7 Interior Designer Tips to Make a 20 m² Studio Feel Bigger

On a Sunday evening in a 20 m² studio, all it can take is a bag left on the floor and a chair moved out of place for the walls to seem as though they are closing in. The table has to handle supper, working from home and forgotten bills, while the bed stays in view, constantly reminding you that the room cannot live several lives at once. We all know the moment of looking around a small home and wondering how other people manage to fit in a proper entrance hall, dining area and even a bookcase. Interior designers do not magically make walls disappear: they work with light, sightlines and everyday routines. Their tips can genuinely transform daily life, without necessarily embarking on a daunting renovation. It all comes down to the details.

The first three habits that instantly free up space

The first tip is to define areas without enclosing them. In a studio, a solid partition interrupts the light and shortens the view, even if it is only a few centimetres thick. A rug beneath the sofa, a pendant light over the table, or a subtle change of colour on one section of wall can be enough to establish a living room, dining spot and sleeping area. The eye then understands how the home is arranged without coming up against a barrier. That impression matters enormously: a flat feels larger when every activity has its place, without the room being divided up like a Tube map.

The second habit is to make use of height, which is often overlooked when everything is arranged at floor level. In a renovated 20 m² Paris studio last year, an interior designer had slim shelves fitted along an entire wall, reaching to within 30 centimetres of the ceiling. Books, boxes and less frequently used belongings were moved out of low-level furniture, leaving almost nothing protruding across the floor. The real benefit was not simply extra storage: the room appeared to breathe. A vertical bookcase naturally draws the eye upwards and makes the ceiling seem more distant. Every square metre matters in a small home, but so does every metre of height.

The third idea sounds straightforward, perhaps even too straightforward: opt for furniture that keeps the floor visible. A sofa on slim legs, a floating console table, lightweight chairs or a slightly raised bed allow the eye to travel rather than stopping it. Large, solid pieces placed directly on wooden flooring visually consume space, however useful they may be. Seeing more floor makes us perceive a bigger room; that is simply how our brains work, whether we choose it or not. Let us be honest: nobody really measures the visible space beneath a piece of furniture every day. Even so, it is one of the most effective factors to consider when choosing something new.

Four interior designer tips for turning constraints into strengths

The fourth approach is to favour furniture that can change purpose without turning the home into a gadget showroom. A drop-leaf table mounted by a window can serve as a desk in the morning and a dining space in the evening; a storage bench can seat guests while concealing household linen. The aim is not to collect folding solutions, which are often flimsy or uncomfortable, but to remove single-purpose furniture. Before buying anything, one question is particularly useful: “Does this item do at least two jobs?” If the answer is no, it may be better left in the shop. Making those choices takes some self-control, especially when faced with an attractive little side table.

The fifth tip concerns the colour palette, avoiding the trap of clinical all-white interiors. Light-coloured walls remain a reassuring foundation because they reflect natural light, but a deeper shade can make a room feel bigger when placed in the right location. Painting the far wall in a greyed beige, soft sage green or smoky blue adds depth, as if the room continued beyond it. The ceiling can remain a slightly lighter tone to preserve a sense of airiness. A common mistake is introducing bright colours on every wall: the studio becomes lively, certainly, but visually restless too. One well-positioned colour tells the story of a space better than four scattered accents.

The sixth tip involves mirrors, provided they are used as imaginary windows rather than automatic decoration. Positioned opposite an opening or at a right angle to it, a large mirror bounces light around and extends the view outwards.

“In a small space, a mirror should not merely reflect a person: it should reflect depth or a source of light,” says interior designer Claire Delorme.

A few guidelines help prevent a dance-studio effect:

• choose a vertical shape to emphasise height;
• aim it towards a window, lamp or uncluttered wall;
• avoid grouping together small mirrors with no clear purpose.

One large, carefully placed mirror achieves more than an entire collection.

The seventh tip is less photogenic, but it makes all the difference: arrange storage according to how often items are used. Everyday objects should be within easy reach, while suitcases, papers that need keeping and occasional appliances can go higher up or underneath the bed. A studio quickly feels too small when it becomes a warehouse for everything without a designated place. Interior designers refer to closed storage as a way of calming the eye: smooth-fronted cupboards, matching baskets or a light curtain in front of an alcove. Visual clutter is more tiring than a shortage of square metres. This is not a lesson in perfection; it is simply a way to create a room you want to come home to.

A studio that feels bigger in your mind and everyday life

Making a 20 m² studio appear twice as large does not mean living in an empty set, or giving up treasured objects, plants or the armchair you genuinely love reading in. It is more about deciding what you want to feel when you open the door: calm, light, a sense of movement, perhaps even a little pride. The best small interiors rarely look as though they were planned down to the millimetre, even though they often were. They still show signs of real life: a throw hanging over the edge, a book on the table, a mug by the window. Space is not solely a matter of floor area. It is also about breathing room, movement and the routines we are willing to rethink.