| A small space can offer unique design challenges. | | | | Smaller furniture pieces with a more open design |
| Small apartments and rooms can feel cluttered | | | | work well. For example, a two-seater sofa or |
| and claustrophobic. Fortunately, there are small | | | | love seat with exposed legs work better than a |
| space design tricks you can use to open up even | | | | large sofa with high back and sides and hidden |
| the smallest of rooms. | | | | legs. Curvy shapes, open arms and low backs are |
| THE MAGIC OF MIRRORS | | | | ideal for small spaces. |
| Mirrors and other reflective accessories are an | | | | Glass, perspex or mirrored-furniture offer function |
| affordable and super easy way to create an | | | | without clutter. |
| illusion of double the space in your room or | | | | Look for multi-purpose furniture. For example, a |
| hallway. Mirrors bounce light into the room and can | | | | sofa that can open up into a bed, or a trunk or |
| extend the appearance of rooms. Use mirrored | | | | chest which can double up as a coffee table. You |
| cabinet or wardrobe doors, or even floor-to-ceiling | | | | can find trendy lounge cubes and ottomans which |
| mirrors to make the smallest of spaces look at | | | | open up to create extra storage for bulky items |
| lot larger. | | | | such as spare duvets and blankets. |
| COLOR TRICKS | | | | MAKE FULL USE OF THE WALLS |
| Picking the right color for your small space is vital. | | | | It's amazing what a drill and a couple of screws |
| Light and neutral colors make rooms look bigger. | | | | can do for small spaces. Create hooks, shelves |
| Cool blue, light green and lilac can make spaces | | | | and small cupboards to store away little used |
| feel airier and less enclosed. Keep your ceiling | | | | items. I have a shelf above one of my doors, high |
| white and paint any trims, moldings or coving in | | | | up towards the ceiling to store my photo albums, |
| the same color. | | | | and another set of shelves high up in my study |
| Another way of extending space visually is to use | | | | just for board games and old CDs. |
| stripes or blocks of color. Vertical stripes tend to | | | | Instead of buying floor lamps, you can have |
| draw the eye upwards, making a space look | | | | wall-mounted up-lights instead. This way you have |
| higher, and horizontal stripes can make a space | | | | more uninterrupted floor space |
| look wider. | | | | SMALL ROOM LAYOUT AND FLOW |
| Color also lets you create a divide between | | | | When arranging your furniture, think about the |
| spaces without having to place furniture or | | | | flow and pattern you are creating. Start with your |
| screens in the way. For example, if you have a | | | | largest piece of furniture and look for a wall it can |
| studio apartment in which the eating space | | | | nest against. Setting your furniture at an angle is a |
| merges with the living with the sleeping space, | | | | good idea as the diagonal line is the longest line in |
| you can divide them by painting each area a | | | | a square space and your eye will naturally follow |
| different color. For example, you might pick fresh | | | | along this long line. |
| white for the small living room, green for the living | | | | LIGHTING FOR SMALL ROOMS |
| space and orange for the eating area. | | | | With the right lighting type and clever placement, |
| THE KEY RULES WHEN BUYING SMALL SPACE | | | | you can open up small spaces dramatically. To |
| FURNITURE | | | | make low ceilings seem higher, use up-lights. Avoid |
| Buy smaller furniture so that you do not clutter | | | | ceiling lights as they make your ceiling look even |
| your small space. As a general rule of thumb, | | | | lower. Wall lights with swing arms will provide a |
| consider furniture that is tall rather than wide. | | | | great reading light without taking up floor space. |
| Nowadays, there are many trendy, sophisticated | | | | And wall sconces (a decorative wall bracket) with |
| small furniture designs available, especially from | | | | a mirrored or reflective back will help magnify light |
| Japan where space is a premium. The Japanese | | | | back into the room. |
| retail company Muji is a great place to start and | | | | Whatever lighting option you pick, try to eliminate |
| they have a superb online range of furniture ideal | | | | shadows. The more light (natural or artificial) your |
| for confined spaces. | | | | small space has, the bigger it will appear. |