Tag: compact

Get their look: Compact kitchen

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Hayley (@wherehayleylives)

This compact kitchen is a wonderful example of the practice of designing an attractive and practical cooking space that is limited in square footage. We love the way it’s dressed – glass storage jars, utensils in pots, a limited amount of essential equipment and natural foliage dotted about.

The rest of this Sheffield-based house is appealingly decorated using a similar approach – a limited palette, carefully chosen accessories and advantage taken of vertical space. The sense of space is maximised by giving furniture room to breathe and not over cluttering shelves, worktops and other surfaces.

Like this compact kitchen? Go check out the rest of the house on Insta!

Get their look

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David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
Stump teapot, mandarin
Stump teapot, mandarin
White String shelves
White String shelves
Case pendant light, charcoal
Case pendant light, charcoal
David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
Stump teapot, mandarin
Stump teapot, mandarin
White String shelves
White String shelves
Case pendant light, charcoal
Case pendant light, charcoal
David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
David Mellor 5-light Serpentine candle holder, black
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
Le Creuset Kone kettle, meringue
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
IKEA 365+ Jug with lid, clear glass, cork, 1.5L
Stump teapot, mandarin
Stump teapot, mandarin
White String shelves
White String shelves
Case pendant light, charcoal
Case pendant light, charcoal

Getting more for less – space-saving in your home

Getting more for less - space-saving in your home | H is for Home

While we all may dream of living in a mansion with a sprawling mass of space to play around with and make our own, the reality is that you may be stuck with a much smaller home. If you live in a big city, space is often at a premium, and there’s a trade-off between the convenience of being close to the action and the room to spread out in your pad fully.

Getting the most out of your smaller space is something that may take ingenuity and creativity. There are ways of living in more confined homes without allowing your possessions to overwhelm you or to make you feel claustrophobic. Here are a few space-saving ways that you can change your tiny piece of the world into a seemingly more substantial offering.

Wall to wall fitted storage cupboards

Space saving storage solutions

One of the major problems that you’ll face when it comes to living in a smaller property is the amount of space that you’ll have to house your possessions. We amass quite a lot of items in our lifetimes, and over time we barely stop and acknowledge just how much we’ve accumulated. You may not realise this until the time comes to moving into a smaller property. Parting with some items that you may not need will obviously be an option, but finding a longer-term solution to deal with space is more ideal.

Often, floor space is at a premium in a smaller home. By the time your larger items such as beds, sofas and tables are in place, you may not have the space for lots of cupboards and shelves. Think about getting wall units fitted where possible. Bathroom mirror cabinets are great because they serve multiple purposes; storing items and providing a mirror to help you get ready. Mirrors are also great at giving the illusion of more space, which can help a compact space feel bigger.

Look out for beds, sofas and tables that offer storage solutions under them. A well-designed piece of furniture such as this will be able to store a large amount.

Built-in wall units in living rooms and bedrooms can offer floor to ceiling storage for a multitude of different things. With sliding doors that don’t need a lot of space to open, these items won’t be on display either so your home will appear less cluttered and as such less claustrophobic.

Small bedroom with full-length mirror and clothes hanging rail

Light walls create space

Darker rooms will make the walls feel as if they’re closing in on you. Choosing a lighter shade to paint your room will help to create much more of a feeling of space. If possible, go for as much white as possible and try and allow as much natural light into any space as you can.

Find as many sources of light for your home as possible will help to create the impression of there being more space in the house. Avoid using up-lighting as this will create shade underneath, which isn’t ideal. Hanging mirrors on your walls will also help, and if they can reflect some light too, this will make for a brighter home.

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How to maximise living space in your home

How to maximise living space in your home | H is for Home

Is your home feeling a little cramped? Is your family growing and, in turn, out-growing your living space? In this situation, you may start thinking about selling your house and finding somewhere bigger to live. However, a house move is a significant upheaval and isn’t always practical. Moving home is a big expense, and extremely stressful, so before you call the estate agents in, you could look at ways to be more creative with the space that you have and fall in love with your home all over again. Here are some ways to maximise living space in your home without needing to move house.

