The decline in square footage for both rental and owned properties has been steadily consistent for a long time as we grow as a population and urban, city living draws new residents every year. As the spaces we inhabit generally become smaller, we need to be clever choosing the right furniture and decor so that our rooms, although modest, feel as large as they can possibly look. Below I’ve listed my five favourite tried and tested tips for keeping a room feeling spacious, all though carefully considering the interior decor..

Chunky, thick-legged, heavy furniture is the easiest way to make a room feel suffocated. In order for the room to breathe, choose furniture with ‘skinny’ frames. Think stick-thin table and chair legs and make sure that larger pieces of furniture are raised off the ground, letting light and space flow underneath them. Furniture which is floor-mounted will feel more imposing than the same piece with legs, as suspended furniture feels lighter in appearance.

Choose furniture that is ‘flat’ and you can ‘see more around it’, than furniture that is overly padded and filled. A great example are these Sé dinging chairs, pictured above, which are stylish and functional without dominating. You could also use acrylic furniture (otherwise known as ‘ghost’ furniture) as the see-through, clear acrylic makes a modest impact on the space.

Floor lamps and table lamps need to be placed down on the floor or a table and take up valuable space. Wall lights, by contrast, are simply hosted on the wall, providing light without taking up any room. Wall lights have come on leaps and bounds in terms of design and there are some really desirable options, like this Serge Mouille wall light, pictured below:

Coffee tables have a wide surface area and cannot be easily relocated if you need more floor space. Side tables have become a far more favourable option as they are easy to place in room corners and have a multi-functional purpose (they can be used to place lamps on or raise-up house plants, other than just everyday use). Their tall and thin nature makes them visually less obtrusive than a bulky coffee table which can tend to take centre stage.

Dark decor, although inviting and cosy, does make a room feel smaller. This is great if you want a warm, cocooning space, but if you are trying to keep the room feeling spacious then a neutral wall colour is your best option. The good news is that a neutral doesn’t have to be a boring option; avoid your basic pure brilliant white or traditional magnolia and embrace the current trend for ‘new neutrals’. These contemporary colours have brown, red and pink undertones, creating the most elegant beige tones for your walls. Try Farrow & Ball’s ‘School House White’ or ‘Shaded White’, Sanderson’s ‘Griege’ or ‘Birch Light’, or try M&L’s ‘White Pepper’.

This may seem obvious, but it is easy to get caught up adding lots of things into a room. Instead, carefully consider your decorative ornaments and only try and add things into the space that you really need or you really love. Keep accessories all within the same colour palette as too many colours will appear too busy.