Tricks of the trade to open up space in your home

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Space is an essential element in home design. Once walls are in place, you have defined a space and from there you call it "living room" or "kitchen" or whatever term best fits its use.The way you use the space will give you freedom or restriction physically, visually and even psychologically so a delicate balance of openness and intimacy must be achieved in each room. Easy to say -- not always easy to do.If you are decorating a small room, spaciousness is the look you probably want to achieve and if you can keep a secret, I'll tell you a few tricks of the trade.If you place large pieces of furniture near the walls, they won't interrupt the open space. Putting the sofa or love seat against the wall instead of floating somewhere in the room will afford space in the center for that open feeling. Use small-scale furniture, for example, instead of a sofa, you might consider using a love seat. Instead of a chair and ottoman, you could use a small recliner. Arrange the furniture so you can travel freely through the space. Walking in and around and back out of the room should not require any acrobatic movements. This freedom should be allowed visually also by keeping window treatments to a minimum so your eye can see beyond the immediate space through the uncluttered opening. If possible, don't put furniture in front of the window. If not possible, see if you can fit the furniture under the window so as not to interrupt the openness of the fenestration. Keep furnishings and accessories down to the necessities. In other words, don't crowd the room in any way. We all know that mirrors expand a room by creating the illusion of depth, so I guess this one isn't a secret. Pick light, cool colors for the walls and upholstery. The light color seems to open the space and also makes the furniture light looking (as opposed to heavy). For the same reasons, use colors and fabrics that blend rather than contrast. Get your color wheel out and choose colors that are near each other rather tan opposite each other on the wheel. A unified look will help here such as wall-to-wall floor covering and ceiling to floor window treatments. Lighting the perimeter of the room will do wonders at night for expansion and ambiance. You can wash the ceiling with light, you can light under cabinets and even under furniture to make them seem as though they are floating. If lighting the furniture doesn't appeal to you, try using furniture that sits up off the floor such as those hung from the wall. Use glass table tops instead of wood tops or if you have an aversion to glass tops, use light wood rather than dark.Now you know some of the secrets. Remember, mum's the word.(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.)