Size isn’t everything when it comes to interior design and you can create beautiful, character-filled rooms, even if they’re on the smaller side. Focussing on kitchens and bedrooms with reduced footprints, this guide will help you maximise small spaces in your home and use every inch available.
Let’s kick things off with the bedroom.
Maximise space in small bedroom areas
Bedroom furniture isn’t just about comfort and style. It’s about making the most of your bedroom and using a bit of creativity, especially if space isn’t abundant. Let’s explore how to maximise space in small bedroom areas with furniture and design choices.
1. Try a multipurpose dressing table
A dressing table is a must for lots of people, but it can take up a fair bit of space. To get around this, use your dressing table for multiple purposes, with a vanity mirror for your morning makeup and space for a laptop for working from home. You can also sit and relax at your vanity table, write in your journal, or plan the week if you don’t devote it to simply getting ready.
The perfect multipurpose vanity table will have additional storage like concealed drawers that keep your makeup products readily available but not in plain sight.
2. Choose visible legs
Visible legs on your bed, sofa, and chairs give the illusion of space as opposed to furniture options that go all the way to the floor. You can also utilise the space underneath your bed as storage but keep items towards the centre, so they don’t spill out onto the open floor space.
3. Watch the corners
Lots of people ignore corners when picking their bedroom furniture which is the downfall of many small spaces. Utilising corners is a novel and practical way to maximise space in smaller rooms, and corner shelving units and cupboards can add a stylish piece of functionality to your bedroom.
4. Underbed storage
Underbed storage is a tried and tested way to maximise space in small bedroom spaces. If you can’t fit drawers under your bed, add boxes that match your room’s colour scheme to store seasonal clothes, bedding, and anything else you have lying around but don’t use.
5. Go for multipurpose storage
A storage chest can be used to store blankets and linen, but it can also be used as a footrest and coffee table to save space and not over-furnish your bedroom. A daybed could be a sofa during the day and somewhere to sleep at night, too, and you can buy or make a headboard with built-in storage shelves to hold books, plants, and keepsakes.
You can also add shelves to higher areas, close to the ceiling if you have a box room, where you keep clothes and other things you don’t often use. Store items in baskets or boxes on these hard-to-reach shelves to keep things tidy and in sync with the rest of your decor.
Maximise small spaces in your kitchen
The kitchen is no longer a place for solely preparing food. It’s a place to entertain, unwind, and even enjoy some time alone. Here are some top ways to maximise small kitchen areas:
6. Choose the right table and chairs
Your dining table is the centrepiece of your kitchen and there are lots of clever dining tables for small spaces. You can also maximise space further with barstools that can not only be stored beneath tables and kitchen islands but can look incredibly stylish.
7. Open up to natural light
Natural light breathes new life into any space and makes small kitchens look bigger than they are. To achieve this, keep window dressing simple with no bright colours or over-the-top accessories and remove curtains to let as much light in as possible.
You can also position lights under cabinets and add spotlights around the kitchen to illuminate worktops and give the illusion of more space.
8. Store your utensils
Cutlery and pans are best kept out of sight unless needed, and you can utilise drawers and cupboards to store them. Drawers can be customised to separate utensils, cutlery, and accessories, and cupboards can be used for pans and small appliances to keep them from disrupting your overall aesthetic.
9. Consider open shelving
Open shelving is becoming more popular in small kitchens and can help you maximise storage space effectively. Using a previously unused section of your wall, add statement shelves and place your best ornaments and crockery on them. However, keep them as clean as possible as the enemy of open shelving is clutter.
10. Embrace the larder
Do you like to experiment in the kitchen but struggle to find suitable homes for your spices and ingredients? A larder could well be the answer.
Ideal for kitchens big and small, try to incorporate a larder into cupboards and awkward corners to maximise space. A larder creates a home for the ingredients you don’t use every day in a place that can’t be seen, which helps to reduce mess and clutter.
Another top tip is to add shelving and drawers inside your larder to store even more food, appliances, spices and herbs.
Time to get started!
With various ideas to maximise small spaces in your home, it’s time to implement them. Start with your kitchen and bedroom using your new-found knowledge and move on to understairs toilets before considering larger communal areas like your living room.
