Bigger is usually always better (why I am moving to Texas). This is especially true for your home. You don’t want your guest feeling they just stepped into a New York City apartment, but rather into a sprawling space that welcomes you in. Below are some ideas to help keep your space from looking cramped and dingy.

1. Use stripes.

Stripes on the walls or carpet make the room look as if it is extended. This optical illusion will make you feel that there is more to the room than meets the eye.

2. Paint the ceilings.

Blocks of solid colors can be the same as a stop sign at an intersection. The eye stops moving and exploring. Painting your ceiling with a design makes the room feel taller and more spacious.

3. Be a master of disguise.

Use unique storage to hide away things that clutter a room. Extra pillows or coasters can be stored away in a nice storage unit; perhaps a couch with hidden bins underneath the cushions.

4. Keep those shelves high.

Drawing the eye away from the lack of space below, towards the more empty space above, will give the illusion that the room is bigger than it is. By having shelves closer to the ceiling, the viewer is drawn towards the ceiling where there is less clutter.

5. Keep those colors together.

Place objects on shelves together that are the same color. By building blocks of color you are making smaller objects appear to be apart of a bigger unit, and thus bigger themselves.

6. Don’t cover up!

A small bathroom can use a clear shower curtain or glass to extend the room into the shower. The space won’t be cut off by the block of color that is the shower curtain.

7. Use furniture where it all hangs out.

Exposed legs give the room a more airy feeling and not bogged down by solid blocks of mass.

8. Let the light shine down.

Windows, windows, windows. Unobstructed windows will keep space feeling open and let in some sun; also a great mood booster.

9. Mirror, mirror, on the wall; who has the biggest space of them all?

Place mirrors so that they reflect; open space, open doors or hallways. The mirrors make the room seem more expansive and that it goes on further than it actually does.

10. Deck the walls with big art.

Bold or large size art on the walls make the space seem as large as life as they are.

Don’t be afraid to experiment in the approaches you use. Moving the furniture around or even taking risky design decisions can payoff in the long run.