SMALL steps, beautiful expanses

A small space doesn’t mean you need to be confined and live in a cramped setting. Use these eight simple rules to help you expand your living space.

1 USE LIGHTER HUES WHILE PAINTING WALLS Dark hues are easier to design a space with, however they make the space feel smaller. You can try using pale hues like white, off-white, light grays and blues to make the space feel open and light.

2 AVOID USING WINDOW TREATMENTS Always avoid dull drapes and curtains and keep the windows exposed. This will make you feel that your space has depth. For privacy, try gauzy sheer white and off-white drapes that add a breezy lightness to your room while maintaining privacy.

3 MAKE THAT CEILING POP While brilliant whites on the walls open up your room, going for a darker coloured ceiling adds depth and also draws the eye upwards creating an illusion of space.

4 COLOUR CODE AND ORGANISE OBJECTS IN THE ROOM Arrange your favourite objects and keep them sorted by colour and That pokey flat or tiny studio apartment need not look bare anymore. Here are some quick tips to give it an identity 5 USE STATEMENT PIECES Having a small space does not mean that you have to use small furniture only. A large central object like an armchair really helps to add character to a small room.

6 FOLD IT UP Using foldable furniture adds multi dimensional possibilities to a smaller room. You will be able to stack up or fold those things when they are not needed for an event and open up the room to get more out of one limited space.

7 NEVER FORGET THOSE MIRRORS Mirrors are a dependable approach to make a room seem bigger. While you may not need very large mirrors, you can try to place a moderate-sized mirror against a prominent wall or even place them side by side on a wall to create focus, add depth and create spatial dynamism in your room.

8 INVEST IN MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PIECES Placing furniture that serves many purposes will help you streamline the space in a room. Trunks, ottomans, and storage benches can help you stash away those books and other stuff when you don’t need them. What’s more, they serve as seats and surfaces to stack other objects on top.

The writer is the design head (interiors), Urban Ladder