1. Well-thought out storage is essential. Consider erecting shelving in awkward corners to store books or having furniture which has a dual purpose – seating with storage underneath cushions, for instance. Use an ottoman to hide duvets and other bed linen. An area which is often underused is above the stairwell. Shelves can often be fitted in this area to store items for display or to to keep belongings which do not need to be accessed all the time.

2. Make sure furniture is in scale with the room. This sounds obvious but do not swamp a small sitting room with a large 3 piece suite. Consider choosing a small 2-seater sofa and maybe 1 or 2 occasional chairs. Buy furniture where you can still see the flooring underneath, this gives the feeling of a room being more spacious than it actually is.

3. Make good use of mirrors. They can appear to make a space feel more roomy and they reflect light into darker corners of a room.

4. Make the most of using white or light colours for paintwork, flooring, walls and furniture.

5. To make the most of storage areas, use wall mounted brackets to hang some items off the floor.