How to make a small room look big

With a few clever tweaks, a modest room can be made to feel spacious and inviting…

● Leave windows uncovered to allow for as much natural light as possible. If that’s not an option, choose curtains and blinds that are the same colour as your walls or opt for sheer and gauzy fabrics; nothing too heavy.

● Couches and armchairs that are raised on exposed legs and have open arms help create a sense of light and space.

● Invest in bookcases or shelving units that stretch from floor to ceiling, as they’ll cleverly ‘push’ the walls and ceiling out visually. And co-ordinate your knickknacks and books by size, colour or type to make the shelves appear more ordered.

● On that note, a cluttered room equals a smaller room so clear out regularly. If you haven’t used something in a year, it’s time to let it go.

● While darker colours can make a room seem cosier, they also absorb light, making a space feel smaller. Opt for light-coloured walls, flooring and furniture to help expand the space. Different shades of the same colour will help create a comfortable flow.

● Choose multifunctional furniture that can be folded up, stacked or wheeled away. For easy storage use a trunk, chest or flip-top ottoman to tuck away blankets, cushions and magazines. An ottoman can even serve as a coffee table or extra seating. In bedrooms, think beds with bases that have built-in drawers. An expandable table with removable or drop sides will do the trick in a dining room.

● Include mirrors in your space by leaning an oversized full-length one against a main wall. The reflection will make the room look bigger. Glass tables and other transparent furniture pieces will fool the eye into thinking there is more open and free space than there actually is.

● Small furniture in a small space may seem like the way to go, but a few larger pieces of furniture can make a room look more spacious. The same applies to art – rather than showcasing several smaller pieces, choose a single large painting.

● Instead of one, central overhead light that pools the glow in one spot, try to spread the light by adding lights to each corner of the room or installing multiple spots that spread the light around and illuminate the entire space.