DOES A SMALL room decorated like a monk’s cell—white walls, sparse furnishings—really seem larger than it would if adorned more luxuriously? No, say design experts. “Fabric, textures—so often people ...

You can have a beautiful living room, great furniture, and nice décor—and still make people feel uneasy when they walk in. Most of the time, it’s not the style or the size of the space that’s the ...