“Top tips for creating more space in a small home”.  

Making great use of the space you have available is becoming a necessary talent for the inner city dweller who wishes to live in comfort without breaking the bank.  

Rising housing costs and overdevelopment means many in the modern age are making do with a little less living space than they would wish for. Thankfully, with a touch of flair and the desire to improve your surroundings, the tiniest of dwellings can be fashioned into a luxury retreat. 

Taking inspiration from other cities like New York, or Tokyo, where square footage has been at a premium, it is possible to use your limited space to your advantage.  

Mirrors 

Mirrors are a great way to create the illusion of space within a room, improving lines of sight and transmitting natural light to dusty corner. Storage is always at a premium in any home in New York, so property owners here have long been known to employ sliding wardrobe doors on their cupboards to ensure their space is maximized.  

Marry storage with a stylish mirror finish and you have the best of both worlds – an uncluttered space and great looking cabinets. 

Vertical Stripes / Horizonal Stripes 

Clever use of blocks of colour can create the illusion of space, and the most powerful way of achieving this is through bold stripes. 

Stripes are well known to clothing designers for their eye bending properties, and a similar effect can be achieved in a small bedroom. Vertical stripes give the illusion of height and horizontal stripes the illusion of width.  

Remember, do not go over the top: a single stripe can be all it takes to create the effect you desire. Matching the orientation with your bedroom furniture can be eye catching and work towards tying the room together. 

Accentuate your windows 

Windows are the vital source of natural light and everything should be done to maximise their benefits. Interesting modern materials are being used to create stunning new approaches to dressing your windows. Thick overlapping materials are one way to create a sense of luxury; combine this with a slick modern metallic fabric and you have a strong feature for a room. 

The window is a part of the room on which the eye naturally falls, so dressing them appropriately should be seen as a high priority.  

Fabrics and finishes 

The touch of finishes has risen in importance in recent years as austere minimalism has been superseded by a reinvention of fabrics and textures in interior design.  

While rich, soft fabrics adorn furniture, unusual materials such as bamboo and marble are being used to coat walls and create organic ambiences. 

Keep the floor uncluttered 

Nothing makes a room look smaller than a lack of visible floor space. Try to aim for at least 24 inches of walkway around beds and furniture to avoid scraped knees and spilt coffee mugs.  

Even raising chests and other furniture a few inches of the floor with small feet can add the illusion of greater space.