For Carmen Tang of Wolf Woof Design, it is all about thinking outside the box when it comes to space amplification, starting with some ingenious storage tricks.

One solution that she found for a client living in a petite condo in Everitt Road was to store his bicycle halfway up the stairwell wall; it can be accessed by a series of pulleys, and makes for an arresting talking point as well.

For another client, she created an eye-catching feature wall, with six panels sliding over three separate tracks. “The homeowners could change the look of their living room in an instant by showing certain panels and hiding others,” explains Carmen.

“And, in the meantime, the panels also serve as a stretch of cabinet which offers immense storage space.”

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Here’s another example: This movable chevron wall is a feature wall, a display case and storage space all at once.

She also advises being practical, when it comes to working with smaller homes, and encourages clients to really think about what they need and what they can do without.

“For one project, we were restricted by the tininess of the living area, so I proposed that the clients opt for statement furniture pieces instead of regular bulky items. In the end, we went with a lounge chair as the main furniture piece.”

For those who own a tiny terrace or mini apartment, Dennis Cheok of Upstairs Interior Design highly recommends starting with multi-functional furniture.

In a recently completed project, he introduced a kitchen island that also serves as a dining table, bar area and food prep station and an entertainment console in the living room doubles as a bench.

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Other items included a bed frame in the master bedroom that can be used as a dresser and a powder room which contains the tiniest possible shower unit for the occasional overnight guest. You can place the shelf horizontally or vertically depending on your available space.

If you love having friends over, a built-in dining bench could prove ideal for squeezing in extra guests while taking up less space than regular chairs.

Make it pull double duty with additional storage, as this industrial chic design does.

The entrance foyer of this executive maisonette flat is turned into a savvy space; a shoe cabinet is thoughtfully combined with a cosy settee that allows everyone to sit while putting on and taking off their shoes.

Whether you have minimalist tastes or have space constraints, a beautiful side table can also moonlight as a TV console or a bench for extra seating options.

One easy way to create the illusion of a bigger space is to bring in more light into the home and a good way to go about doing so is by having white walls and white furniture. This would create the illusion of a larger horizontal and vertical space.

An open floor plan layout means that there is minimal enclosed spaces to demarcate each area. For this home by Lemonfridge Studio, the open-concept kitchen is linked to the dining area which is also open to the living room. This allows the play of space especially when you want to create a cosy and comfortable space for your guests.

A compact breakfast table that can be folded out from the side of the kitchen island frees up precious space when it’s not in use – perfect for small abodes.

This isn’t just your regular built-in, full-height shelf. It’s a movable wall, door and shelf rolled into one, and behind it is the household’s bomb shelter.

When swung open at 90 degrees, it turns into a door that partitions off the bedroom from the rest of this Peranakan-style one-bedroom abode.

Avid readers will fall in love with this impressive staircase-turned-bookshelf that’s the focal point of this semi-detached house.

The brainchild of Renaissance Planners & Designers’ Kelvin Bing, it’s three-and-a-half storeys high and houses the family’s beloved book collection.

For a small apartment, consider partitioning or zoning your home using storage shelves instead of walls.

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Text: Michelle Lee/Home & Decor, Additional reporting: Seah Pei Jun