Making small seem big, tall

Many people, especially those living in big cities or young people just starting out, realize early on that space comes at a premium. Whether you’re fresh out of college and need to stretch your paycheck or living in a big city with big city prices, living in a small apartment doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be cramped all the time. The following tips should help you make any small space seem more spread out.

“Brighten up the room. If you’re allowed to paint the walls, by all means do it. While darker colors are more popular, using bright colors to paint the walls makes a room appear more spacious. Multi-colored or patterned walls often cause the eyes to pause a lot, making a room seem smaller.

“Keep scale in mind. While it may seem as though putting larger furniture in your room will make it appear smaller, fewer, larger pieces of furniture will make the room appear more open and less cluttered. Whenever possible, keep from putting too much furniture in a small area, even if the items you’re putting in are small.

“Utilize wall space. A big concern for many living in tight quarters is where to put books. While a bookcase can look nice, it can also take up lots of space. Hang a few shelves on the wall above your desk and put your books there. The easy accessibility will still be there but now you’ll have more floor space as well.

“Let the light shine in. Much like darker paint makes a room appear smaller, rooms without adequate lighting appear smaller as well. Don’t block windows and let the outside light shine in. This will make the room appear more welcoming and larger. Also, make sure the natural or manufactured light is even throughout the room. Dark corners or areas without inadequate lighting make small spaces seem even smaller.

“Keep items off the floor. Try and keep your belongings in one or two designated areas throughout a room. Having multiple items strewn about will severely limit your available floor space, a lack of which makes a room appear very small.

“Use mirrors or paintings that feature depth. Mirrors or paintings that feature lots of depth can make a room appear larger than it really is. While these are certainly optical illusions, they serve a great purpose when attempting to make a small space seem less cramped.