Interior designers know something most homeowners don't: window treatments are one of the most powerful tools for changing how large or small a room feels. A room that's genuinely compact can read as spacious with the right choices. A room that has decent square footage can feel cramped with the wrong ones. The difference is in a few specific decisions.
Mount High, Hang Wide
The single most impactful thing you can do to make a window — and the room around it — feel larger is to mount the window treatment as close to the ceiling as possible and extend the width past the window frame on each side.
Most homeowners mount blinds or shades just above the window frame. This emphasizes the actual size of the window and leaves a gap of wall between the top of the shade and the ceiling. Mounting a shade or curtain rod near the ceiling draws the eye upward and makes the ceiling feel higher. Extending the width means that when the treatment is open, it stacks on the wall rather than covering the window — making the window appear as large as possible and maximizing light.
This works for sheer curtains, roller shades, and zebra shades alike. The principle is universal. The execution just requires choosing a mounting position before ordering, since the brackets need to be placed correctly from the start.
Choose Light-Coloured, Light-Filtering Fabrics
Dark, heavy fabrics absorb light and make walls feel closer. Light-coloured, light-filtering fabrics — whites, off-whites, light greys, warm creams — reflect light back into the room and make the space feel brighter and more open.
In a small room, a blackout shade in a dark colour makes the room feel like a box when it's closed. A light-filtering roller shade in a warm white does the opposite — it maintains privacy while keeping the room as bright as possible. Even in a room where you occasionally need full darkness, a light-coloured fabric reads better than a dark one in the open position that you see most of the time.
Keep the Treatment Minimal
Heavy layering — thick drapes over a blind over a valance — eats visual space. Each layer adds to the frame around the window, making the window opening feel smaller and the walls feel closer. In a small room, restraint is the right call.
A single clean roller shade or zebra shade, mounted correctly at ceiling height, is far more effective in a small space than multiple layers. If you want softness, a single sheer panel on one side of the window is enough. The goal is to keep the window treatment from taking up visual real estate.
Match the Treatment Colour to the Wall
A shade or curtain that blends with the wall colour behind it is less visually disruptive than one that contrasts. In a white or off-white room, a white or cream roller shade nearly disappears against the wall, making the window — and the room — feel larger. A dark treatment against a light wall creates a frame that draws attention to the window's actual size rather than making it feel expansive.
This isn't about being boring — it's about using the treatment as a background element rather than a focal point. In a small room, the treatment should support the space rather than compete with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an inside or outside mount make the room feel larger?
An outside mount — where the shade or blind mounts on the wall above and outside the window frame — makes the window appear larger and is generally better for small rooms. An inside mount sits within the frame and emphasizes the actual window size.
Can these principles be applied in a condo with floor-to-ceiling windows?
Yes — even with large windows, fabric choice and colour still affect how spacious a condo feels. Light-filtering fabrics in light colours are consistently the right choice for open-plan condo spaces.
What's the most common mistake people make in small rooms?
Mounting the shade or blind directly above the window frame rather than near the ceiling. This is the single change that makes the biggest difference, and it costs nothing extra to do it right from the start.
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