Because most apartments are boxy, it's fun to add some curves. Designer Libby Langdon suggests round tables, chairs with a curve and rugs that are either shaped or adorned with spirals and dots.

"A light rug can open up your room and make it feel larger," says Langdon. A bound carpet remnant can work great. If your apartment came with stained or dark wall-to-wall carpeting, cover it up with a rug in a lighter hue.

You don't have to live with those standard-issue apartment blinds. Add a touch of drama with curtains, and consider the tricks you can do with them to make your space appear larger. Hang curtains outside the window or even on bare walls. Hang them floor to ceiling to create height, or have them flow from a cornice that hides the curtain rod.

Contrary to what you might think, small spaces don't have to forgo a bed with lots of linens and fabrics. Layers and an elegant mix of colors, prints and pillows can make a space seem airy and give depth to what is likely one of the biggest pieces in the home.