Tag: small spaces

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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Tips to help you make a small bathroom feel more luxurious

Tips to help you make a small bathroom feel more luxurious

Having a small bathroom can come with its challenges. You need to make sure that you have enough room for everything without making it feel cluttered, but luckily this is more than possible for you to achieve.

Corner bathroom sinkcredit

Invest in a corner sink

Sometimes a pedestal sink can disrupt the flow of traffic to a bathroom. This can be frustrating to say the least, but there are ways for you to have that picture-perfect bathroom without causing obstruction. A corner sink is great in this instance because they don’t take up much room and they’re still just as luxurious as pedestal sinks. If you can’t have a corner sink for whatever reason, then consider floating the vanity. This will make the bathroom feel bigger and it will also give you plenty of floor space.

White shower curtain

Shower curtains

A lot of people prefer to have glass shower doors in their bathroom because you can swing them open and closed. If you were to invest in a shower curtain instead however, then this will save you a lot of space. There are plenty of luxurious shower curtains out there for you to choose from and when you coordinate it with the other colours in your bathroom, you’ll soon see that you can get a very impressive look.

Bathroom shelf

Shelving

Shelving is great if you have a smaller bathroom. The main reason for this is because it eliminates the need for a cabinet, and it doesn’t compromise on the overall look of your space either. If you want to install a shelf then consider installing one over the cistern. This will not affect the placement, but it will free up the majority of your wall space for other features such as the mirror or even a towel rack.

Bathroom with bold, green patterned wallpapercredit

Wallpaper and paint

When decorating your bathroom, it really does help to use large-scale patterns. Over-size patterns will trick you into thinking that there’s more space than there actually is. If you fancy trying it out, opt for big and bold stripes, florals or other similar designs.

Shower with large shaower head

Shower heads

Believe it or not, the shower head that you have will have a huge impact on the room. Just because you have a small shower doesn’t mean that everything in there has to be small. In fact, sometimes an oversized head can add a sense of purpose and luxury. If you want to find out more about that, look into a Hansgrohe shower to see if you can get some inspiration.

White bathroom with wrap-around mirror

Mirror

If your bathroom is incredibly small, invest in a bigger mirror. This may sound counter-productive, but it can really help to bounce the light that you have around the room. If you want to do this, have the mirror stretch beyond the vanity unit. You might also want to think about having some kind of under-mirror lighting installed as well. This will illuminate the space around the mirror, and it will maximise the enlarging effect that it has on the room.

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