If you live in a small space, you know that every square meter counts. While it’s impossible to make your home bigger without major renovations, there are some key decorating decisions that can help make it look and feel more spacious.

If you’re ready for a refresh and need ways to open up and expand every room in your home, these interior designers have you covered with their tips, tricks, and techniques for decorating a small living room, bedroom, kitchen, and dining room in your house or apartment. larger.

Maximize natural light

Looking for the best tool to make your small house look bigger? Interior designer Kathy Kuo says look no further than the natural light streaming in through the windows.

Increasing the natural light in a room and allowing it to jump around the space will instantly make it feel more spacious – and there’s a decorative piece that Kuo always reaches for to do the trick.

“Wall mirrors are a great way to add light and depth, and you can use them as a standalone design element,” she says. “Playing with light to your advantage will make a small room feel more airy and inviting.”

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Use bright colors

Another instant way to make a small space feel more spacious is a new shade of paint, and colors like white, beige and soft pastel shades of blue, pink and green will encourage more natural light to reflect and expand the look and feel of the room.

“Lighter wall colors will help add the illusion of depth and expansiveness,” says Kuo. “Darker wall colors, while often beautiful, can have the effect of making you feel heavier and really draw the final lines of where a space begins and ends.”

Choose your furniture wisely

Thoughtful layouts are essential when deciding how to decorate a small space, and according to design-build expert Elizabeth Vergara, creating a sense of balance and a sense of openness through the size and placement of furniture will make all the difference.

“Furniture should be adapted to the size of the room and avoid oversized pieces that can dominate the space,” says Vergara. “Arranging furniture to maximize flow and keep pathways open is also important, and moving the couch or chair away from the wall will allow for better circulation.”

“Opting for chairs and sofas that are raised on legs will also create more visible floor space, giving the room a less crowded feel,” she says.

Find multifunctional pieces

One tip that all three of our designers swear by to make a space feel bigger is to make the most of multi-functional furniture whenever possible. These pieces can create hidden storage space, additional seating and sleeping options, and help keep floor space as open as possible.

“Any time you can bring in something that has more features is a win for a small space,” says Kuo. “Storage ottomans that can double as extra seating when you have more guests, coffee tables with multiple under-surface shelves, and media cabinets with lots of drawers and cabinet space are great choices.”

Use vertical space

Although smaller homes may have smaller square footage, they typically have as much vertical space available as their larger counterparts. And for interior decorators and small space dwellers Arin Agase, tall and narrow corners are ideal for converting into storage or shelving.

“I like my clients to think outside the box – learning how to use every crevice and nook is an art for small spaces,” she says. “For example, console pieces don’t always have to live in an entryway, and ladder shelves can house pottery, cutlery and elevate your space while creating vertical storage solutions.”

Install Chic curtains

Vertical space can be used for much more than storage in small homes, when decorated from floor to ceiling, says Agase, it can also be a great way to make a living room or bedroom look bigger.

“Curtains will instantly lift the whole space,” she says. “No matter the size of the room or the length of the curtain, always make sure you hang the rod as close to the ceiling as possible.”

So that the light can still enter through the windows and expand the space, our designers suggest a set of transparent, light curtains of white shade or natural linen material.