Maximise your small space

CRAMPED rooms with little natural light are challenging to decorate. These designers tell us how to optimise these tricky spaces and give them rental appeal. Here are their tips:

KEEP IT COOL

“Lighter, brighter, cooler colours help the walls recede,” said Jaye Langmaid, owner of Hudson & Crane, an urban design studio in Washington, DC. Light blues and greys can make a small room feel larger and enhance limited natural light. But don’t be afraid to accent a wall in a darker colour, which can lengthen an oblong room or hall.

RAISE THE ROOF

Shannon Claire Smith, a Dc-based interior decorator and design blogger, said that renters have a number of ways to make low ceilings appear higher. “I always have clients try to stretch the walls as high as they can,” Smith said. “A darker colour on the ceiling makes it look like the night sky – you don’t know where it ends.” Hang floor-length drapery panels, or arrange artwork gallery-style so that it fills walls from floor to ceiling. If you don’t have enough artwork to do that, a few large pieces can have the same effect.

ADD MIRRORS

Decorative mirrors create an illusion of space and light. “Mirrors can help reflect what little natural light comes into a basement apartment,” said Sarah Roussos-karakaian, who co-founded the artisan contracting and design team Nestrs with her husband, Nick Karakaian. Floorlength mirrors can make a low ceiling look higher.

LOOK TO THE PAST

There’s nothing new about trying to make the best of a small, oddly shaped space. To find furniture that will fit down narrow stairwells and into cramped rooms, check out French, English and Japanese antiques, said Rachel Dougan, founder of Vivi Interiors.

LIGHTEN UP

Overhead lighting tends to be less than flattering, said designer Anna Matthews, who suggests buying lamps that will warm up the space.

MULTITASK

Get the most out of a small space by purchasing furniture with more than one function. “Have all your furniture be multi-purpose,” Roussos-karakaian said. Couches can pull out to double as beds for overnight guests, and coffee tables with built-in shelves can serve as storage space. She also recommends wall-mounted shelves: fill them with decorative storage baskets. – Washington Post

PICTURE: WASHINGTON POST Sarah Roussoskarakaian and Nick Karakaian strategically placed this mirror in their basement Airbnb to reflect light from the only window in the space.

PICTURE: FLICKR.COM A darker colour on a low ceiling can make it appear higher.

Lighter, brighter, cooler colours help the walls recede.

PICTURE: KRIS ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY Pussy willows work well in basements because they don’t require watering.