Making the most of limited space in your home

Those who reside in close quarters can do a number of things to make their space seem larger.

Many people, especially those living in big cities or young people just starting out, realize early on that space comes at a premium. Whether you're fresh out of college and need to stretch your paycheck or living in a big city with big-city prices, occupying a small apartment doesn't necessarily mean you need to be cramped all the time. The following tips should help you make any small space seem more spread out.

+ Use bright colors on the walls. If you're allowed to paint the walls, by all means do it. While darker colors are more popular, using bright colors to paint the walls makes a room appear more spacious. Darker colors make a room's walls appear to be closing in, whereas lighter colors give the illusion that the walls are receding. Multicolored or patterned walls often cause the eyes to pause a lot, making a room seem smaller.

+ Keep scale in mind. While it may seem as though putting larger furniture in your room will make it appear smaller, fewer, larger pieces of furniture will make the room appear more open and less cluttered. Whenever possible, keep from putting too much furniture in a small area, even if the items you're putting in are small.

The color of the furniture is also something to note. Darker furniture is preferred because darker furniture, such as a chair or chest of drawers, will contrast with your walls, making the room appear larger that it actually is. If you so choose, you can go for the blending effect instead, where you simply upholster your furniture in material that's the same color as your walls, making the furniture essentially disappear into the walls.

+ Utilize wall space. A big concern for many living in tight quarters is where to put books. While a bookcase can look nice, it can also take up lots of space. Hang a few shelves on the wall above your desk and put your books there. The easy accessibility will still be there, but now you'll have more floor space as well. And remember to leave space between books with collectibles, vases, etc. Books crammed all in a row will seem cluttered.

+ Let the light shine in. Much like darker paint makes a room appear smaller, rooms without adequate lighting appear small as well. Don't block windows, and let the outside light shine in. This will make the room appear more welcoming and larger. Also, make sure the natural or manufactured light is even throughout the room. Dark corners or areas without adequate lighting make small spaces seem even smaller.

+ Keep the floor free of clutter. Try to keep your belongings in one or two designated areas throughout a room. Having multiple items strewn about will severely limit your available floor space, a lack of which makes a room appear very small. A clean floor allows for you to move around more freely, something that will make the room feel larger than it really is.

+ Use mirrors or paintings to give the illusion of depth. Mirrors or paintings that feature lots of depth can make a room appear larger than it really is. While these are certainly optical illusions, they serve a great purpose when attempting to make a small space seem less cramped. Any empty walls you have that you're not quite sure what to do with would probably be perfect to house a mirror.