Small spaces can be warm and intimate. But if a room in your home feels more cramped than cozy, there may be a simple way to improve it.

Odette Lueck, of Odette Lueck Interiors in Oakland, Md., says the best way to stretch the size of a room is to start from the ground up. "The thing I use most is diagonal lines on the floor," says Lueck, who suggests installing wood flooring or tiles in a diagonal line. "No matter which way you look, it's expanding the border."

If you're not ready for a major project, you'd be amazed at what you can accomplish with just a few decorating tricks. First and foremost is color. To make your room appear larger, stick with neutrals and keep backgrounds (wall, furniture, draperies) the same color, says Lueck. But neutral doesn't have to be boring. "Use your color in accessories," says Lueck. But beware of patterns. Too many patterns can make a space seem cluttered.

Furniture placement is also important. The number of pieces should be kept to minimum and positioned against a wall. "Use glass coffee tables," suggests Lueck. "It's one less thing to be a solid focus in the a room." Don't be afraid to use a little creativity. For example, a stack of coffee table books next to chair can serve as a unique end table.

Another option is to embrace the room's petite size. "More often than not clients make the mistake of thinking that room always has to be larger," says Lueck. "Small is not necessarily bad. A lot of times, what you're actually striving for is a more intimate space." To warm up a small room, include dark colors, lots of wood and plenty of cozy fabrics. 

Pending sales of existing homes rose 5 percent in June from a downwardly revised May total, NAR reported this morning. This marks the largest monthly gain in the pending home sales index in more than three years, but it still lags 8.6 percent below its June 2006 level. NAR senior economist Lawrence Yun said the latest totals are encouraging, with pending home sales rising in each of the nation’s four regions. “However, it is too early to say if home sales have already passed bottom,” Yun said in a statement.