In the modern era, many of us struggle to find a property that truly has the space we need, with the price tag we can afford. As any buyer will know, the property market is extremely fickle. What £150,000 gets you today is a mere fraction of what that kind of money would have bought you thirty years ago – there is no doubt at all that prices are rising at an alarming rate. All this, coupled with the fact that so many of us are keen to live in city centres these days, mean that quite often we have to opt for a slightly smaller property than we may have liked. If you’re a single young professional, this probably won’t cause you too much of an issue. But if you live with someone else – a partner, maybe – or if you have children, being holed up in a small home can easily become a very real issue. No one likes to feel cramped in their own house or flat, and there are only so many possessions you can throw out in an effort to create more room! But before you sack the whole thing off and look for another property, sit back and look at the potential of your home. Sure, you may have thrown a lot, but if you still feel as though you lack space to function, you may want to take a slightly different approach. Here are a few ways in which you can transform the interiors of your small home for a happier and more functional life.
Embrace multi-use rooms
We often get very focused on the idea that every room in the house serves a separate purpose. In some cases, this is true. After all, you probably wouldn’t get a shower installed in the kitchen, any more than you would start preparing your dinner in the master bedroom. But, there are some instances where you may want to consider doubling up a room for multiple uses, in order to create more space. For example, are you using your box room as a home office, when you have a great little nook in your living room that could easily fit a desk and chair in? Move your office into this nook and then voila – you have a spare room perfectly suitable for storage, or anything else you need it for. Once you stop getting caught up in the idea of every room in your home needing to have a specific role, you will automatically be able to create much more space.
Take things off the floor
One of the reasons so many of us have minimal room in our homes is because we are taking up excessive floor space. Large bulky items such as bookshelves, standing mirrors and storage options all stick out into a room and thus take up quite a lot of space. Instead of this, consider moving what you can onto the walls instead. You don’t need to be a whizz at DIY to be able to put up a couple of shelves, and floating shelves for your books and trinkets can look especially stylish too. The same goes for mirrors. Although a large leaning mirror does look very ‘Pinterest’, you will usually fare better in a small home from having one mounted on your wall instead. Keen to adapt to this idea but still worried that you don’t have enough wall space to house everything? Don’t worry. These things come in all shapes and sizes, even down to column radiators from Only Radiators. A massive radiator can easily take up a lot of precious wall space, but if your home is already fairly small, you shouldn’t need a big one anyway, so consider scaling down.
Stack like crazy
Entertaining at home can frequently be an issue even in the largest of houses, so trying to cram loads of people into your tiny place is never the easiest of tasks! But you shouldn’t have to resign yourself to never hosting a dinner party in your life just because your home is a little on the small side. Instead, simply make stackable and foldable furniture your best friend! You can get various coffee tables that extend out and raise up into dining tables, which means you essentially get two products in one. Equally, stackable bar stools make a great addition to a minimalist home, and you can simply store them in a corner until you need to use them again for any guests you have. It can also be worth learning how to stack various kitchen implements, such as mugs and bowls, efficiently, so you can free up more space in your various cupboards.
Hidden storage
Truth be told, there are probably more storage options in your home than you first think – you just need to use a little imagination. Speak to a professional kitchen designer about ways to utilise the space in your kitchen better. Many manufacturers are now coming out with pull-out food preparation areas, a lifesaver for someone with minimal countertop space. Additionally, you may want to consider under-bed storage if your sleeping quarters are looking a little cluttered. You can buy certain beds that come with built-in storage options, or if you just have excess room under your bed anyway, simply get hold of some storage boxes and baskets. If you are lucky enough to live in a house with fairly high-ceilings, you could even embrace a loft bed, to free up even more room on the floor and up the walls. Sure, you may usually associate loft beds and bunk beds with children’s bedrooms. But just have a browse around Pinterest and various home decor magazines, and you will see plenty of quirky loft-style, raised beds that are freeing up space in apartments across the world. Small homes are ten a penny these days, but that doesn’t mean you need to live a cramped life!
