If you have a small living space, there are some things you can do to brighten up the space and make it seem as large as possible. Even though you won't have added square footage, you'd be surprised at what simple design changes can do to the overall feeling of spaciousness in your home. Here are some things to consider:

1. Color

Color is an important part of making a room seem larger. In general, dark colors seem to close a space off, while lighter colors will make a space seem more open. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that you should just paint everything white. Instead, consider a neutral light color, such a tinted white, light grey, yellow, or even a light green or blue shade (with plenty of grey or brown to take away the pastel tone). Add white trim to give freshness to the space. In a living room, adding white crown molding can lift the ceiling up to make it seem a bit higher. 

Avoid painting dark "feature" walls, as these tend to emphasize the walls and therefore close off the space in the room. 

2. Curtains.

Curtains can really make or break a space. Since your walls are neutral and light in tone, you want your curtains to follow the same theme. You'll want curtains to be lighter, and have them run from the floor to the high above the window. Stay away from patterns that are too bold or busy. This design helps to make windows seem taller, which in turn makes a room seem larger. The lighter color of a curtain also allows you to have ambit more color in the paint and decor. 

In order to have more color and individual style, you might want to add a panel with a bolder color or print that lies behind the outward light colored curtain. This way, when you pull the light layer back, you get a pop of color without overwhelming the small room. You could also add a valence to the top of the curtain rod to bring some pattern and color into the mix.

Visit a site like http://www.dschultzwallcoverings.com for more ideas. 

3. Light

Adding light to space makes it seem more inviting. You probably won't be able to add more windows, but you can try to maximize your light by adding mirrors to your decor. You can place a mirror in with your wall hangings and pictures to reflect light back into the room. The mirror also gives additional dimension to the room so that it seems extended beyond the boundary of the wall. 

If you don't have the wall space for a mirror, try some hanging lamps or floor lamps to bring some more light to the room. 

4. Furniture

Finally, your furniture and furnishings themselves will either help or harm your space. Oversized couches and chairs should not be part of your design. They take up too much space and give a general feeling of bigness. Instead, look for smaller couches that have minimal arm and back stuffing. If you're worried about comfort, bring in some extra cushions to add some color and personality to the space. It might even be better to have two love seats instead of a couch and a love seat, or to have two chairs instead of a second sofa. 

If you add a rug to the floor, make sure the design is expansive -- working from the inside to the outside of the rug, and make sure the rug is large enough that it fits the space. Finally, you might want to forgo a large coffee table in favor of smaller side tables of sofa tables. Sometimes a large table can dominate a small room. 

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