6 hacks to make a small space look bigger

Making a boxed-in city home feel spacious and welcoming can be a struggle. If you’re short of taking a sledgehammer to your windows and walls to open the place up, pick from our cool hacks instead to transform your home into a (larger) slice of heaven.Transformer Furniture Functionality reign supreme here. Pick from decor pieces such as an Ottoman or coffee tables with lockers as storage.

Expert Speak: “You can use it to tuck away books, a foot rest, a side table and even it helps keep clutter at bay,” says interior designer Anjali Mody of Josmo Studio. “While there are beds with storage bases, another great idea would be to use a chest of drawers that also works as a built-in vanity space for the bedroom,” she adds. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Who would have thought that this simple piece of furniture would help maximise space? If you’re feeling creative, play around with different shapes or use them in multiples to reflect as much light as possible.

Expert Speak: “Whether you opt for a full-mirrored wall or mirrored cabinets, they will bounce light across the room and instantly brighten up your space,” says Priyanka Mehra, principal architect at PS Design. Paint a Bigger Picture: A fresh lick of paint can make a huge difference to any room. It cleans up the space and can determine the length of the room to a great extent.

Expert Speak: “If we go by colour psychology and natural intensity of colours – we insist on using lighter shades and cool palettes in smaller spaces to create an open and calming space,” says Peeyush Bachlaus of Kansai Nerolac Paints.“Avoid creating too many accent colours and go minimalistic –adding too many colours might clutter the space and the room will look busy and smaller. Furniture in neutral tones or with shades of white will go pretty well with any colour palette,” he recommends. Floored by Flooring: While unconventional flooring design creates an unbroken flow of space, flooring colour plays an equally important role in adding the right balance to any room.

Expert Speak: Rahul Shankhwalker, Founding Partner of Studio HBA advises home owners to choose cement floorings that extensively create one huge pattern within a space offering a sense of connected design while also creating the illusion of endlessness. One can also experiment with neutral shades of flooring which give a sense of an expansive floor. Play with Optical Illusions: Floating and translucent furniture gives the illusion that the room is a lot larger.

Expert Speak: “Opt for mid-century pieces such as fabric and wood sofas with tall and slender legs which creates a sense of light and space. Spaces with linear furniture tend to look smaller, break that with organic shapes that contribute to creating an illusion of a larger space,” says Anjali. “Use a glass partition instead of wood to let light naturally flow in, thus, giving the feel of a wider room. Solid colour carpets that reflect light will enhance the space. Avoid bright and loud patterns as they will make the room chaotic,” adds Rahul. Final Curtain Call: Visualise an opera curtain opening, with ceiling-to-floor curtains that create a sense of grandness. This dreamy sequence will remain a distant reality if your curtain is hanging mid-way.

Expert Speak: “Curtains and drapes speak a lot about the character of your room. Picking the wrong size of curtains may leave a lousy first impression,” notes Anjali. “Full-length curtains in earthy neutral palette colours such as eggshell white with a black border makes it decorative and adds character to the whole room,” she concludes.