Clean compact kitchen

Declutter

When you’re used to being in your home every day, you often don’t notice the build-up of clutter. It’s only when you look at it with fresh eyes that you see all the extra stuff lying around the house. It’s surprising just how much space can be created by clearing out items that you no longer need or want.

The idea of decluttering your entire house can feel overwhelming, so it makes sense to do one room at a time. Break the task down further by focusing on different areas of the room to work on. For example, start by decluttering a cupboard so that you then have room to store other items that you want to keep.

The biggest surprise of all is seeing just how much stuff you have that you no longer use! Having a clear-out and decluttering will not only maximise living space but could also make you some cash if you decide to sell it.

Library room in a loft

Renovate

If you love where you live, and the only reason you would consider moving is to gain extra space, why not renovate your existing space instead? Residential Architects will be able to give you lots of ideas on how you could make the best use of the available space in your home, or even extend further. Loft conversions are a popular way of adding extra living space. Additionally, converting your garage into a room could also create an extra room or two to your house.

Cabin bed in a child's attic bedroomcredit

Clever furniture, fixtures and fittings

A lack of space doesn’t need to be a problem; it just requires smarter solutions. To make the most of the space you do have, choose furniture, fixtures and fittings that are either multi-purpose or cleverly designed to save space.

Cabin beds are a great example of this for a kids room as they usually have wardrobes, shelves, desks and drawers underneath, making them perfect for saving floor space in a small bedroom. Beds that feature storage space underneath the mattress are also a brilliant way to gain storage but save on floor space.

If you have a small bathroom, why not have an over the bath shower, rather than a stand-alone separate shower cubicle? Installing a corner sink rather than a pedestal sink is also a great way to save some space in a smaller bathroom.

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How to make a small space way more liveable

How to make a small space way more liveable

Living comfortably in a small home can be hard work. You may find furniture items that you love, but you can’t buy them because you have no room for them. On top of this, you probably don’t even have room for the furniture that you have right now and this can leave your home feeling very cluttered and claustrophobic. If you want to try and turn this around then there are ways for you to make your small space feel open and airy, without compromising on your belongings.

Open shelves high up o a wall

Vertical is the way to go

If you have a small space then it is so important that you be as creative as possible. If you have an area above your cabinets or if you have space above a door, then don’t be afraid to use this for storage. There are always high spaces that you can take advantage of, even in the smallest of properties. You may even want to look into wall hooks as well, as these are ideal if you have high ceilings.

Room divider with open shelving

Make room dividers

Some small spaces require a visual divider to make the space way more liveable. It’s understandable that you can’t put a partition wall up here, because if you did then it would make the space even smaller. For this reason, you should try and use bookcases and other storage units to create a visual separator. This will help you to tame clutter and it will also help you to split up a small room into much more usable areas.

Folded towels and cane storage baskets in a bathroom

Conceal clutter

Believe it or not, being able to see everything can make a space feel even smaller. It can also make it feel incredibly claustrophobic as well. If you can, you should always try to conceal as much of your clutter as possible. Lidded boxes, baskets and even storage towers are great for this, and if you can, you should always look into hidden storage solutions. You’d be surprised at how much this can make a difference to your home and it also means that you don’t have to have a massive clear out either.

Skylight with bright blue sky

Natural light

The more natural light you can let into a room, the better. It doesn’t take a lot to do this either. You can invest in blinds instead of heavy curtains, and you can also try and replace your doors with sliding glass ones. Ultra slim sliding doors are now very easy to come by and they can really let in way more light when compared to any other type of door so they are well worth looking into. If you’re not able to let more natural light into your home, then consider having some additional lighting installed. The more light you have, the bigger your room will look and the more comfortable it will be as well.

Of course, if you have a small space then there are things that you can do to make it feel way more comfortable and when you put the work in to try and make the most out of what you have, you’ll soon see that everything comes together nicely.

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