At one stage or another, we’ve all walked into a well-styled home or office, questioning how the space came to life. If you’ve ever walked out, picturing how you could implement the same boldness and flair to your own space, only to resign to the fact that your lounge room is too small or awkwardly shaped to do so, this guide is for you. 

These four approaches to styling can help bring out the interior stylist in all of us! 

1. Lighting is key    

Nothing can make a space feel smaller than amplifying it with darkness. While bay windows and large, glass doors with free-flowing light may be nice to have, there are simple hacks to accentuate whatever light you do have and build the illusion of a light and bright space. 

Adding a mirror will help give the illusion of depth, making the space feel more open. Even better, when positioned near a window or door, mirrors will throw reflections of greenery or light from outside, helping the room feel more spacious.  

Our pick: Add the statement Kartika | Mirror from our recent Asri Collection.

2. Using Your Vertical Space  

When faced with styling a smaller room, our attention can be drawn to enhancing floor space, rather than leveraging the room's vertical assets. Solely focusing on styling your floor space can eat up your much-needed square footage, and lead to an over-furnished, cluttered room. This will only emphasise the room's size - or lack thereof. 

To shift your attention from the floor to eye level, walls offer a large canvas to play and experiment with, both creatively and functionally. Be it adding artwork to give some character, or installing floating shelves for more storage, the options are endless. 

A crowd favourite is creating your own gallery wall, which can make an immediate statement to anyone walking through the door. If you’re looking to add some texture, using a rug as a wall hanging is a great way to cover a larger space, more cost-effectively. 

Our pick: Adding some wall plates to the walls. 

3. Scaling    

The key to nailing the look and feel of a small room is understanding scale. While you may naturally assume a small space should include only small furniture, this can give an instant over-cluttered look and feel. Instead, opt for a balanced combination of both smaller and larger pieces to complement the room's layout. 

Finding the right balance of smaller and larger pieces can help a room feel inviting, rather than claustrophobic. When larger, simplistic furniture items are paired with a small complimentary piece with more character, it gives off the perfect balance without compromising on style. 

As larger items are typically the focal point of the room, we suggest selecting these based on what you deem the room’s purpose. For example, a larger couch in a living space can be paired with a smaller coffee table or side table. 

Our pick: Our Rowie Sofa paired with the Adika | Log Stool.

4. Functional Storage  

While we may strive to live a minimalist lifestyle, clutter is naturally accumulated for most people; and that clutter needs to be stored. To avoid overcrowding a small room, we always opt for functional storage to balance both functionality and style. 

While large consoles and sideboards may be an obvious storage choice, your space may not permit such a bulky solution. Getting creative with purposeful accents will mean you don’t have to compromise style for function. 

Our pick: Try styling the Taman Shelving unit with baskets for your belongings for a chic yet stylish option.