If your home is smaller than you'd like, you may wonder what you can do to fix the problem. Luckily, you don't always have to build an addition to make your home seem bigger. You can use many tricks to fool your mind into seeing the house as bigger than it really is. If you would like to learn more, check out these three tips to make your home look more spacious.

1. Glass Shower

Frameless glass showers have become more and more popular for their beauty. However, they can also make your bathroom look a lot bigger than it is. Even though the shower may take up as much as or more space than an enclosed shower with a curtain, the glass makes the shower blend into the rest of the bathroom. Therefore, you don't see a small bathroom and a shower. You see a big bathroom with a shower.

In addition, the light from the bathroom easily penetrates the glass shower, making it brighter in the shower. Additional light is always a great way to make any room appear bigger because it allows you to fully view the room without dark corners. In fact, many bathrooms don't have enough light. Adding more light or switching to a glass shower can better illuminate the entire room.

If your bathroom is particularly small, however, the pivoting door on a frameless glass shower may make the room feel cramped. You can replace a pivoting door with a sliding door, but those often require frames.

2. Lots of Windows

Windows are an amazing option for making your home look bigger. The bigger the window, the better the illusion. Smaller windows add light and make for a great view, but they won't trick the mind. Big windows, especially windows that take up nearly an entire wall, fool the mind into thinking the view is part of the room, making it feel and seem much larger.

The downside to windows is heat gain, but you can counteract this in many ways. First, install the bigger windows on the north- and east-facing walls. These walls face less extreme heat and light from the sun vs. south- and west-facing walls.

Regardless of the location of your windows, ask about different types of windows, such as windows that open to let in cool air and circulate the stale, hot air. Similarly, you can ask about features. Tinted windows or windows with special coatings can help block some light or UV rays. Obscured windows like those with a beveled design will let in less light too, but you'll lose the view, and the room won't seem as large.

3. Plenty of Mirrors

Mirrors are a similar option to windows, but they may be a better choice if you don't have the money to install new windows. First, as with glass showers and windows, mirrors help add light. The existing light in your home reflects in the mirrors, helping to brighten up the area.

However, mirrors also fool the mind the same way windows do. However, instead of blending the outside with the inside to make the room seem bigger, mirrors blend the room with the reflection of the room to make it seem bigger. As with windows, the bigger the mirrors, the better the illusion.

As an added benefit, mirrors are flexible and come in many styles, so you can have multiple different types of mirrors to better add to the illusion. For example, an entire wall mirror can make the room look double in size, but a mirror designed to look like a window can add some space and texture to the room.



You don't have to spend a fortune adding onto your home just to make it feel more spacious. Adding a few new mirrors and windows or getting a glass shower can make it feel like your home is brighter and bigger. If you would like to learn more, or if you are ready for a quote, contact us at Monterey Glass Specialists Inc.