Very few of us are blessed with huge homes. But that doesn’t mean you should live in a cluttered space in which you feel suffocated.
Far from it; small spaces can be beautifully functional, cosy, and a joy to live in. You just need to follow these ten tips for making the most of a small living space.
Declutter each room
Put stuff away if it isn’t being used; we’re all guilty of leaving things out that aren’t needed. By decluttering all of the nick-nacks and things that you rarely use from each room, you’ll instantly gain invaluable space. Why not start with the living room ?
Choose light colours for walls and soft, pastel shades for soft furnishings
When picking colours for your home, try and avoid stark reds, blues and greens. Instead, opt for soft pastel shades and match them with similarly-coloured furniture.
Be creative with lighting
Lighting makes a huge difference to any home. The more natural light you can encourage in, the bigger each space will feel. So, keep curtains open for as long as you can and avoid thick, heavy curtains.
Maximise space-saving storage
There are some brilliant space-saving storage options on the market these days that can help homeowners to regain space. Look for high shelving and cupboards that you can attach to the wall. Also, try and buy beds and sofas that have drawers hidden within them.
Affix the television to a wall with an angled bracket
As TVs have got bigger, they’ve continued to take up more space in our living rooms. You can get around this by fixing yours to the wall on an angled bracket. This will in turn enable you to use a smaller AV cabinet and push everything further back to the wall.
Distract the eyes with attention-grabbing statement pieces
Why draw attention to your small space if you can instead divert people’s attention elsewhere? By adding statement pieces such as interesting furniture and artwork, you’ll create a focal point for the room.
Consider a corner sofa and other corner-shaped furniture to maximise space
Let’s not beat about the bush – sofas are big and take up significant amounts of space. To get around this, invest in a corner shaped sofa (if possible) to maximise the floor space you have available.
Use fabric-covered storage boxes as extra seating
Just like buying sofas with integrated storage, you can also buy storage boxes that double as seats. Make sure they’re fabric-covered for comfort, and you’ll end up with neat little units that both house extra guests and keep stuff tidied away.
Choose multi-functional furniture
Modern furniture can play lots of different roles, so look out for pieces of furniture that double as storage and whatever it is they’re originally intended for.
Draw attention away from the door
Doors have a sneaky way of making a room feel smaller than it is. Unfortunately, the door is one item we cannot do without in a room. So, make sure you refer back to tip 6 and include statement pieces that draw people’s attention away from the internal doors you have. And, keep them closed as often as possible so that floor space is maximised.
See? You have more space than you thought.
If your home is relatively small, use our tips above to create more perceivable space and enjoy the place you call home.
