Living in tight quarters – here’s how you can make the most of your space!

Living in tight quarters isn’t the easiest. If you live in a really small space, it can easily get you down, but it’s important to remember that whether there’s a small room in your home or your entire living quarters could do with some sort of expanding, here are a few things to get you inspired.

De-clutter first

It’s not necessarily something we like to do, but it’s so important for us to get into the habit of de-cluttering regularly. Because de-cluttering means removing things from your life that don’t serve any purpose, but also it means removing things that are not serving a purpose in your home space and giving it a home. You may have a lot of items that have sentimental value but are taking up a lot of space. So either give them pride of place in your home or put them into a self storage facility. This is not just a good habit to get into, but when you start to de-clutter, it makes you appreciate what you have and gives purpose to your life.

Add more ‘walls’

While we can’t magically install new walls, shelving units are great ways for you to make the most of space, especially if you have lots of books and possessions that impinge on your space. Open shelving units can create privacy and add a dash of personality to the space.

Make the most of every surface

When you’re living in a tight space, any item that’s classed as a surface can be a perfect opportunity to start storing items. For example, a bulky radiator can be the perfect opportunity to install a shelving unit above it. Of course, it’s important to make sure that you do it safely. When you start to use any surface as an opportunity for storage or a statement piece, it’s a great way to retrain your brain. Rather than thinking that you’re hemmed in, you have a lot more opportunity to put your personal items on display.

Use taller furniture

If your bed is really low, consider upgrading it so you have more opportunities for storage. It’s no secret that under-bed storage is the treasure trove for most, but if you want to get more storage, you need to make your bed a bit taller. The same thing applies to the sofa. There’s nothing quite like a tall sofa to make you feel cosier and comfier, and while you’re at it, you can put a few extra items beneath. Just be sure to get under there and dust on a regular basis.

There are so many things that you can do to improve your living when we are in a small space. Making your home look more spacious isn’t a fantastic psychological trick, but storage, de-cluttering and making the most of every surface won’t just guarantee your space feels better. However, you’re tackling the problem with a multitude of solutions; a small space doesn’t have to feel small any longer.

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Making your living room look bigger

If there’s one room in the home that has many purposes it’s the living room. It’s home to the Christmas tree, toys, pets, the sofa, most likely the telly – and where visitors will sit and talk for hours.

It’s a multi-purpose room and because of that, tends to be a room packed with storage, furniture and people. It’s a lot!

Even a well-sized living room can feel small if there’s a lot in it; and, who doesn’t want a room to feel bigger? Living rooms need to keep their cosy feeling, and you can do just that.

The following tips will help you make your living room look bigger and more spacious without compromising on the cosy feeling.

Sizing

You may assume that if you have a smaller living room, you should only have small furniture. The issue is that the small furniture will actually make the room feel smaller. Due to the proportions of things like the sofa and the storage, the room looks smaller.

Opting for lots of smaller items might actually make the room feel more cluttered rather than well put together and in proportion. So what’s the solution?

Well, it’s choosing some slightly larger items like a large sofa – but in the same colour palette as the rest of the room. The similarity in the colours means that the sofa – while large – won’t dominate the room and feel too sizable.

If you choose to have a large sofa, keep the rest of the room well-proportioned so it doesn’t feel overbearing. Keep in mind that chunky cushions will make the room look smaller, but a couch with sleek seating will look more well-proportioned, even when the same size.

Flooring

While many people love to have a carpeted floor because it can feel cosy underfoot, vinyl floor tiles that look like wood can make a huge impact. They make the room look more prominent and are typically easier to clean.

Instead of carpeting the whole room, find a rug that works with the dimensions of your room and use that as the little bit of underfoot cosy – or just as an eye-catching feature.

Matching the rug to your other room textiles like curtains sofa and cushions can give the room a great feeling of cohesiveness too. A simple and impactful change that can even help with the upkeep of the room.

Walls

In general, and for no real reason, we push our furniture against the walls. However, flipping through an interior design magazine or inspirational photos, you’ll notice that the furniture is often placed away from the walls.

There’s a belief that putting your furniture against the wall creates more space in the middle of the room. But that big space in the middle isn’t doing what we think. Instead, move things a few inches away from the wall.

Those extra inches give the impression of more space in the room and give the effect of airiness, making the room feel bigger. Try moving some of the items away from the wall and see which pieces of furniture create the most impact.

Another note on the walls is that they’re primed and ready to be more than a backdrop to the rest of the room. You can add large statement pieces and use strategically placed mirrors to make the room feel instantly larger and brighter.

Hanging plants with long tendrils can give some vertical length to the wall, or taller plants can bring the eye up and increase how high the walls appear.

Legs

Any furniture which has legs allows us to see the floor beneath it. This ultimately means the room feels more significant, and the floor space remains obvious and on show. So if you’re considering new furniture, opt for styles on legs and allow for some of the ground below to be viewed.

Light

Natural light is one of the best ways to make a room feel larger. Use it to light up all of the darker corners. If there are places that the natural light doesn’t hit, take note and illuminate those using table or floor lamps.

Ceiling pendant lighting, while functional, can often detract from the spaciousness you’re trying to achieve. All of the areas left in the shadows will give the impression of a smaller room.

Ghosts

The idea ofintroducing ghosts to your living room might not be the most welcome. However, ghost furniture is clear; and transparent furniture like Perspex or safety glass will allow light, and eyes, to travel around the room with ease.

Clear furniture doesn’t take up any real visual space and can help you achieve your goal of a larger living room.

