Who’s to say that smaller rooms can’t feel open and uncluttered? Below is a list of seven of our favourite tips and tricks that will ensure you get the most out of your square footage.

Choose a lighter palette

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Dark, moody colours are an excellent choice when creating atmosphere or ambience to a space, but darker colour palettes can also make a room appear smaller. When working with a smaller space, it’s always a good idea to stick to pale, neutral tones such as off-white, cream or pale grays and blues. You can still give a room depth of colour by combining different tones or hues of these more natural colours and they will also help the room look and feel light, airy and open.

Choose multifunctional furniture

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If you are using a room for multiple purposes and it is becoming cluttered and overcrowded, it may be a good idea to invest in furniture that has multiple uses. Opting for furniture that has hidden storage or that is both functional and decorative can really help to save that valuable floor space and give the room a more open feel.

Clever use of mirrors

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It’s no secret that mirrors add light to a room and give the illusion of more space. They are also relatively easy to incorporate into your existing interior decor. For a real design statement, try leaning an oversized mirror against one of the feature walls in the room or even create a feature wall made up of an arrangement of smaller decorative mirrors.

Avoid window treatments

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If you’re working with a smaller room, then you really want to avoid heavy curtains or drapes that will overpower the space. If possible, leave your windows completely uncovered as this will let light in and trick your eyes into thinking the space is larger than it is. Being able to see the outdoors instantly makes a space feel more open and also gives the room setting depth. If the option for uncovered windows is impossible stick to sheer materials in light, neutral tones that will allow light to enter the room but keep prying eyes out.

Space out your furniture

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Having your furniture pushed right up against the room walls will not make a space feel bigger. According to Melbourne property stylists, it is best to place your furniture away from external walls to create clearly defined areas in a room as this will naturally make any space feel large and open. If your current furniture overpowers the room and there is no way of changing the arrangement, then it may be time to invest in more slimline pieces that will better fit the room.

Don’t shy away from statement pieces

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Contrary to the previous point, it is not impossible to incorporate a larger, statement piece into a smaller room without it being too overpowering. Having just one of two major pieces of furniture in a small room can in fact make the space feel open and uncluttered. When trying to add a large statement piece such as a decorative armchair, it’s important to ensure the rest of the room feels balanced as too many of these items can have the opposite effect.

Colour code your clutter

Unless you have invested in some clever space saving storage solutions, smaller rooms tend to have less storage space. This can often mean you have no choice other than to have a certain degree of clutter on show. By arranging items such as books or candles in order of colour or height, you can instead make this clutter a decorative statement.

Although many people find styling smaller rooms more difficult, following these simple tips and tricks that can make even the cosiest of spaces look and feel substantially larger.