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 height, to transform messy space eating clutter into organised openness.

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