By Stephanie Graham Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Oct 20, 2016 at 6:00 AM

Editor's Note: Sponsored content is paid third-party advertising content. OnMilwaukee's newsroom does not write or edit this content.

Steinhafels is very excited to partner with OnMilwaukee to bring you a monthly sponsored content segment called "Ask the Designer." It’s a unique chance for readers to directly ask skilled designers various questions about interior design – no question is too big or too small!   

We also want to encourage readers to enter our #milwaukeemeanshome contest!  OnMilwaukee, Steinhafels and ACTS Housing have partnered up to offer this thoughtful challenge: Take a photo of your home – literally or figuratively – and put it on Instagram with the hashtag #milwaukeemeanshome. The visual concept of "home" appears differently to everyone, but if you take a photo of what it looks like to you, it could result in a $500 Steinhafels gift card.

The contest runs now through the holidays, and every month, one photo will get randomly picked as the winner.

Now, back to this month’s "Ask The Designer" question. It comes from Sara Feustel-Weigel on Facebook. She asks, "Can you make some suggestions on how to make a large living space feel more intimate?"

Jenii Kluver is a Decorating Solutions Interior Designer at our Oak Creek store. She has some great suggestions for Sara, and anyone else looking to make their space appear a little more cozy, especially with the long winter ahead.

1. Use an area rug to pull the furniture pieces together

This will give the appearance of a smaller conversation space, while keeping the furniture closer together.

2. Don't be afraid to float furniture in the middle of a room

Feeling like you need to have pieces up against a wall spaces everything further apart, and you may find your guests feeling far away from everyone else in the space.

3. Use darker paint colors in larger rooms to warm up the space and make it feel smaller

Choosing a warmer color will also help to absorb the light in the room, making it appear smaller and cozier.

4. Paint your ceiling

Many people forget that the ceiling is a wall too, and painting it a darker tone can help to visually make the space more enclosed.

5. Use a sectional instead of individual furniture pieces

This will bring everyone together in your space and will maximize your seating.

Great tips Jenii! In addition, if you are looking for the opposite effect – creating the look of MORE space in a room – our designer Aaron Keller covered that topic a few months ago. Check it out!

Do you have a question for our designers? Post your question in the comments section of this article, along with your name and location. Or you can post it on the Steinhafels or OnMilwaukee Facebook pages. We'd love to have our designers answer your question next month.