Mine shaft to gallery. Six tricks.

It's usually the single most effective change. The reflection carries the eye past where the wall actually is, so the dead end stops reading as one. A tall mirror leaned against the end wall works as well as a fixed one and comes with you when you move – just make sure it's stable if there are children or pets about.

They've improved a lot, and the better ones look much like wired fittings. Choose a warm rather than a cold white, expect to recharge or change batteries every so often, and check that whatever adhesive you use suits your wall finish – some fixings take paint off when removed. They're the obvious answer where there's no wiring and no permission to add any.

In a line, at one consistent height, for a narrow space. It carries the eye along the hallway rather than stopping it, and a run of similar frames looks deliberate in a way a scattered arrangement doesn't. Grouped arrangements need more wall than a corridor gives you.

A flat‑weave one with a non‑slip pad underneath is fine – it's thick shaggy rugs and anything that shifts underfoot that cause trips. Leave a strip of floor visible at each side rather than wall‑to‑wall; it looks better and it's easier to keep clean. Worth thinking about carefully if anyone in the house is unsteady on their feet.

Yes – paint is the only one of the six that needs permission. The mirror, the lighting, the runner, the pictures and clearing the floor all work in a rented flat and come out when you leave. If you want the walls lighter, peel‑off wallpaper is an option, though it's worth checking your tenancy and testing a small area first.