7 Easy Tips on How to Make Compact Spaces Look Spacious

Ruchi Sabharwal

Space-Planning Expert

Text: Relin Hedly
Photographs: iStock

How do we create a feeling of spaciousness in a small room? Ruchi Sabharwal, principal interior designer, Ruchi S Design, gives us a few tips on how to stretch space using a few design tricks…

1. Use multifunctional furniture. Sofa cum beds have always been a popular choice for compact rooms, but also try foldable and drop-down beds – they can turn your family room into a guest room. Similarly, extendable study and dining tables, and drop-down dining tables assure free space when not fully in use.

2. Sliding doors and shutters for wardrobes save on 'swing' space that would be needed for normal, openable versions.

3. Create a shell with light and neutral colours as dark ones tend to shrink space visually. To prevent the space from being boring, judiciously overlay it with textures and colours.

4. Mirrors double up space. And if you position them such that they reflect a positive element – such as greenery or a striking piece of art – it, too, will multiply.

5. Glass panels and partitions act as excellent space dividers, retaining the feeling of seamlessness. One more way of increasing usable space is to replace non-load-bearing walls with furniture units that satisfy storage needs and segregate functional pockets at the same time.

A simple white shell of a room, with a judicious loading of colourful accessories to alleviate monotony, is a good strategy for decorating a small space.

6. Eliminate curtains and drapes because it makes the room look 'full'. Go for simple shutters and fabric blinds instead.

7. Should you need to increase the height of the room, consider having vertical stripes on a wall. This will create an illusion of height. Similarly, hanging window rods above the prescribed height will make the window appear taller.

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About the author

Ruchi Sabharwal

Space-Planning Expert

Founder of Ruchi S Design, Ruchi Sabharwal draws great inspiration from the Indian craft and loves using an array of interesting metals, textiles, paintings and woodcarvings. She leans towards an eclectic, minimalist look in her designs and composes her projects around a central key thought such as â€˜zen philosophyâ€™, â€˜energizeâ€™, â€˜transformâ€™, etc.Â She believes that technique, detailing and proportions can fuse together to create a brilliant design. Influenced by the energies of the earth, she looks to incorporate nature in her designs however she can, be it in the form of natural skylights, green walls or free-flowing water bodies.

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