Contrast can be created through color, texture, pattern, and shape. It is the juxtaposition of contrasting elements that creates visual interest and draws your eye.

Types of contrast:

1. Color: Contrast in color can be achieved using complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel) or using a single color in different shades or tones. For example, a room with a neutral color scheme can be livened up with pops of bright, contrasting colors.

2. Texture: Contrast in texture can be created using different materials, like rough and smooth surfaces or matte and glossy finishes. This can add depth and dimension to a space.

3. Pattern: Using different patterns, like pairing stripes and florals, or with patterned and plain surfaces can highlight contrast. Patterns can add visual interest and draw attention to certain areas in a room.

4. Shape: Contrasting different shapes, like angular and curved furniture, or reinforcing shapes in accessories can be very pleasing in small, tricky, and awkward rooms. For example, using geometric patterns on walls or floors can add visual interest and create a sense of balance and harmony.

Use contrast to create depth and visual interest:

When you want to create visual interest in small spaces, contrast can be a very effective tool to have in your decorating and design tool bag. You can use different colors, textures, light, and/or reflection to draw your eye around the space, making it feel larger and more layered.

• For example, a cramped and narrow hallway can feel even more claustrophobic without the right decor and finishes. But, with the use of mirrors and lighting, it can be transformed into a more inviting and functional space.

• Adding a large mirror at the end of the hallway can create the illusion of more space and light, and carefully placed lighting fixtures can accentuate key features and draw the eye away from the narrowness of the space.

• This creates a cohesive and visually interesting space that feels brighter, more spacious, and more inviting, despite its narrow size.

Contrast can make small spaces feel bigger:

Using contrasting elements, like light and dark colors or smooth and rough textures, helps draw your eye around the space, creating a sense of depth and dimension. This can make a small space feel larger and more open.

• For example, a small bathroom with a light-colored wall and a dark-colored floor creates a sense of contrast and depth that makes the space feel larger than it is.

• A small kitchen with white cabinets and a dark countertop. The contrast between the light and dark elements creates depth and dimension, making the space feel more open and spacious.

• A small hallway with a patterned rug and plain walls. The contrast between the patterned rug and plain walls creates visual interest and draws the eye down the hallway, making it feel longer than it really is.

• A small living room with a mix of smooth and textured fabrics. The contrast between the different textures creates depth and visual interest, making the space feel larger and more layered, without using a saturated wall color.

How contrast can define flow in tricky or awkward spaces:

In tricky or awkward spaces, like rooms with irregular shapes or limited natural light, contrast can be used to add definition, create a sense of flow, and highlight key features in the room.

• Try using contrasting colors, textures, and finishes around the space to make it easier to differentiate between different areas while also creating a more cohesive overall look.

• For example, in a long and narrow living room, the use of contrast can be especially effective in creating a sense of depth and flow. A focal wall in a bold color or pattern can be used to visually anchor the TV wall and draw attention to this space. In this way, contrast directs you where to look in the room. It shows you where “the action is.” Adding contrasting elements to the furniture and accessories, like a brightly colored throw pillow or rug in the same or similar color, will create a sense of cohesion and flow.

In small spaces, like half-baths, powder rooms, or a cramped entryway, contrast can also be used to create the illusion of more space and light.

By using light-colored finishes and adding contrasting accents in things like artwork or small accessories, the space can feel brighter and more inviting.

• In small kitchens or bathrooms, using contrasting elements to define different zones within the space, like using a different tile pattern or color in the shower area or behind a stove, can create the illusion of more depth and visual interest.

Contrast can make the most of unusual architectural features:

Low ceilings or odd-shaped nooks can be challenging to work with. Contrast can be used to make the most of these features and enhance visual interest.

• For example, a low-ceilinged room can be made to feel taller by using contrasting vertical lines, such as floor-to-ceiling curtains or a tall bookshelf.

• An attic bedroom with angled walls and a mix of smooth and textured fabrics. The contrast between the different textures creates visual interest and draws attention away from the unusual angles of the room.

• An odd-shaped nook in a living room with a contrasting wallpaper or paint color. The contrast between the nook and the surrounding walls defines the space and creates focus for some interesting art or décor.

Contrast can create balance in small spaces with mixed finishes:

In small spaces with mixed finishes, such as different types of flooring or wall materials, contrast can be used to create balance.

