Designing the perfect interior for your home is always a tricky task. You want it to look beautiful, but you also need it to feel comfortable and functional at the same time. Having a home with very little space, such as a studio or small apartment, can make interior design even more difficult because you have to work within the confines of the limited available space.

The art of successful interior design in small homes requires a balancing act. You'll need to maximise space and maintain an uncluttered and spacious feel while still providing all the necessary features and functions for comfortable living. Here are three ideas that will help you to pull off this balancing act in your small home.

1. Choose blinds instead of curtains

Curtains are a wonderful window dressing, but when you're pressed for space, they may not be the best option. Curtains require both floor space and wall space to accommodate the fabric, rods and brackets. Curtains also mean you need to keep furniture out from the walls, which can leave less floor space available for other purposes.

Blinds fit neatly and unobtrusively within the window frame without impeding on your available space. They're also great for creating a streamlined and fuss-free look which will lengthen the lines of your home and create the illusion of spaciousness.

2. Choose furniture with storage features

One of the most difficult parts of creating a successful interior for a small home is having enough storage without over filling the rooms with storage items. The best way to achieve this is to choose furniture that has built-in storage features.

Some examples of this idea are sofas that have hidden storage compartments under the seats, coffee tables that have bookshelves beneath them and beds with slide-out drawers underneath. They all offer a large amount of storage in a space that is often unused and wasted.

3. Choose light-reflecting elements

Often, the feeling of space is more of an illusion than a real representation of the size of a room. Even a room that is large in proportions can feel cramped and crowded with the wrong choice of design elements. Maintaining a light and open feel is the key, and this will largely depend on the features such as paint colour, furniture styles and accessories.

Opt for light paint in white or off-white instead of darker hues. This maximises natural light and creates an airy and open feel. Avoid furniture items that have dark fabric, timber with dark stains or matte finishes that absorb light instead of reflecting it. Add some large mirrors to bounce the available light back into the space and double the space from a visual perspective.