Decorating a small area in your home might seem easy at first, but it can be a little more challenging than you think. A lack of space means less time papering the walls or painting the woodwork, but it can also end up feeling oppressively cluttered if you try to do too much with it. Below you’ll find our top tips for finding space where there isn’t any, simply by being clever in the way you decorate.

Light

You can make your space look bigger by using lighting and mirrors to create optical illusions and bounce light around the walls.

Light up your room with discreet sources by hiding bulbs behind pelmets or use light-bouncing ceiling finishes to raise the height of the space. You can highlight artwork with angled downlights, or use wall-washing lighting on textured metallic paints to create a focal point.

Colours can also create light and space. As a rule of thumb, dark tones absorb light, while lighter shades bounce brightness around. Dark floors, bright ceilings give a sense of height in a room. Gloss paint should be kept externally for windows and doors, however, if you want to really bounce light around you can use a gloss inside. Just bear in mind that it will show every single blemish in your plasterwork, so is best used on newly plastered walls, unless you want to embrace the imperfections of your home.

Clutter

Decluttering your home creates a calmer, more spacious feel, so having ample storage is vital. Finding crafty ways to house all your awkward items such as ironing boards and vacuum cleaners. Use every available place for storage when space is tight. Under beds, on top of wardrobes, in airing cupboards or even out in a garden shed are dead spaces anyway, so won’t be offended if you stash some of your stuff in them.

Space

Here are a few more ideas it will help create a sense of space.

Extending your handmade curtains up to the ceilings or cornice will create height by emphasising the vertical area and push ceilings away from floors by exaggerating the drop.

Use mirrored furniture and panels to reflect surrounding materials and views, keeping things symmetrical. Keep your exterior view in mind too. Do you want to enhance it and draw your eye to it or (as is often the case in central London) do you want to hide it and draw attention away from it?

Use similar materials and colours to create a sense of space but where you want to break up large open spaces use contrast colours to stop the flow and create a visual full stop.

Don’t overfill a space. Give everything room to breathe.

We’d love to hear your tips for making the most of small spaces, or punctuating larger areas. Leave a comment below, or better still, drop us an email, nicky@bitebuild.co.uk, call 02089690654, or call in, Violet & George, 57 St Helen’s Gardens, North Kensington, London W10 6LN. V&G is a bespoke tailor for interior design. London is where we’re based, but we work throughout the UK and further afield.