A lot of people have experienced walking into an empty room and thinking, it’s very huge only for them to add furnitures and suddenly the room feels much smaller.
That’s how empty space affects how we perceive size.
When a room is completely empty, the eyes will easily view and move from wall to wall without interruption. There’s nothing disturbing the visual space, so the room naturally looks more open and spacious than it really is in practical everyday living.
Once furniture starts coming in, reality slowly changes. Sofas, beds, dining tables, shelves, TVs and rugs will all take up space. And then movement paths become narrower, corners become tighter, and the room starts to different from what it was when it was empty.
I also think that is why many people ignore how carefully furniture placement affects comfort in a home. A room may be “large,” but poor layout choices will still make it feel crowded and uncomfortable.
Empty rooms will sell you possibilities but the furnished rooms reveal reality.
Also, that difference explains why homes often feel much smaller after people finally move into them.