Making the most of a small space: Aggrandise your apartment
Sam Prusek of Building Architecture Magazine discusses how to make the most of small interiors and make them feel larger
This is a guest post by Sam Prusek of Building Architecture Magazine
Whether this is your humble first home, you are an impoverished student, or are renting a city pad for work, cramming into small spaces has become the norm as the population grows and house prices continue to go up. But who says that size should sacrifice style? There are plenty of different ways to make a small room seem bigger.
One of the best ways to make it seem like there is more space is to hang large mirrors. Mirrors that are strategically placed to reflect light work exceptionally well if the room is painted in a light colour. Be creative with where you might hang such a large object; you might find that if you incorporate a mirrored surface into a functioning part of your rooms such as a door, a cupboard, or even a table top, then you can save even more space.
Furniture that multitasks can be a game changer when it comes to making efficient use of your space. Big brands such as IKEA have cottoned on to the situation of many of today's homeowners who are short on space. Choose a bed that has built-in storage, or even folds away into the wall so that the room may double as a living space by day. Ottomans are similarly good pieces to invest in that work well as foot rests, coffee tables, and benches while simultaneously hiding away all that clutter and looking decorative! Demilune tables or dining tables with removable leaves are also a great way to economise on space, cleverly halving in size when not needed. Also consider buying a table with built in drawers for more subtle storage space.
If you do not have space for stacks of furniture, do not feel that you need it to hide away your belongings. Easy to install and affordable bracket shelving is versatile, minimalist, and a great way to show off your possessions in a way you might not have imagined before. Put your clothes on show on your walls for a tactile style statement. Show off your culinary taste with shelves of fun jars and tins containing spices, pasta, pickles, and so on for an eye-catching display in the kitchen. Whatever you hang or shelve on your walls, it is bound to become a talking point.
Artist William Morris advised that one should have nothing in one's home, 'that is neither beautiful nor useful', so why not make things both?
If you have high ceilings disproportionate to the size of your room, try building a gallery to maximise your space. You don't even need to worry about the footprint that stairs leading up to the gallery might take up, as foldaway ladders are widely available and create a fun, convertible element to your home - a secret stairway if you will.
Do not shy away from investing in a larger piece of furniture that you have your heart set on, often lots of little pieces will make a room appear more crowded than one sleek, statement table or sofa. Make use of the insides of your cupboard doors, you can buy easy to fit wire racks or fabric pouches some of which are surprisingly stylish. Small rooms can end up being just used for storage but with the right signature piece and a few support pieces you can make the most of your small space.
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