Living In Small Spaces

Does your home feel confined? Is your living space cramping your style? Well living in a small space doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice style, comfort or organisation. Nor does it mean that it has to be uninspired. It’s really down to how imaginative and creative you can be without having to call in a professional. We are all capable of transforming a small living space into a comfortable, spacious and homely environment. Whether you live in a studio apartment, small cottage or in student digs – you can absolutely transform your space into a smart and functional home. The trick is to apply some subtle and clever tricks to give your home that sense of space.

Invest in multifunctional furniture

➢ Find furniture that can be used alone, in a cluster or in various combinations allowing you to arrange it in different ways and free up space as you need it. Even better is adaptable furniture on wheels that can be moved around.
➢ Shorter pieces of furniture such as ottomans, or sofa pieces with and without arm rests are a great way to break up your room, change the layout and ultimately give your living space an open feel.
➢ Stools and benches are another great solution for multifunctional furniture. You can move them from room to room to use as seats or tables. Your mother-in-law may not approve of the untraditional furniture but she may appreciate the sense of space you’ve created with that adaptable furniture!
➢ Beds with drawers will keep your room feeling orderly and open.
➢ Mirrors will also make your living space seem bigger.

Choose adequate storage

➢ The thing with smaller spaces is that you can’t afford to have clutter around the place, so find storage that is flexible and offers innovative ways of storing your items. For example a bookshelf that doubles up as a TV stand will use up less room than two separate units.
➢ Use stackable and collapsible storage for practically anything (clothes, bathroom accessories) or storage that is semi-transparent to help you identify things quickly.
➢ Use stacking shelves, decorated with plants, to serve as a room partition as well create an environment that is both relaxing and provides storage.
➢ For a neat and organised and seamless look, choose storage units in the same color and shape.

Use appropriate lighting

➢ If you don’t have access to strong natural light then fill your home with a range of lamps, ranging in size and shape to give your space character and different tones.
➢ Use a blend of up and down lights to change a room’s atmosphere and create that sense of space.

Your home may be small but will be perfectly formed with some, if not all, of these handy tips.