Elevated furniture tricks for making small spaces feel more expansive

When it comes to making the most of compact living, every design detail matters. From the shape of a sofa to the height of its legs, the interplay of furniture and floor can greatly impact a room's perceived size.

Leggy furniture opens up visual sightlines

Furniture with legs, rather than sitting flat on the floor, can create a sense of airiness and openness in tight spaces. 'Furniture that sits flat on the floor blocks your view across the room and obstructs pleasant dappled light that may shine onto the floor throughout the day,' explains Atlanta-based interior designer Leah Alexander. 'Your eye can't travel under it, so the space feels more chopped up—cut short, even.' By keeping that floor sightline open, leggy pieces of furniture allow the eye to travel more freely, giving the room a bigger and more airy feel.

Height contrast creates visual balance

While a completely leggy arrangement can work, interior designers caution against an overabundance of elevated pieces. 'I almost never do a room that's all legs and no grounding,' says Samantha Tannehill, founder of New York City-based Tannehill Interiors. 'I'll pair a raised sofa with a lower, more substantial coffee table, or put a spindle-leg accent chair next to a solid linen ottoman.' This contrast between high and low, light and heavy, creates a visually appealing balance that prevents the space from feeling unmoored.

Strategic placement maximizes impact

To further integrate leggy furniture in a tight room, Molly Torres Portnof of Long Beach, New York's Date Interiors recommends 'floating furniture in the center of a space.' This approach, as seen in the Upper West Side townhouse pictured here, can create a sense of openness even in the most compact of spaces. 'The delicate, jewelry-like legs on the curved sofa and coffee table paired with the 'chunkier' armchairs feels balanced and lovely,' says Portnof.

Additionally, pulling even one leggy piece out into the room, such as an 18-inch clearance, can significantly change the space's energy and make it feel more intentionally designed. 'When you float even one leggy piece out into the room, it completely changes the energy,' shares Tannehill. 'The space starts to look like it was designed, not just arranged.'

To tie the look together, designers often recommend a rug to define the furniture's 'zone' without adding visual bulk. 'A rug defines the space, grounds the furniture without adding any weight, and gives that low-profile anchor that pulls the whole room together,' explains Tannehill.

With these strategies in mind, leggy furniture can be a powerful tool for making the most of even the smallest of living spaces.