I've lived in several tiny London flats, and these are the 3 design tricks I used in every one of them to fake a bigger home

Over my past 8 years living in London, I've called my fair share of tiny flats home.

There was the one in Maida Vale where my kitchen was a single run of cupboards along one wall in the living room. Then there was the flat I shared with my partner in Clapham, where I barely had space to walk around the bed in the master bedroom.

I've moved three times in 8 years, and in each of those spaces I honed my design skills to harness tricks that fake the look of a bigger home, making use of smart small living room ideas and small bedroom ideas. I've never let a lack of space get in the way of creating a beautiful space.

It wasn't always easy. I was a renter for most of those 8 years, so everything I did to a flat had to be reversible and affordable. Most small space decorating tips usually involve paint or fixing things to walls, and as these were all out of the question I devised three affordable, quick fixes that I used in all my former homes to create the illusion of space instead.

1. Embrace leaning furniture

Leaning or ladder furniture has been my secret weapon when it comes to making the most of the vertical space in all the tiny bedrooms and living rooms I've called home.

In my first shared London flat, I barely had enough space in my bedroom to walk around my bed but I was determined to squeeze in a desk to work from home. A ladder desk from Wayfair, costing under £100, came to the rescue. I paired it with a folding chair that lived under my bed when not in use.

The desk has accompanied me to every flat I've lived in since, doubling up as a TV unit, record player station and is currently back to being a desk in the living room of my newly purchased flat.

When it came to leaning furniture, I didn't stop there. If you've been dreaming of dressing table ideas, a leaning dressing table from The Futon Company for £100, tucked behind a bedroom door, was how I made one work with limited space in my most recent bedroom.

2. Change the room layout

The furniture layout is so important in a small space. More often than not, we'll fall into the trap of putting our furniture exactly where the prior owners or tenants had it. This is a huge missed opportunity.

I have doubled the feeling of space in a bedroom by simply moving the bed into the middle of the main wall. During the first few months in a flat I would try different configurations of my small bedroom layout and live with each of them for a few days to see which one feel right and spacious.

However, if you need a little more guidance, Interior design expert, Alex Francis from Comodo Living says, 'Start by positioning your key furniture pieces, especially the bed, in a way that maximises open floor space.

'In tighter spaces, opting for a bed that can be tucked neatly in a corner while still offering a plush headboard helps you create a luxurious feel without dominating the room,' he says.

'Avoid placing it directly under windows or against radiators, and if possible, allow access from both sides,' he adds.

3. Make day-to-day items look beautiful

In a tiny flat, storage is at a premium, and that often means you're not able to hide away everyday, mundane items like cooking ingredients or cleaning supplies.

My secret to faking the grandeur of a larger home is to make it seem like you left these items out on purpose by 'prettying' them up. This can be as simple and affordable as decanting stock cubes into a cleaned-out jam jar or reusing a small vase to hold kitchen utensils.

You can also throw a little money at the problem. For example, I bought Our Place's beautiful Always Pan in pink so it could be left on display in the kitchen. It cost me over £100, but it paid for itself as I've used it every day for the last three years. It's one of the best non-stick pans I've ever owned.

When it came to things like cleaning supplies or a dustpan and brush, I'm not going to suggest you start decanting your Flash bathroom cleaner. In this case, it's best to disguise them. Folding storage crates work a treat, or I popped them on a hook on the back of doors in pretty tote bags.

In a small home when there isn't much space for additional items on display, make the things you use day-to-day the decoration.

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Despite buying a larger flat earlier this year, I still use many of these tricks in my home, and they've served me well in continuing to make the most of my space.

Do you have any design tricks you've used in a small space and still rate today?