Making the Most of Your Space: Smart Design for Small Homes 

Designing for small spaces isn’t about compromise or sacrifice, it’s about maximising your home’s potential and using hidden opportunities to create an innovative and creative space.

Whether you are living in a box apartment or simply just want to make better use of your space, smart design principles can help you to completely transform your home and take advantage of every square inch of space.

The following guide will provide you with 4 innovative strategies and creative solutions to maximise space in your small home.

Key Principles of Small-Space Design

To effectively execute small-space design it is important to consider the following key principles:

Multifunctionality: Furniture pieces that serve multiple purposes are beneficial for providing added storage space in a small home. Footstools, sofas and beds with built-in storage can provide easy access storage for a clutter free space.

Vertical Thinking: Utilising free wall space for storage can be a great way to maximise the appearance of space in your home, whilst providing style and striking decorative features.

Light and Colour: Brightness and colour schemes are an easy way to extend the appearance of space in your home on a budget. Reflective surfaces and mirrors, coupled with light wall colours, work hand in hand to create the illusion of a bigger, brighter space.

Decluttering and Minimalism: Keeping an organised home will help to minimise clutter in your space, which is essential in providing an open and airy feel.

Smart Layouts and Floor Plans

Open floor plans are an obvious choice for creating an airy and spacious feel within your home. Breaking down unnecessary walls will help to bring as much natural light into your space as possible and allow your interior to flow freely.

Although walls and dividers can be helpful for creating multiple zones in your interior, they can also make your space feel more cramped and confined. By using rugs, lighting and furniture placement you can successfully create different zones, without the need for barriers. For instance, positioning your sofas facing one another and away from the dining room, will help to distinctly separate the two spaces and create the ideal area for socialising.

However, if you do wish to use dividers within your space then make sure to opt for flexible dividers. Incorporating folding screens, curtains or sliding doors within your space will allow you to temporarily define zones within your interior as you see fit.

Furniture Strategies

Thoughtfully chosen furniture can be a great way to maximise space within a small home. Choosing pieces that are multi-functional and designed to enhance the illusion of space can go a long way in making a small room appear more open and spacious.

Furniture pieces with hidden storage solutions are a great opportunity for maximising space within your home. For instance, under bed storage is ideal for a clutter free bedroom as it offers an area for storing towels, bedsheets, winter duvets, clothing and so on. Additionally, within a living room hidden storage can be used within footstools to store extra blankets and cushions, perfect for a cosy night in. Some sofas have built-in storage solutions for hiding miscellaneous items like TV remotes, that can be unsightly when left on display.

Additionally, for a stylish approach to maximising space it is a good idea to incorporate furniture pieces with reflective surfaces. Mirrored glass surfaces are ideal within small rooms as they reflect natural light to make it feel lighter and brighter.

Clever Storage Ideas

The majority of small homes have limited storage space which can typically result in a cluttered and cramped space. Therefore, if you wish to maximise storage space in a small property it is important to be smart and come up with innovative solutions.

Start by considering underutilised areas of your home, for instance, under the stairs, below windows and above doors are areas that are typically never used to their full potential. For a more permanent solution you can create a closed off storage area under your stairs, this will provide a large area of space for storing hoovers, ironing boards, cleaning supplies and so on.

Vertical storage is an easy way to optimise space within a small home, whilst freeing up the floor area to create a more open and airy feel. Wall mounted cabinets, floating shelves and wall hooks, are all easy to install and provide ample room for storing miscellaneous items and decorative pieces. In addition, floating shelves in particular can double up as a great decorative aspect in your space, by displaying artwork, ornaments, plants and so on.

Design Tips for Visual Spaciousness

Lighting is a key element of interior design that can be used to visually enhance the appearance of space. Ultimately, natural lighting is the preferred choice for creating an open and airy interior, but within small homes natural lighting can be limited. A layered lighting approach is best for illuminating a space whilst providing depth, this can be achieved by using a mixture of wall and ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps, that can be utilised for different tasks and purposes.

One of the most effective strategies for creating visual spaciousness within a home is through the use of consistent flooring. Aside from walls and ceilings, flooring takes up one of the largest expanses of space within a home so it’s important to make sure it flows freely throughout your space.

Different flooring in every room can break up the space and create harsh visual divides that shrink the appearance of your interior. Incorporating a consistent light-coloured flooring within your home creates a seamless and unified look that helps the space appear larger and more cohesive.

Effectively maximising space in a small home comes down to using smart and innovative design strategies that balance functionality, style and comfort. By considering open-plan floorplans, smart furniture strategies, clever storage ideas and visual spaciousness, you can be sure to create an open and airy interior no matter the size of your property.