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‘I love doing up old properties,' explains Carol, 'and what enchanted me about this apartment was its airy atmosphere, courtesy of the sitting room's full-length windows. To keep the room light, I chose a pale gold and cream-striped material for the curtains, and I make a point of never skimping on fabric or they don't hang well. I bought the glass-topped dining table and metal chairs from Paultons Designs [020 77314315] because I knew they'd sit neatly in the circle of space at the bottom of the gallery staircase. 
‘When I moved in, the hallway looked narrow and dark,' says Carol, 'so I covered one wall with mirrored glass and laid limestone on the floor to lighten everything up. I hate clutter, but I like to highlight overlooked spaces, which is why I added the gilt mirror and candle sconce. I also cheated with a faux hydrangea - it's very realistic.' 
'I love my SieMatic kitchen,' says Carol. 'I had it fitted around a small rectangle and lined with French oak flooring. It has plenty of storage space and is a comfortable place in which to cook.' -
Carol is an interior designer who is always on the lookout for potential, but she still viewed 74 apartments before she fell in love with this one in a stately stuccoed building in London. At only 700 square feet, it consists of just four rooms linked together by a narrow corridor - a galleried sitting-cum-dining room, a colonial-style bedroom, a tiny kitchen and a bathroom. But in spite of its small size, it feels and looks far more spacious, thanks to Carol's golden rules for maximising space. First of all, your eye is deceived by the disciplined decor: Carol uses a restricted palette of neutral colours.
Second, the liberal use of mirrors in each room conjures the illusion of space. And finally, efficient storage solutions help to reinforce the key ingredient: a ruthless attitude to clutter.
'The door from my bedroom leads to a garden terrace, which is lovely on summer mornings,' says Carol. 'I used white shutters instead of curtains to add to the colonial feel of the room. I also love the ceiling fan as it reminds me of romantic tropical interiors and has a soothing sound. It's white, too, so it's not too obtrusive visually 
- Easy ways to get the spacious look
- Keep wall colours pale and neutral to make them seem farther apart.
- Use lots of mirrors to reflect light and create the impression of space.
- One of the easiest ways to make a room seem bigger is to be ruthless with clutter.
- Don't skimp on curtain fabric. To hang well, each curtain should be at least two-and-a half times the width of the window.
- Use plain upholstery fabric for an understated look - patterns tend to make small rooms appear busy and overly fussy.
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‘I don't like strong; colours,' says Carol. 'White on white, beige and taupe are my perennial choices because they give continuity. I used Farrow and Ball's Dimity on the walls and String on the woodwork in the sitting area, and 1 think the scheme works well. To emphasise the room's period character, I bought an antique stone fire surround from Chesneys [020 7627 1410] and topped it with a beautiful old mirror. For a cosy feel, I've put some of the sitting-room furniture underneath the gallery. 
‘The gallery and its staircase are two of my favourite features, say Carol, 'but it's hard to explain how grim they looked before I added the oak flooring. I felt the whole of this area was under utilised, so I've incorporated a useful guest bed, which has concealed storage, and the remaining space is fitted with an unobtrusive shelving system. 
‘I chose even lighter shades for the bedroom,' explains Carol. They give a contemporary edge to more traditional elements, such as the painted furniture I found in a favourite shop, Homes in Heaven in London [020 7736 2227].
