Maximise your living space - by Joseph Sy*

Think big in order to maximise small-space apartments.

Rework the floor plan

It's a cluttered space plan, made up of a lot of tiny rooms that makes you feel constrained in a small apartment. By knocking out walls to create a more open floor plan, it's possible to totally reinvent a home. What you are looking for is a free-flowing layout made up of a few generously sized multi-purpose rooms.

Rely on glass

Light with privacy is the mantra of the glass and acrylic block industry. And rightly so. To make small homes appear and look bigger, use glass block to zone off space between the toilet and the vanity; create an 「invisible」, space-defining pony wall between rooms; and extend areas under the stairs or at the end of the hall into the exterior.

Be open minded

By opening one room into another you immediately make it feel more spacious. A popular trend sees the kitchen opened into the dining and/or living area, often with a glass partition installed to contain the smells emanating from the stove. Even more radically, bathrooms are now opened out into the bedroom – as an extension of the classic en suite. Again a glass wall allows you to enjoy the adjacent space, and a shutter or pane of frosted glass can be added for privacy.

Refit the flooring

Installing the same flooring throughout the home stretches out space as it provides a continuous, uninterrupted visual run. A light colour works best in small homes. Long plank, wooden flooring is less fussy than parquet and can be installed in kitchens and bathrooms if sealed professionally.

Let there be light

20 years ago lighting was just illumination now it is a sophisticated art form. By highlighting one area and leaving the other dim you will make a room seem larger than it is. Spotlights in the ceiling can be used to pinpoint their subject. Recessed lighting is clean looking; avoid suspended lighting to reduce view pollution as you look across small-space rooms.

Apply whitewash

Plain white paintwork reflects light and establishes a spacious feel. Ideally you should use the same emulsion on walls, ceilings and mouldings. Dark wall colours will cramp a room but in non-residential areas, consider painting the ceiling black, as it will seem to recede into infinity.

Install new windows

Expansive picture windows increase light-flow and allow a room to expand outwards. Consider lowering the sills to 18 inches from the floor – lower than 18 inches requires expensive, tempered glass. Corner windows give a wide, open view, and kitchens and bathrooms stay bright and fresh with operable skylights.

Raise the roof

A high-ceilinged room immediately feels spacious; a 9-foot ceiling can be considered good, 8-foot is standard. Where possible remove false ceilings to give a room additional height or open a duplex apartment up to its full height.

Minimise stairs

A traditional stairwell takes up unnecessary space and often has a cramped feel. Opt instead for freestanding stairs with open treads without risers (the vertical backs). Have them designed with trim clean lines and delicate handrails. Install glass blocks along the stair and protective glass sheeting below the banister.

Find furniture to fit

Decorating with furniture and accessories that fit the space is essential to making small spaces look larger. Choose the bare minimum of dainty pieces and have the rest, particularly dining tables and closets, built in.

*Joseph Sy, who has contributed to this article, is the director of Joseph Sy & Associates