10 ideas for making the most of your space

All areas are well used in this compact bedroom. Underbed cupboards and wall-to-wall bookshelves create plenty of welcome storage space.

Walls painted in Calamine® Estate® Emulsion, from £34.50 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com)

Glass-topped tables help to give a feeling of space in a room. Here, the vertical stripes on the drapes and feature wall also create an illusion of height.

Venezia coffee table, £425, and side tables, £250 each, all Laura Ashley (lauraashley.com) 

A neutral scheme can make a room feel more spacious

Kendal two-seater sofa in Ashino natural, from £1,300, Provencale oak top console table, £600, curtains made up in Honeysuckle trail, £33 per metre, small globe, £28, Honeysuckle trail cushion, £55, and Baylis apple cushion, £32, all Laura Ashley (lauraashley.com)

Use corners of a room efficiently with furniture designed to fit, like this corner desk

Franklin Leather Chair, from £750, Garrat Corner Desk in dark chestnut, £1,150, Edward Floor Lamp, £175, Kubu Large Storage Trunk, £130, and curtains made up in Awning Stripe Camomile cotton/linen, £30 per metre, all Laura Ashley. (lauraashley.com)

Divide a room into separate zones by placing storage units and sheer drapes between sleeping and sitting areas

Expedit shelving unit, £130, 185x185cm, Expedit insert with 2 drawers, £15 each, 33x33cm, Expedit insert with door, £10, 33x33cm, Brimnes bed frame with storage, £165, 140x200cm, Brimnes headboard with storage compartment, £85, 111x146x28cm (H,W,D), Kivik 2x chaise longues and armchair in Tullinge grey brown (just seen), £880, 270x83cm, Mellby armchair in Dansbo dark grey, £195, all Ikea (ikea.com)

Keep clutter under control with tall shelves and storage boxes in a variety of sizes.

Gorm shelving units, £17 each, Ikea (ikea.com)

Built-in shelving uses wall space efficiently and makes good use of otherwise dead space

Luca alder and cream home office, from £1,200, Sharps (sharps.co.uk)

A workstation will cleverly conceal your office in a multi-purpose room

Chichester workstation in limestone, £2,550, Chichester low lamp table, £395, both Neptune (neptune.com)

Mirrors and mirrored furniture help to reflect light in a room.

Juniper mirror, £225, and other items, all Laura Ashley (lauraashley.com)

Trick the eye with a large mirror. Not only does it reflect light, it also makes the room look bigger than it really is.

Carved Grey Wooden Mirror, £375, Cox & Cox (coxandcox.co.uk)