How to make your living room look bigger

Mirrors reflect light, so they help rooms look bigger and brighter.

BORED on a rainy day and wishing you could add a bit of space to your living room? Consider these decoration tips.

Cupboard tablesWhen you’re a bit short on space, make a table from stacking those small two- and three-shelf cupboards sold in supermarkets and furniture shops. Setting a three-shelf next to a two-shelf looks pretty, and you can fill them with magazines, books, and DVDs if you just want to tidy up.

If you’re looking for something more artistic, fill the shelves with an eye-catching display of shells or artwork and so on.

Hang a mirror

Mirrors reflect light, so they help rooms look bigger and brighter. If you have minimalist deco, a plain mirror can look nice but if you’re eclectic, make the mirror a talking point by having it framed.

Rethink your curtains

Curtains typically take up the outer 10% to 15% of your window space. If you move them sideways a bit, you’ll let in more light, which brightens the room, and also makes the windows look bigger.

If you have heavy curtains, you may want to replace them with finer ones that are less bulky.

Move your picturesMost of us hang our pictures just a tad above eye level. That’s museum style hanging that ensures you can see the whole thing easily. But decorators point out that by moving your pictures a few inches higher, you’ll draw your eyes up, and this gives the illusion that your ceilings are higher. Try it out and see what you think.