By using contrasting elements, such as light and dark finishes or smooth and textured surfaces, your eye is drawn around the space, creating a sense of harmony and balance.

• For example, a small bathroom with a tile floor and a wooden vanity can be balanced with the use of contrasting colors or textures on the walls.

How contrast can highlight architectural features:

Features, like exposed beams or brick walls, can be highlighted using contrast. The visually rough texture of beams or brick help draw your attention to the feature, creating a focal point in the room.

• For example, a small bedroom with exposed brick walls can be made more interesting with the use of contrasting bedding and accessories.

• A small kitchen with a tile floor and a wooden countertop. The contrast between the light-colored tile and the dark wooden countertop creates a sense of balance and harmony.

• A small living room with a mix of brick and plaster walls. The contrast between the rough texture of the brick and the smoother texture of the plaster creates visual interest and highlights the architectural features of the room.

Contrast can add depth to small spaces:

In small spaces, contrast can be used to add depth and dimension by layering different elements in the room.

By combining contrasting elements like light and dark colors, smooth and textured finishes, and varying heights, your focus is drawn around the space. In this way, contrast acts as a layering technique adding depth and making your room feel more open and spacious.

• For example, in a small bedroom, consider using contrasting bedding and curtains. A light-colored duvet cover with a textured throw blanket and dark-colored curtains can create a layered effect, adding depth and interest to the space.

• In a small living room, a smooth leather sofa with a plush area rug and textured throw pillows can add just the right amount of contrast to make the room interesting and inviting. Don’t forget to vary the heights of things like tall floor lamps or wall art to create a sense of depth in the space.

• In a small bathroom, the use of contrasting finishes, like combining matte and glossy tiles or smooth and textured walls, can add dimension and interest to the space.

Contrast can create a sense of scale:

A mix of patterns, colors, and different sizes of décor around the space can deemphasize certain spots in tricky rooms.

• For example, in a small bedroom with an awkward layout, a mix of patterns and sizes on the bed can draw attention away from the awkwardness of the room. So, creating a more visually engaging focal point with the bedding will draw your attention to the bed rather than the layout of the room.

• In a narrow hallway, contrasting colors and different sizes of decor can help to create a sense of scale.

• Try using a mix of small and large frames, a variety of decor items in different shapes and sizes and contrasting colors on the walls and décor. Doing this can transform the hallway into a visually interesting and balanced space.

• In a small dining room with low ceilings, a mix of contrasting textures and colors can help to create a sense of height. Try combining smooth and textured finishes on the walls, contrasting colors on the ceiling or walls, and tall decor items such as floor lamps or tall vases. This will draw your eye upward, making the room feel taller and more spacious.

Don’t forget to add touches of black to achieve contrast:

Adding the color black to a room is an effective way to create contrast and add depth, particularly in small or awkward spaces. Black is a timeless color that can be used in a variety of ways to add visual interest and balance to a room. Here are some ways to bring in the color black to add contrast:

• Black furniture can be a stylish way to add contrast to a room. In a small space, a black sofa or accent chair can create a focal point and add some depth and interest. Black furniture can also be used to ground a room with lighter-colored walls and accessories.

• Adding black accessories, such as pillows, throws, or lamps, is an easy way to bring in contrast to a room. Black accessories can be used to create a sense of balance in a room with mixed finishes, or to add depth to a monochromatic color scheme.

• Adding black trim to a room, such as black window frames is a subtle way to create contrast and add visual interest. Black trim can be particularly effective in a room with light-colored walls or in a room with a mix of finishes.

• It's important to note that when adding black to a room, it's important to balance it with lighter colors to avoid making the space feel too dark. Additionally, using too much black can make a room feel heavy and overwhelming, so it's important to use black sparingly and strategically to create the desired effect.

To sum up, the use of contrast in decor and finishes is a powerful tool in creating visually interesting and functional spaces, especially in small, tricky, or awkward rooms.

Whether it's with contrasting colors, textures, patterns, or sizes, contrast can help to define areas, create depth, and dimension, and even add a sense of scale and balance.

By considering the various ways contrast can be used in a space, you can transform even the most challenging rooms into beautiful and functional spaces, with better flow, and the illusion of more space.

Do you have any favorite ways to bring contrast into a tricky post in your house? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it.

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I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.

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Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.