Tiny homes are slowly becoming a modern phenomenon. More and more people are opting for the comfort of the affordable enclosed sanctuary where they can savour and enjoy their own private space.
With the popularity growing for small homes, so is the need for interior designers making these tiny homes a functional space to live in. Interior artists such as Marie Kondo have helped in crafting unique ideas to turn even the smallest of spaces into a sophisticated living area.
So, whether you’re wanting to perfect your tiny home, or increase the functionality of the unused corner in the living room, we have put together some ingenious ideas for you to use.
Be Resourceful
When space is limited, it would be incredibly wasteful to go out and purchase new, bulky furniture that will only affect the flow and layout of a bedroom.
Instead, be resourceful and purchase multipurpose furniture. For example, use a wooden dining bench, place shelving around the bedroom headboard, or consider a sofa that turns into a bed. It’s not only the space that can be maximized, but the use of your chosen furniture too.
By considering the functionality of the furniture, you can save on surface area, increasing the size of your living space.
By putting up shelves along the wall instead of using a desk or table, you can keep the floor space clear, helping to make the room appear bigger than it is.
Customise Storage
Similarly with wall sconces; creating bespoke and custom storage is a perfect way to maximize all the rooms within the home.
When the furniture is tailored to each sliver of space available, it allows any unique cubby to be transformed into a calming space. From ottoman chairs with room under each pillow to inner wall storage that slides out between a set of cupboards- the choice is essentially your own. Of course there a many creative storage trunks around too.
Utilizing free space in the home to create hidden storage is also a fantastic way to remove objects from surfaces, for a cleaner and tidy feel to your home.
Paint It White
It is a well known fact that your choice of colours can have a huge impact on the appearance and size of the room, making it look either bigger or smaller.
Having pale, light walls allows them to become somewhat reflective, fooling the eye into making the space seem more open and spacious. Brighter rooms look far more inviting too, especially in a very small home. Maximize what is on offer by keeping the colour pallet neutral to make the walls seem farther back, ceilings higher and natural light flourish.
Don’t Keep Clutter
An important occurrence within any home, but especially important to monitor within a small space, is how much clutter is being kept. Keeping simple and useless things in the home is a waste of valuable space; space that we need to try and maximize.
Clutter and miscellaneous items can quickly build up. In drawers, the kitchen cabinets and even the TV stand. These objects can soon take up every free space, as we convince ourselves that one day, they will be used. But, a little insight into the future …they will not!
Therefore, only keep what is most definitely needed, and gets used more than twice a year. The old ornaments from travelling, piles of books and heaps of opened letters can all find new homes. Stack up the keep-sakes and pop them into the loft, and make an effort to throw away exactly what is not needed, and never will be used.
Having things kept neatly out of sight, will allow any room to feel instantly orderly and open.
Keep the walls clear
Avoid covering the walls within the home with an array of images and paintings. While they may look beautiful and compliment the space, it will most definitely make the room feel cramped and small.
Leaving all walls uncovered allows for an optical illusion to be created, as the eye is not drawn to where the room ends. But, placing unneeded pictures on the walls will make it clear exactly where the ending of the room falls and will accentuate how small the space really is.
Not to mention the pictures taking valuable wooden shelving unit space!
Instead, use one large scale piece of artwork to bring personality to the room, but not overcrowd it.
If there’s too much going on, especially on the walls, it can quickly make all the objects seem as though they are fighting for attention. Making an overwhelming and busy atmosphere.
The Effect Of A Well-Placed Mirror
Mirrors are a gift to any small space and can do wonders on making a room appear a lot larger than it truly is.
They work by creating depth in a room. When angled towards a focal point of a space, or an open window, the mirror will reflect what it is seeing. Then, creating an illusion of a far wider area- as the eye cannot contemplate where its reflection is really situated.
A mirror will also work well in reflecting both natural and man-made lighting. This will make any room feel perfectly lit both day and night. This is by the mirror projecting the light around the room. Going hand in hand with pale painted walls, the mirror will bounce the light from itself to the wall, which will then reflect onto the next.
Art deco mirrors work especially well in a small space, as they do not have an ‘ending’. Like glass that you can see through, a mirror will only reflect what it is facing. So, unlike artwork or shelving, the mirror will not draw any attention to the wall while not accentuating an abrupt stop to a room, but almost creates a never-ending reflection.
Lightweight Fabrics
Another attribute that can be brought to a room in order to maximize its space, is to keep the fabrics added a light shade. Using thick, heavy materials for features such as the curtains, this will force all light to be absorbed and ultimately will add weight to the room.
But, focussing on having fabrics that are sheer, light, or even match the colour of the walls, will help to make a room feel light and airy. A sheer fabric drape will add privacy, while still letting light flush through- and natural light is a huge feature into making a room feel bigger.
Choice Of Rug
Having a rug in the home may not take the fancy of many people. But, if it does, then choosing the right style and sized rug is very important in order to maximize the available space.
It will be beneficial to stick to a rug that covers only the main section of floor space, with the underneath still visible around the edge of the rug. This helps to create an illusion that the floor is a lot larger than it is if a rather generous sized rug can fit onto it.
As well as this, keep to a colour scheme that isn’t too dark and bold . The rug isn’t exactly the focal point of the room, so it doesn’t need to be excessive. Also, surprisingly, a patterned rug is a great way to make a space seem larger. For example, a rug that is small in size and with a repeating pattern, this accessory can increase the size of the rug itself, making the floor space appear bigger also.
Light Coloured Flooring
As with colour schemes, the shade of the flooring plays a huge part in either opening or closing the size of a room.
Lightly coloured flooring such as a cool-toned wooden floor can create an illusion of both a longer and wider space. Flooring is an expensive feature in the home, whether it is carpet or wooden flooring. If the shade of the carpet is dark and cannot be replaced, consider throwing light rugs and furniture on top, helping to draw the attention away from the darker colours on the ground.
Summary
Whether you are a university student living in a small home, or a person renting an apartment squeezed above a small shop, then we can understand the challenges that you have, involving the space offered. Maximizing the available space can take a lot of creativity and imagination.
We all aspire to live in a large home with space for all our belongings on show, but early in life this just isn’t the case. Therefore, by taking into consideration the colours, furniture, flooring and storage is a smart decision, and will help in making a small space become a mini-mansion by maximizing everything available.
Any small area can look far larger than it really is with a few coats of paint and a unique idea or two..
Even the smallest of spaces can be transformed into livable, functional areas that give the owner everything needed for a sustainable situation, turning their small home into a relaxing sanctuary.
