How to Make a Small Apartment Spacious and Cozy

In a small apartment, you can create a very lively and comfortable interior if you know how to handle it properly. 10 tips from the designer will help you unlock additional potential in your small apartment.

Irina Krascheninnikova - Designer and Decorator. Graduate of the Interior Design School "Details", nominee for the Interia Awards interior prize.

Don't rush to demolish walls

Nooks and hallways make the apartment deeper, creating a feeling of larger space than it actually is.

Get rid of unnecessary doors

Removing door panels where they are not used allows one room to flow smoothly into another.

Paint the walls and ceiling the same color

Painting the walls and ceiling in one color, similar to the floor and surfaces in adjacent rooms, creates a sense of continuity and expands the space.

Lift the ceiling using an 'illusion'

Contrast edges on the ceiling draw attention to it, highlight it as an additional plane in space, thereby visually expanding it.

Place mirrors

Large mirrors create an illusion of more rooms in the apartment.

Use niches

Cabinets tucked into niches do not take up space, especially if their fronts are painted in the wall color.

Abandon the standard set of furniture

Getting rid of some familiar but unnecessary items (large refrigerator, bathtub, four-burner cooktop, sofa) frees up space.

Play with scale

A large item attracts the gaze and diverts attention from the room size.

And with reflections

Glossy surfaces in small apartments are always welcome — they also increase volume.

Don't overload the apartment with details

Each room should have an empty wall where the eye can rest.