My seven year old daughter's recent haircut had me thinking, once again, about the age-old "less is more" topic. With the waist-length hair cut to an above-the-shoulders bob, suddenly my little one looked so much bigger (and more grown up, too). All that hair was visually dwarfing her simply because of the ratio of hair length to body height.

With hairstyles being quite a deviation from my field of expertise, I was intrigued by the similar effects of cutting back hair to cutting back on the items within a space. "Cutting back" in a room can mean many things:

Using smaller scale furnishings to open up the space;

De-cluttering / removing excess items that create a "busy" feel in the room;

Using fewer by pieces of furniture by selecting pieces that are multi-purpose, such as an upholstered ottoman that doubles as an occasional table.

Proportion, or scale, is one of the most important elements in good design -- interior design, graphic design, and obviously hair "design" too. Something quite big just doesn't work as well when it's background is relatively small, unless of course the big item is meant to be the only focal point, as could be the case with a piano or pool table in a home setting.

Although I do like the look of minimalism, I have never accepted it as an achievable style for my own home, or for that of any average family. Most of us are comforted by having some personal belongings visible around us, whether they be books, photos, crafts/hobbies, displays of collectibles, or just a special something that has sentimental value. "Cutting back" too much equates with shaving your head, I suppose. Both are extreme. There is a way to find a happy medium.

In under a day, you can revamp your home in such a way that it is no longer being dwarfed by its contents. Here are some simple (and cost efficient) tips to open up your rooms to showcase the space as well as your belongings:

> Busy prints or patterns, especially on large furniture pieces (such as sofas), tend to make the pieces appear even larger. Cover it with a solid-colour or subtle tone-on-tone print, leaving small areas of the original print exposed.

> Reframe photos in matching frames, or use the frames that accommodate multiple pictures.

> Display collectibles in shadow boxes or on appropriate shelves or in display cases that can be hung on the wall.

> Determine if any of your furnishings can be used as multi-purpose pieces, and do some rearranging if needed. For instance, an old-fashioned desk can be used as a console table, while providing you with an instant place to handle mail and even bill paying.

> Look for hidden storage space. First clear out what you don't need, and make proper use of the storage space you do have; then look for "hidden" storage areas. Storage solutions can be created underneath stairs, above the washer & dryer, wherever you have wasted space in your home... Depending on your heating system, you may have bulkheads concealing ducting; often some bulkheads are put up just to make the needed ones look balanced. Empty, or fake, bulkheads can easily be transformed into storage space. Don't leave an inch of space un-thought of if you really are short of room to keep your family's stuff.

> Strategically hang mirrors to reflect windows and doors. Although this doesn't affect your layout, it creates a sense of more area. On the other hand never hang a mirror at the end of a long corridor or hall as the "long and narrow" will be emphasized, giving a bowling alley feel.

> Use contrast to define space. Make sure there is a contrast between your wall colour & doors and window frames. Have a stronger contrast between your walls and your small furnishings than between your walls and your larger pieces whenever possible.

> Emphasize open floor space with a simple rug that fits within that open space, leaving a border of visible floor exposed.

> Establish a furniture layout that has your largest (highest) pieces of non-focal-point furniture furthest from the entry to the room. For example, a tall dresser opposite a bedroom door will accentuate the size of the dresser, while a small piece of furniture in that same location will accentuate the space your room has to offer.

A trip to your local library or bookstore can provide you with even more inspiration for you home.