Living in the city has its advantages, but it also comes with a few limitations. One of them is space, which you certainly could get more of in a typical family home. While single homeowners may encounter this issue, it doesn’t mean you can’t get much out of your apartment or condo unit with a few tips and tricks. In this article, we give you a few things you can purchase to maximize your space at home.

1. Wall Shelves

One of the best ways to free up space and make any room look bigger than it actually is, is to mount wall shelves. Regular standing shelves will obviously take up space on the floor and walking areas, so avoid using them as much as possible. One shelf in a small room is plenty! Use wall-mounted shelves to store your collection of vinyl records, toys, books, or even clothes. These also double as great display shelves in the living room.

2. Matching Decorations

Choose a color palette and stick to it when decorating your home. Choose one accent color and paint the walls with it, or simply match the color of your pillows to your curtains or wall paintings. This will create a sense of unity and coherence in a room, which gives off the illusion of a wider space.

3. Storage Containers and Organizers

Lots of it! Keeping a room as tidy as it can be will make a room look more spacious, while a room full of clutter will create the illusion that it’s filled to the brim and is even smaller. Get plastic or acrylic organizers so everything is neatly stored and easy to access in your drawers, use jars to store pens and pencils, and hang hooks on the wall for jackets and accessories.

4. Small Lamps

Get smaller lamps or several ceiling lights and place them in corners, on bedside tables, and pretty much everywhere you can get away with. Instead of using only one source of light in the center of the ceiling, light fixtures coming from all corners of the room will draw out the eyes and amplify the sense of space.

5. Light Drapes

Choose drapes that are light in color and material. The best way to go about window decorations is to not have curtains at all, but if you prefer to have some privacy with drapes, pick something with the most minimal design. Heavy, dark-colored drapes with loud and busy patterns will overwhelm the room and make it look smaller. Lighter curtains will also allow more natural light in, which is crucial in creating the illusion of more space. Remember to also choose ones that are long enough to touch the floor. The shorter and higher the drapes, the better.