How to Make a Shared Room Feel Bigger

Paint the walls with visually receding colors such as light blues and greens, white and light neutrals. Avoid patterned wallpaper or dark colors, as these will make the room feel smaller. Paint woodwork, skirting boards and the ceiling white for a clean, fresh look. Lay a light-colored floor covering, such as pine flooring or natural-fiber carpet. Both of these options are extremely hard-wearing and easy to clean.

Position beds for maximum floor space. Bunk beds save a huge amount of space because only one bed is taking up floor space. Alternatively, place twin beds lengthwise along the same wall. Positioning beds to face outwards from the walls wastes floor space. If you have a long wall, place a tall chest of drawers or bookcase in between the beds to offer privacy. Otherwise, position the beds so that the headboards meet and the occupants are facing away from each other. With this arrangement, hang a curtain from a pole on the ceiling in between the headboards.

Ensure that the door opens fully. Don't position furniture behind the door, preventing it from opening properly, as this will make the room feel cramped before you have even entered. Avoid very tall items of furniture, as these will have a darkening effect on the room. Instead, opt for lower pieces.

Create different areas in the room rather than lining the walls with furniture. For example, place a space-saving corner desk opposite the bed wall and add a couple of chairs so each occupant has half the desk as her own. Sit a table lamp on and hang a cork memo board above each half of the desk. Position an open shelf divider at the end of the desk nearest the beds. This is an attractive and functional item that creates a proper divider without blocking out light.

Use space-saving storage options such as under-bed boxes, floating shelves, corner hammocks and over-the-door shoe organizers for items such as toys and books. These all negate the need to stack boxes or furniture on the floor, taking up valuable space.

Use mirrors to reflect natural light and create a sense of space.