Maximize Your Living Space

1. Choose a sectional sofa so there are plenty of places to sit. This also creates a cozy room within a room and delineates a pathway behind it.

2. Make a big screen TV the focal point of the room. House it in a perfect fit cabinet and surround it with artwork.

3. Roll out an area rug inside the opening of the sectional and leave lots of hardwood floor visible. A hard-surface floor makes a space feel airier.

4. Choose a light-coloured sofa. Add throws and cushions to warm it up.

5. Place a narrow console table between the window wall and the back of the sofa. Skip the side table and place table lamps out of the way here.

6. Hang handy storage boxes in dead corners. Stack them above each other for even more storage.

7. Lean or hang artwork above built-ins to make walls feel higher.

8. Include a lightweight, small-scale coffee table that’s easy to get out of the way and can double as an end table.

9. If you’re high up, skip the window treatment. Or choose unobtrusive roller blinds.

10. Pick a sofa with legs so you can store books and mags underneath.