Are you on the quest to find your perfect living room? Check out: 4 steps to creating the perfect living room – H is for Home Harbinger.

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The delicate art of interior zoning

Due in large part to the fact that our homes have been host to work, play and everything between over the past two years, an interior trend labelled ‘zoning’ has risen very quickly up the ranks to become a designer essential. As its name suggests, this is a relatively simple design focus that prioritises the segmentation of either rooms or open-plan set-ups to better ensure attractive functionality. That all sounds great, but how exactly can you make interior zoning work for you when you’re next designing a space with these modern requirements in mind?

# 1 – Develop clearly defined spaces

Zoning is all about defining spaces, making this, in itself, a logical first step for better enabling the management and oversight of your interiors. The modern, multi-functionality of most rooms especially requires a clear understanding of what you need from each space and how you can more clearly separate those functions. Let’s say, for instance, your spare room is doubling up as your office – the spilling over of office equipment/documents onto your side tables and guest bed will quickly unravel your interiors and the usage of this room in general. By comparison, a zoned approach that ensures all office paraphernalia remains on one clearly defined wall, enabling multi-functionality to operate harmoniously, ensuring that you get more from this space and saving you from having to scramble to get the room sorted out every time a guest overnights.

# 2 – Implement semi-partitions

Setting clear spaces in your mind can be a huge help for getting started, but visible partitions are perhaps the most effective and attractive way to bring zoning to life. Semi-partitions as seen most commonly in restaurants and offices are perhaps the most practical option here and can include features like low-cut kitchen islands, carefully designed gas fireplaces or even straightforward, well-placed bookshelves. The ability of these partitions to segment living spaces (e.g. no more dirty pots & pans on show in the living room!) can prove especially beneficial with open-plan living, making it far easier to draw design distinctions between connection and privacy.

# 3 – Segment lighting circuits

Zoning most often refers to interior choices on the ground, but lighting also deserves a mention when it comes to open plan set-ups. Individual circuits that allow you to light each zone in turn are especially imperative for creating a more segmented living space that enables comfortable, appealing functionality wherever you need it without drawing attention to zones that you’re not using at the time. This is especially important in small spaces such as open-plan kitchen set-ups, where placing seating and cooking areas on separate circuits can create the impression of space, while easily hiding mess that will detract from eating ambience and vice versa.

Zoning is only set to become more popular over coming years as our homes continue to become more multifunctional spaces. Make sure that you’re at the forefront of this trend by taking these steps to perfect the art of interior zoning in no time.

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How to make your home all cosy this winter

Now that the cold weather has arrived and we are heading towards winter, it’s nice to make your home all cosy as well. This will make your evenings so much more enjoyable. In order to do that you need some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. Here are some examples of what you can do to make your home more cosy in preparation for winter.

Install a fireplace

Having a real fire installed where you can cosy up on the sofa with your other half and keep your feet all warm and toasty is very comforting in the winter months. If you have an existing fireplace, you would need to do is get the chimney breast opened up, line the flue and include a grate so that you can burn logs to make a nice fire. You can then have some lovely relaxing, warm evenings sitting by the fire reading a good book with a hot drink or glass of wine in hand.

If you’re considering this, you might want to check out antique fireplaces for some inspiration. They could add a touch of elegance and charm to your home.

Check your heating works efficiently

The last thing you want is to have problems with your central heating when it gets cold. Carrying out regular maintenance checks and ensuring that all your radiators work as they should will make all the difference. This is something you can easily remedy by using a radiator key to bleed them so that any trapped air can escape. This keeps them in good condition and will ensure they heat up fully and efficiently.

Upgrade your windows

When you have the central heating on, you don’t want it to simply escape out of the windows, so it’s important to regularly check on their condition. If you notice that there are small cracks appearing on the woodwork then it might be time to repaint the frame or replace the actual windows. This will be particularly important if you have old style windows that are not double glazed and you begin to feel a draught inside. New windows will help keep your home cosy and warm this winter.

Buy some new furniture

If some of the rooms in your home are feeling a little tired and run down then it might be that you need to revamp the look with some new furniture. Online home decor stores and shops can be really useful when you want to update the look and feel of your home without having to physically go to the shops and spend hours looking around, deciding what to purchase.

Add throws and cushions to your sofa/bed

To get yourself even more cosy when you are sat on the sofa in the evenings, you could include a variety of soft cushions and throws so that you can wrap yourself up in the comfy fabrics and keep yourself warm.

Include accessories

A variety of accessories makes all the difference when it comes to decorating your home. Items like vases of flowers, personalised photos, wall art and lamps can really improve the overall look of the room and make it much more cosy and homely. So it is definitely worth investing in these kinds of pieces to change your house into a home.

Paint the room a warm colour

To create a cosy and warm setting, you can paint the walls in a nice warm shade. Colours like soft yellows, reds, and oranges are good shades to go for if you want to create a warm atmosphere. Paired with the correct lighting it will create a nice warm setting in which you can relax.

Choose the correct lighting

To give your home that warm, inviting glow, it helps if you choose the correct light fixtures and lighting to go with it. Opting more eco-friendly, energy efficient light bulbs that emit a gentle warm tone will make your living room or bedroom much more cosy and inviting. So that can certainly make a difference to the overall feel of the room.

Utilise soft rugs as furnishings

If you have hardwood or laminate flooring in your home it will be much more cosy when you are walking around barefoot to include some soft rugs. This adds a level of softness and warmth to your cold flooring.

Overall if you are a bit organised and can afford to spend a few pennies, you can certainly make your home more comfortable and warm in preparation for the winter season.

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