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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Get their look: Compact flat

Compact flat belonging to Satu from Finlandcredit

Satu from Finland is the owner of this compact flat. She goes by the moniker, 31m2, the floor area of her home. It may be small however, she fits a lot in without it looking cramped or cluttered.

In her Instagram bio, she describes her style as Scandinavian, bohemian, rustic. She has a distinct style using a neutral palette and natural materials. She’s very into DIY decorating, adorning all manner of surfaces with attractive mandala motifs – some drawn freehand, others made using stencils.

She and her husband spend a lot of time in Turkey – a country whose influence is very much in evidence in their home décor.

  1. Personalised map of Istanbul
  2. Mandala stencil
  3. Starburst mirror
  4. ‘Hodor’ print by Patricija Dacic
  5. Rhia tribal necklace
  6. ‘White Russian’ print by Patricija Dacic
  7. Wooden bead garlands
  8. Kara shell ball
  9. Moroccan bowl, stripe
  10. Embroidered cushion
  11. Uta bowl

Get their look: Compact flat | H is for Home

Get their look

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Maklak tassel cushion, white
Maklak tassel cushion, white
Wooden bead garlands
Wooden bead garlands
Mandala stencil
Mandala stencil
Starburst mirror
Starburst mirror
Moroccan bowl, stripe
Moroccan bowl, stripe
Rhia tribal necklace
Rhia tribal necklace
Kara shell balls
Kara shell balls
Uta bowl
Uta bowl
Personalised map of Istanbul
Personalised map of Istanbul
‘White Russian’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘White Russian’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘Hodor’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘Hodor’ print by Patricija Dacic
Maklak tassel cushion, white
Maklak tassel cushion, white
Wooden bead garlands
Wooden bead garlands
Mandala stencil
Mandala stencil
Starburst mirror
Starburst mirror
Moroccan bowl, stripe
Moroccan bowl, stripe
Rhia tribal necklace
Rhia tribal necklace
Kara shell balls
Kara shell balls
Uta bowl
Uta bowl
Personalised map of Istanbul
Personalised map of Istanbul
‘White Russian’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘White Russian’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘Hodor’ print by Patricija Dacic
‘Hodor’ print by Patricija Dacic

Get their look: Teeny tiny bathroom

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Gemma Louise (@gemma_louise_roper)

This teeny tiny bathroom (those are the owner, Gemma Louise’s words – not me being disparaging!) measures a mere 2m x 2m. Despite this lack of space, the room is bright, attractive, functional and orderly.

We’ve recommended many times in the past that if space is limited, make use of the vertical. This is just what Gemma Louise has done; there’s a deep window sill that she’s utilised for storage and decorative terrarium. There’s also a perfectly positioned wall-mounted, extendible mirror for shaving and putting on make up.

The chrome bar beneath the sink is the perfect home for hanging a hand towel – something that’s been done in later photos. Another good clutter-busting action that’s been carried out here is stashing things in attractive storage boxes, bags and baskets. The wicker basket under the sink is probably used to store & hide the spare loo rolls, soap and toothpaste – what do you reckon?

The plain white, floor-to-ceiling subway tiles are the perfect backdrop, giving the illusion that the bathroom is larger than it actually is – and the beautiful floor tiles prove that using large patterns and large sizes in a small area really does work!

  1. Meraki hand soap
  2. FRÄCK mirror
  3. Brown wicker hamper 42cm x 28cm x 18cm
  4. Blooma galvanised oval steel wire basket
  5. Appleby 1700 roll top shower bath with screen + chrome leg set
  6. Keswick traditional 560mm basin & chrome wash stand
  7. Devonstone Grey Feature 33.1cm x 33.1cm floor tile
  8. Wooden bath caddy

Get their look: Teeny tiny bathroom | H is for Home

Get their look

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Wooden bath caddy
Wooden bath caddy
Devonstone Grey Feature 33.1cm x 33.1cm floor tile
Devonstone Grey Feature 33.1cm x 33.1cm floor tile
Keswick traditional 560mm basin & chrome wash stand
Keswick traditional 560mm basin & chrome wash stand
Appleby 1700 roll top shower bath with screen + chrome leg set
Appleby 1700 roll top shower bath with screen + chrome leg set
Blooma galvanised oval steel wire basket
Blooma galvanised oval steel wire basket
Brown wicker hamper 42cm x 28cm x 18cm
Brown wicker hamper 42cm x 28cm x 18cm
FRÄCK mirror
FRÄCK mirror
Meraki hand soap
Meraki hand soap
Wooden bath caddy
Wooden bath caddy
Devonstone Grey Feature 33.1cm x 33.1cm floor tile
Devonstone Grey Feature 33.1cm x 33.1cm floor tile
Keswick traditional 560mm basin & chrome wash stand
Keswick traditional 560mm basin & chrome wash stand
Appleby 1700 roll top shower bath with screen + chrome leg set
Appleby 1700 roll top shower bath with screen + chrome leg set
Blooma galvanised oval steel wire basket
Blooma galvanised oval steel wire basket
Brown wicker hamper 42cm x 28cm x 18cm
Brown wicker hamper 42cm x 28cm x 18cm
FRÄCK mirror
FRÄCK mirror
Meraki hand soap
Meraki hand soap

Get their look: Tiny house kitchen

Get their look: Tiny house kitchen | H is for Homecredit

Did you know that the tiny house movement is a thing? In this age of over-population, shortage of space, through-the-roof house prices and overuse of the planet’s natural resources, scaling down our living habits has become a more and more popular lifestyle option.

This tiny house kitchen, above, is a great example of how we can go about making less of an impact on our environment. This is a micro space that’s big on usefulness and practicality. As with any room that’s compact, utilising the vertical space is a must; keeping stuff off the floor gives a sense of calm and avoids clutter.

There are huge amounts of storage; a near-ceiling, overhead shelf runs the perimeter of the room. There are wall hung racks and shelves, under-sink shelves and window shelves. Vintage wooden boxes and wicker baskets are dotted around the room to hide things away and keep everything tidy.

  1. 20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
  2. Wooden plate rack
  3. Tivoli Model One Bluetooth radio
  4. NORRSJÖN inset sink
  5. FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
  6. Vintage wooden crates

Get their look: Tiny house kitchen | H is for Home

Get their look

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
Vintage wooden crates
Vintage wooden crates
NORRSJÖN inset sink
NORRSJÖN inset sink
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Wooden plate rack
Wooden plate rack
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
Vintage wooden crates
Vintage wooden crates
NORRSJÖN inset sink
NORRSJÖN inset sink
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Wooden plate rack
Wooden plate rack
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
FINTORP dish drainer, black, galvanized
Vintage wooden crates
Vintage wooden crates
NORRSJÖN inset sink
NORRSJÖN inset sink
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Tivoli Model One bluetooth radio
Wooden plate rack
Wooden plate rack
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp
20th C. Factory filament milk glass boulangerie pendant lamp