With many of us these days having to contend with smaller living spaces, how we choose to decorate and furnish our homes is adapting accordingly.

Recent research suggests that the average British family home is now half the size it was in the 1920s.  In fact, British homes are now the smallest in Europe, with the average new one-bed flat having shrunk to the size of a tube carriage*.

In response, retailers are increasing the range of products designed for smaller homes, helping customers to make the most of the space they have. And tips abound for enhancing small spaces – painting with light hues, dual purpose furniture, installing well-planned lighting.

For an easy to achieve result? Our top tip: the decorative convex mirror. This is a stylish and effective way to make a small space appear and feel bigger & brighter.

In the image above, and below, the room beyond is captured in the mirror reflection, maximising the light and sense of space.

In a galley kitchen, the convex reflection helps make the space appear bigger & brighter.

And below, a blank wall in a narrow stairwell is given a lift – light is widely reflected via the curve of the convex lens.

So if you’re struggling with a bijou abode, consider utilising the light & space-enhancing effects of a convex mirror. Low effort, high impact!