How can I squeeze more space out of a small room?

If your house suffers from small-room syndrome, don’t fret. There are lots of ways you can make a room look bigger, fit more into it without giving it a cramped look or even increase its size if you’re willing to do some remodeling.
 
Here are 10 ways to stretch a tight spot:
 

1. Paint the walls a solid, light color. Avoid all-white. Make the room pop with darker accents, a single wall in a slightly darker hue or door and windows frames in a contrasting color.
2. Look up for empty, usable wall space near the ceiling. Add a display shelf between the top of the door and the ceiling. Hang pots and pans from the kitchen ceiling.
3. Slide shallow plastic storage boxes filled with off-season clothes, wrapping paper, holiday decorations or other seldom-needed items under the bed and out of sight.
4. Buy small. Don’t buy full-sized furniture for an undersized room. Choose a love seat instead of a sofa. Get a narrower refrigerator. Look at dish “drawers,” which are a fraction of the size of a dishwasher.
5. Keep a small room picked up. Clutter takes up space and makes a room look crowded.
6. Find multiple ways to use everything in the room. Example: Replace a kitchen island with a dining table that doubles as a food-prep area. Choose a table with a shelf underneath for storage.
7. Build bookshelves into the wall instead of placing them against the wall. You’ll save three to four inches of floor space if you tear into the drywall. A note: Get advice from a pro before modifying a wall; if it’s load-bearing, you’ll need to consider how the change will affect its performance as part of your home’s structure.
8. Make every room functional. Turn a tiny, unused guest room into a laundry room or a too-small formal dining room into home gym.
9. Add overhead light, remove heavy draperies and hang framed mirrors to lighten up a small room.

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