The wallpaper trick designers use to make a room look bigger

When it comes to ways to make your home look bigger there are many common ideas people often suggest. Avoid dark colours! Clear the clutter! Hang mirrors!

Related: How to wallpaper – an expert guide to hanging wallpaper with ease

These tips can certainly help, but a designer has explained how striped wallpaper could be your secret weapon when faced with a tight hallway, living room, or even bathroom.

'Stripes have long been known for their ability to affect virtually any surface,' says Alex Whitecroft, Head of Design at I Want Wallpaper. 'In fashion, it’s used to create a slimming look, while in the world of architecture it’s used in minimalist design as a clear and concise way to create space and symmetry.'

Alex says that both of these concepts are used in interior design, too. 'Vertical stripes can make a wall look taller while horizontal stripes can make it seem broader. It's the use of parallel lines that give stripes their space bending abilities,' Alex explains.

So some striped wallpaper could be totally transformative in a cramped hallway with a low ceiling. Panelling can also be used alongside striped wallpaper, with vertical tongue and groove helping to draw the eye all the way up from the floor to the ceiling.

We love the use of narrow blue and white stripes in the traditional bathroom pictured above. While it's a fairly spacious bathroom, the wallpaper accentuates the height of the room.

Alex also explains how stripes can be incorporated in a subtle way. For example, wallpaper featuring trees or a forest theme will create vertical lines while making a nature-inspired look.

If you're after some more wallpaper inspo, head to our wallpaper trends piece.

Layering stripes with wallpaper and a headboard with vertical lines as pictured above is another clever way to make your ceilings look higher.

Related: Wallpaper ideas for any room – get creative with how you welcome wallpaper into your home

Horizontal stripes could also work well in a bedroom, as they tend to make a room feel calmer. Whether on a feature wall or all over, bold stripes can really elongate a space.