Create the illusion of space

Single people tend to have small homes/apartments -- just enough space for themselves and the occasional guest (this obviously excludes the wealthy where one person can have a five-bedroom apartment).

One effective way to make a small apartment seem spacious is to reduce the number of walls.

The open plan home, with few walls (other than what you require for privacy, when you have guests), large windows and an open plan kitchen (where the kitchen is part of your dining or living room and is not a separate enclosed space) can make even a studio apartment look grand.

If it is a rented house, then work on what goes on the walls -- like the art, pictures and wall hangings, rather than tampering with the walls. A large wall hanging is a great way to add colour.

You could also use wooden screens with bright colours and textures to create interesting partitions or backdrops. Full-length curtains hung from ceiling to floor can also bring in colour if painting is not an available option.