The kitchen. Photo provided to China Daily

Although the number has since risen to over 17 sq m per person, some families, like Gu's, have slipped through the cracks.

"Through this weekly TV show I can spread hope and teach more people how to improve their living conditions," says Wang, adding that interior design is not just about decoration but the relationship between people and space.

The program also teaches the audience some simple but practical ways to enlarge a narrow space by optical effects, such as covering the bathroom wall with small mosaics or installing wood-strip flooring in an oblique direction.

Wang also turned a ladder into a bookshelf and used old clothes to make a carpet.

"The ladder connects the four people," he says. "I didn't want to throw it out because it had become a symbol of family unity."