With more and more of us these days are living in apartments and flats, we are having to find new creative ways of decorating and furnishing smaller spaces. In flats and apartments it is common for rooms to double up both as living and sleeping areas. In a flat like this a sofa bed is useful for providing seating by day and a bed by night. Large mirrors will open up the space by reflecting light. Also hang sheer curtains to let more light into the room.

Although storage space in a small area is required, it can look cluttered which will in turn make the space appear even smaller. Consider covering bookcases and shelving with a curtain. Push the furniture up against the walls to create more space. Only buy furniture that you actually use.

In the kitchen, hang utensils from the walls so you can use the cupboards for other things. You can buy magnetic strips which attach to the wall that cooking utensils can stick to. Consider hanging pans from hooks. Use a mug tree on the bench from which to hang cups. In terms of dining room furniture, an extending dining table can prove a real space saver.

Where there is not enough room in the flat for cupboards, mount shelving. Floating shelves do not use brackets and look much neater. In the bathroom buy a sink cabinet as a cupboard will be built in, providing storage. You can also use shelving or a wall cabinet for toiletries. If installing a new bathroom you can buy corner baths and smaller models of sinks and toilets.

When decorating it’s true that light colours will make a room appear larger. On the other hand sparing use of colour can achieve the same effect; By using colour on the walls or wall art, the eye will be drawn away from the lack of floor space. By decorating upwards with patterns, stencils and even shelves it will draw the eye up and emphasise the height of the wall.

Are you looking for a new look on the walls of your living room, perhaps to complement your new sofas or coffee tables?

To remove existing wallpaper from a wall, you will need to soak the wall with water. Before you start, cover the floor to protect the carpet and turn off the electricity if there are wall sockets nearby.

Use a bucket of warm water with a little detergent and soak the wall using a sponge. After a few minutes use a scraper to try and remove the paper from the wall.

Make sure not to dig into the wall as this will pull the plaster off and you’ll have to re-plaster the wall before you can repaper it or paint it. If you start bringing the paper off at a seam, it will come off easier.

Keep re-soaking the wall as you go and if the paper has a coating, score it with a knife as this will allow the water to get through it. Be careful not to score the wall underneath. Sometimes coated wallpaper can be difficult to get off and in this case you can use a steam stripper; the heat will be beneficial in getting the paper off the wall.

To use the stripper, fill the tank with water. After a few minutes, the machine will have heated up and will be ready to use. Hold the plate against the wallpaper and let the steam loosen it from the wall. You may need to do this more than once for coated wallpaper. When loose, you will be able to pull the wallpaper from the wall using the scraper. Always start at the bottom and work upwards. When the tank is empty – refill.