When I moved to New York City for journalism school, my room in my shared apartment was so small I could nearly touch the ends of each wall simultaneously with my arms outstretched.

To make the room seem less cramped, I bought a tall, mirrored wardrobe. It not only provided storage for my stuff, but reflected much-needed light from the window. When you looked at the mirror at the right angle, it made my room look double the size.

That’s just one of many clever ways to make a small room feel bigger. With smart planning and creative thinking, you can create a spacious, comfortable home for yourself without breaking the bank or making your landlord anxious, say interior designers.

The key is to make your furniture work harder for you, says Shamika Lynch, founder of the design firm Maximizing Tiny Interiors in New Jersey. “Every item in your home needs to serve a purpose. You don’t have extra square footage [for things] that are just going to be decorative.”

She and other interior designers share their favorite design tricks for small spaces.

Focus on freeing up floor space

Create more breathing room by taking furniture off the floor. Replace floor lamps with hanging light fixtures and find storage pieces that have more than one function.

Andee Tagle/NPR

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Andee Tagle/NPR

When you live in a cramped home, it can be precarious to move around — and decluttering can only take you so far. Create more breathing room by taking furniture off the floor, says Lynch. Here are three ways to do that.

• Use furniture that does double duty. Instead of crowding your entryway with a table, bench and coat rack, consider getting a piece that combines those elements, says Lynch. 
• Hang up what you can. Replace that wide, bulky floor lamp with plug-in or battery-operated wall sconces. Mount that standing floor mirror to the wall or switch it out for an over-the-door hanging mirror, says Alexandra Gater, a home design consultant and the author of Own Your Space: Attainable Room-by-Room Decorating Tips for Renters and Homeowners. 
• Opt for tall shelving or storage units. Think floor-to-ceiling bookcases or cabinets. They give you that two-in-one benefit of adding height to your space by drawing the eyes upward, and providing storage with minimal square footage, says Faith Roberson, a professional organizer and author of  What Stays and What Goes: Organize With Intention and Create Space for Grace.