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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n In real estate terms, it\u2019s not the size of your floor plan that matters; it\u2019s what you do with it. Small spaces, and smaller windows can leave homes feeling cramped and claustrophobic.<\/p>\n Here are the tried and true techniques the design professionals use to make the most of the available space.<\/p>\n Before you do anything else, consider what needs to be in this space<\/a>. As obvious as it sounds, the fewer things in the room, the larger it will feel.<\/p>\n Asking yourself the purpose the room serves is a good place to start. If you need to keep a number of smaller items in the room, whether it is toys, board games, craft supplies, tech, or something else, streamlined or multipurpose storage could be the answer.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201c[Small spaces] often feel really cluttered,\u201d says Melbourne-based architect Emma Holmes, from Formery. \u201cA lot of people try to fit way too much into a small space.<\/p>\n \u201cGood joinery is one of the most expensive things [to add], but you want to have well-designed, built-in storage if you can. Alternatively, multipurpose functional furniture that doubles as storage, like an ottoman with a lift-up lid, is a good option.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep it consistent<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s flooring, built-in timber joinery or your wall colour<\/a>, using the same materials throughout creates a sense of continuity that can give the impression that a space is larger than it is.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing that consistently works is continuity,\u201d says Sydney-based interior designer Nic Kaiko, of Kaiko Design Interiors. \u201cThink about continuous flooring that runs without interruption through room to room.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people paint ceilings white by default<\/a>, but if your walls are a strong colour, a white ceiling just cuts the room off at the top. Letting the colour climb up and over creates envelopment rather than confinement.\u201d<\/p>\n Just because it\u2019s consistent doesn\u2019t mean it has to be white.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dogma is always light colours for small spaces, and it\u2019s not wrong, but it\u2019s not the whole story either,\u201d says Kaiko.<\/p>\n Related Article While light colours reflect the light, it doesn\u2019t work for every room.<\/p>\n \u201cThe question I\u2019d ask is whether the room gets enough natural light for a pale colour to actually do that work, or whether it\u2019s just going to look flat and dingy,\u201d he says. \u201cIn a poorly lit room, a deeper colour used consistently on the walls, ceiling and even joinery can actually read as more spacious than a pale colour that\u2019s fighting against bad light.\u201d<\/p>\n Holmes says a limited palette is key.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to see repetition, whether it is wood or a colour like green,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you repeat those colours throughout the space it will feel large because you are not introducing five different materials into the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Hit the heights<\/p>\n Even if floor space is limited, high ceilings can make the room feel bigger, mainly because the overall space is indeed larger.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can get any extra ceiling height, it makes the space feel bigger,\u201d says Kate Nixon, a Sydney-based interior designer and author of Everyday Joy.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can change ceiling heights, that is effective too. You can have a drop ceiling over an entry, and then it pops up [as you step into the living room]. That change in ceiling height gives you the feeling of more space.<\/p>\n \u201cNot using a cornice and doing a square set finish also draws the eye up.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article If you\u2019re not blessed with high ceilings, visually extending other elements in the room can help.<\/p>\n In kitchens, think about installing cupboards to the ceiling. In living areas, floor-to-ceiling drapes are useful devices, says Kaiko, regardless of the size of the window you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n \u201cHang high and wide \u2013 always,\u201d he says. \u201cThe rod or track should go as close to the ceiling as possible and extend well beyond the window frame on each side so that when the curtain is open, it\u2019s sitting on the wall rather than eating into the glass. It\u2019s a simple thing, but the difference is dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n The more light you can add to a space, the larger it will feel.<\/p>\n Kaiko says a common go-to technique is placing a mirror in a small space.<\/p>\n \u201cUsed well, they\u2019re genuinely powerful,\u201d he says. \u201cUsed lazily, they\u2019re a cliche that doesn\u2019t actually do very much.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key is that a mirror needs to reflect something worth seeing, ideally a window, a view or a well-lit part of the room. If it\u2019s reflecting a blank wall or a dark corner, all it\u2019s doing is doubling the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article After the sun goes down, Nixon says, reflective materials such as brass as well as lighting the space properly will make it feel larger.<\/p>\n \u201cAmbient lighting really helps. Light the corners of a room so that space extends as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Scale up<\/p>\n While the temptation in smaller rooms is to scale down your furniture, the results can be less than satisfying.<\/p>\n \u201cA sea of small furniture reads as a sea of small furniture,\u201d says Kaiko. \u201cThe room doesn\u2019t feel larger, it just feels fussy and like a waiting room.<\/p>\n Rather than choosing a smaller table, choose something that suits your needs and team it with a built-in banquette, Nixon says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou still need to be comfortable,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cInvisible\u201d furniture, such as perspex coffee tables or lighter-frame dining chairs are good choices, while sofas with thin backs and arms put the focus on the seating.<\/p>\n \u201cThe profile of the [sofa] arm makes a big impact on a space because that is wasted space, and a lot of sofas have a big padded back, which gives volume in the space,\u201d says Nixon.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ceba0b06d7fa891d06833049507264876d6e100c.jpeg\")
Everything it needs and nothing it doesn\u2019t. This space designed by Nic Kaiko relies on symmetry and a restrained palette to feel larger than its footprint would suggest.Fiona Susanto\/Styling Holly IrvineClear the clutter<\/p>\n![\"Co-director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781335578_170_e43ebd6fd31f1ee052748746126e1a5ee89260d2.jpeg\")
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This room designed by Melbourne design firm Studio Tali Roth applies a variety of techniques, including colour drenching and reflective materials to create a greater illusion of space.
\nLillie Thompson<\/p>\n![\"A\u00a0recent](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782100872_957_98965c1006d08a3423188a590eee083ff3350c59.jpeg\")
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The curtains match the wall colour in this living room, which relies on a restrained palette and good natural light to live large.Fiona Susanto\/Styling Holly IrvineTime to reflect<\/p>\n![\"Architect](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/593a1e71cfcc19881d2ae6214290a8e1f28cea5b.jpeg\")
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Built-in joinery is a sound choice for small spaces. This dining room designed by Kate Nixon combines a banquette with barely-there chairs to keep the small space uncluttered but still functional.Maree Homer<\/p>\n
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