Maximize Little Space, Make a Big Difference

Do you have a question about your decor? Send questions to Home Design, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or e-mail to ocsocalliv@latimes.com

Question: My husband and I have retired and downsized into a two-bedroom condo. How can we make this small house look larger?

Answer: With the proper use of color, texture, light and furniture placement, you can make any room--indeed, your entire home--appear quite grand. The most important consideration is how you use your home.

Do you want a warm, intimate, comfortable nest for two, or an open and minimalist space designed for entertainment and easy care? Once you determine function, it is possible to design your rooms so that they appear almost double in size. You need not sacrifice style for size.

Streamline the flow and line of the house by keeping colors tone-on-tone. A pale palette lessens the mass and, along with white walls, creates a sense of airiness. White reflects light and seems to expand the walls.

Enliven the restrained use of color by incorporating contrasting textures. Sofas, armchairs and beds will appear more interesting by upholstering them in mixed textures such as linen, old velvet, needlepoint or silk.

Stripes and ticking on upholstered furniture will fool the eye just as they can create the illusion of height and length in wall coverings. And piles of throw pillows will make light-colored, softly textured furniture more inviting.

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Consider using light-colored carpet, ceramic tile, marble or painted wood floors. Polished wooden floors left bare will also create an illusion of larger space.

Mirrors reflect light and can have the effect of doubling the apparent proportions of a room. See-through pieces of glass or Lucite also provide an airy, floating look and appear to take up less space.

Multi-functional furniture that can easily be moved adds to the versatility of a small room. Scale the proportion of your furniture to the size of your room.

Window treatments should make use of natural light wherever possible. Use simple window dressing and keep windows free of clutter.

Make your rooms feel larger by creating fewer distractions. Build storage units in every possible space. They will help keep things neat. Hide functional items--stereo, TV, computers--and the room will look less crowded. In general, use accessories and artwork sparingly.

If you need to eliminate a wall to create more efficient space, plantation shutters can be used as a room divider.

Your small condominium need not look like a humble abode if you plan your interior design to reflect your lifestyle. With a carefully planned interior design, a little space can provide you with a lot of style.

Elsa Rosene, ASID, CID, owns Kasden-Rosene of Corona del Mar. She recently was awarded the American Society of Interior Designers’ Community Service Award for her volunteer work with the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa. (949) 645-9149.