Rising city property prices and rents are forcing many people to squeeze into tiny studios and apartments in order to have the convenience of inner-urban living rather than a lengthy commute every work day from the outer suburbs.
Living in a small space, however, doesn’t have to mean feeling cramped and claustrophobic. With careful planning and a few fool-proof design tricks, even the tiniest studio apartment can feel like home.
Inspiration
Look at the design of caravan and motor home interiors for great ideas on how to maximise space. Swedish flat-pack furniture company IKEA has been producing great designs for small spaces for decades and their stores, catalogues and websites are a great source of nifty storage ideas and multi-functional furniture designs. IKEA designers have also put together an inspirational show apartment in the company’s Brooklyn, New York, store that fits everything needed for small space living into just 391 square feet.
Storage
Maximising storage is the key to organised, clutter-free small space living. Instead of a sofa, consider a built-in banquette with lift tops for storage beneath. Can shelving be incorporated into the wall cavity in the kitchen or bathroom and concealed with sliding doors? What about a custom-made bed with drawers underneath and bedhead consisting of narrow cupboards or shelving?
A large bookcase can be filled with decorative boxes and baskets to store a myriad of daily items neatly, while a skirted console table covered in beautiful fabric can hide media components in the living room or accessories such as shoes and handbags in the bedroom.
The backdrop
Use a consistent pale neutral colour throughout to make the space feel larger. You can’t go wrong with white. Add punches of colour with soft furnishings such as cushions and bed coverings that can be changed when your decor needs refreshing.
Mirrors are a classic decorating trick for making small spaces seem larger. Place mirrors at the end of a hallway or opposite windows where they can reflect light and views. Transparent materials also help expand the sense of space. Think clear Perspex dining chairs and a glass-topped dining table.
Use your walls
Use wall space to maximise your floor space with floating shelving, a wall-mounted television and wall-mounted light sconces that don’t need to be hard wired.
Keep artwork simple and graphic and hang with care for maximum balance and impact. Create your own artwork by taking your photos or scans of favourite graphics along to a Harvey Norman Photos centre where your digital images can be inexpensively transferred onto canvas.
Use multi-functional designs
Make each piece of furniture work as hard as possible. There are coffee table designs, for example, that lift up to become dining table height when required. A large mirror on the wall could conceal a lift-down wall bed that drops down by night. A built-in daybed used as seating by day can double as a guest bed. If your ceilings are high enough, a loft bed can open up space for a sofa or computer desk beneath. Use stackable stools as chairs, side tables or footstools as needed.
With care and forethought, a small space can be beautiful, comfortable and organised.
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