Where I can't physically stretch a room and make it larger (obviously!) there are so many tricks of the trade that can be used to make your rooms appear larger than they actually are! Some of the tips I can provide are actually common sense e.g. keeping a room free from clutter will make it feel bigger and others are more about using cleverly designed pieces of furniture to create illusions of space.
Put all of the simple tips together and voila!
I have written, received and published lots of blog posts about this topic:
http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/six-proven-strategies-to-make-your-home-look-spacious/515/
http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to-use-mirrors-in-small-rooms/472/
http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to-brighten-up-a-narrow-hallway/407/
http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/brighten-up-small-spaces-with-clever-use-of-light/395/
http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to%E2%80%A6-use-mirrors-to-create-the-illusion-of-space/287/
Below is a summary of the findings...
1. Use mirrors - and more specifically large glass framed mirrors.
2. Strategic paint colours - even consider painting your ceiling the same colour as your walls to create a seemless room.
3. Avoid painting your walls bright white as this reflects the light and actually pulls the room in.
4. Open windows and maximise natural light - do not use heavy window dressings.
5. Add additional lighting through lamps as well as wall sconces and ceiling lights - position these in the outer most parts of the room e.g. dark corners. The taller the lamps the better - lift your ceiling.
6. Tidy up - the more you try to shove into a room, the smaller it will feel. A minimalistic approach that is clutter free will always appear larger than it already is. Get the balance right though as an empty room can in fact feel smaller than one with strategically placed furniture.
7. Use multi-functional furniture that has plenty of storage.
8. Chose plain, light flooring - bold patterns and bright colours can pull a room in nad make it feel smaller.
Put simply, you need to consider every item within your room, but also the construction of the room too e.g. where does natural light fall, how can I utilise the shape of the room to it's full advantage and so on.
