Affordable homes are often smaller than more costly ones, but that doesn’t mean the owners can’t truly enjoy living in them. In fact, a smaller home design often creates a warm, intimate atmosphere that can be missing in a larger one.  There are many different ways to make your smaller home look larger so you don’t feel like you’re living in a box. Here are some of them.

• Know your limits. When space is limited, don’t stuff it with lots of furniture. For instance, rather than having the traditional sofa, 2 lounge chairs and a coffee table set-up in the living room, limit it to just the sofa. Or you could find a lounge suite that is smaller than most, with narrower arms and a low back. Comfortable easy chairs take up less space than the kind of lounge chairs that match the sofa.

• Have an open floor plan so that each space can borrow floor space from the others. Then treat the whole area as a single unit rather than dividing up the sections with different colour schemes. In the kitchen, have cupboards the same colour as the walls and minimise accents. For instance, have cupboards without handles so they merge into the background.
• Walls and ceilings should have the same white or very light colour. Choose no more than three colours overall, with white being the major one and have just one basic accent colour for the whole apartment.

• Don’t use furniture with chunky legs. Chairs and tables should have thin, elegant legs and a svelte style to open up the floor space.
• Make the best use of natural light with sheer curtains and try to design your space so the living area faces the sunny side, so light and sun will stream in.
• In the bathroom, wall mounted joinery will increase the visible floor space while a frameless glass shower or transparent bath will also make the area look larger.
• Don’t be afraid to display your favourite heirlooms; just don’t clutter the space. Less is more and much depends on how treasures are displayed. But remember to have it the way you like it best for a space that is all your own.
• Choosing just three base materials and neutral colours will allow you to experiment a little more with accents that can be changed when you get bored with them.
• Make the most of mirrors. Large mirrors immediately double the available space, at least in looks. They also reflect light. Mirrors can go on sliding wardrobe doors and opposite windows or lamps for the best effect.
• One large thing – think sofa, wall art – makes a room look larger, where several smaller things in the same space makes it look smaller and more cluttered.