From great furniture to clever solutions for small spaces, AD shares 11 tips for being creative and stylish.
1.Don’t stop at awkward angles
Old buildings or those that have been renovated and converted to new uses often have slopes and corners. This is the case in buildings that are made by connecting two small rooms or in apartments where separate spaces are combined to create living spaces, such as attics. But don’t let these challenges intimidate you; even these spaces can be used effectively if you use the right method. In the bathroom of a former 430-square-meter apartment in a Parisian attic, a large, round sink fits into an unused corner. A beveled mirror mounted above a vanity gives a bathroom a luxurious hotel feel and makes a small room appear larger.
2.Install Built-In Closets
Farmhouse-style closets, exposed hangers, and open shelving systems are often not suitable for small homes. You’re better off with appliances that fill the entire space from wall to wall and ceiling, allowing you to store your clothes and belongings. If you can change the floor plan of your home, start by figuring out how to reduce wall space. If the wall is particularly thick and load-bearing, it can be converted into storage space with shelves accessible from both sides of the room. Choose
3.furniture that has many functions
This beautiful kitchen is located in the living room and, believe it or not, it is only 270 square meters. The Okumu wooden kitchen islands are not only beautiful, they are also functional. It includes a console table that can be used as a dining table or desk for two or three people. At the end, there was a huge storage box that was too low to sit under the sloping roof.
4.Use translucent partitions to create a room within a room
Even in a small room, it’s a good idea to use translucent partitions to separate different areas (such as cooking, bathing and sleeping). To avoid wearing shoes in small rooms, windows and transparencies are a good way to let the sun shine in the dark. In this small apartment in Kazakhstan, it would be an unusual decision to use some square meters for the laundry room and then provide more space for distribution.
5.Place a pantry behind a sliding door
Nowhere in Europe will you find so many small homes as in Paris. In the living area of this 345-square-metre apartment, the kitchen appliances are placed in a large pocket next to the pantry. The inexpensive built-in IKEA modules provide enough space behind the door to hide the hob, oven, stove, oven and coffee maker. “This allows us to focus on the beauty of the kitchen, which is completely covered in marble, right down to the brass-fixtured sink,” say designers Alexandra Bouthier and Alice Lefebvre.
6.Add extra storage with the kitchen countertop
Looking for extra storage? Check under your couch. You can store many things here, just as you can put together a stool or a sofa. The latter is especially useful in the kitchen and can provide more space than a small box. Since the space under the window is not often used, a bench with drawers (like the one modified here) is a good and practical solution.
7.Find More Sleeping Space
When space is tight, start thinking in terms of cubes rather than square meters. Your approach should mostly be on top, not on the side. It’s easy to build an attic, especially in older homes with high ceilings. Generally speaking, second floors have a bit of a ceiling, so it makes sense to use them as sleeping space, as in this small apartment of just 118 square meters in Berlin. Guests enter the attic via a staircase with wide steps that can be used as both an office and a dining room.
8.Look under the bed for storage.
A trundle bed can be used even in a room without a ceiling, and at first glance you have as much storage space as a larger bed. An improvement would be if the upholstery were painted to match the walls, especially in the dark blue or lime green that furniture designer Kilian Schindler chose for his apartment. After all, a bedroom can also have a beautiful color. But don’t worry, it will look dirty compared to the white model because the clash will be lost in the large drawers.
9.Install a double head on the room divider
The most common way to organize the furniture in the room is to align the wall. But another good idea is to put the bed a little in front of the wardrobe. In the home of interior designer Lucie Socrates, an extra-high headboard acts as a room divider. It’s also a big plus for keeping clothes out of sight when in bed and making the wardrobe space look like a walk-in wardrobe.
10. Use a narrow workspace instead of a large desk
For her, a small space doesn’t necessarily mean small decor, and she covered her small study with photos of giant palm bumblebees. >
11. Install curtains to create a sense of space.
A similar idea to tip number 9 – placing the bed in front of the bedroom – also works in the living area. The furniture doesn’t have to be back to back and can often be placed side by side
