Life in a small home can be limiting, but it does not have to be with the help of these clever tweaks.
Go for a white palette
As a rule of thumb, white is the best colour to choose for small spaces. By reflecting light to create a bright and airy atmosphere, an all-white interior can trick the mind into thinking that a home is larger than it actually is. Just remember not to go overboard, unless you are aiming for a sterile-looking interior. Instead, throw in splashes of complementary neutrals, such as matte black or brown wooden textures for a more varied look.
Image credit: Hafary
Let in some natural light
While day curtains are most commonly used to shield a home from prying eyes, they can also be used indoors to give tight spaces a light and airy feel. A wall of translucent curtains can make for a game-changing privacy barrier for homeowners with space concerns, as they do not take up as much room as a solid partition or create an impenetrable divide between zones. In addition, their vertical profile can make a small room appear taller by introducing straight lines that extend its height visually.
Image credit: XMSL
Go for a see-through effect
Glass partition panels can serve as see-through physical barriers, and are a great solution if you wish to create an indoors pet enclosure or set up a near seamless divide between the dry and wet zones of a bathroom. As an added advantage, there is absolutely no need to worry about colour coordination for these transparent fittings!
Image credit: Rezt & Relax
Give hidden storage a chance
Concealed storage options are another easy tweak that is worth exploring when planning the layout of a small interior. Apart from cutting back on visual clutter by providing a convenient space to stow away belongings and/or appliances that are not in use, hidden storage options can also double as a point of interest within a home. Pull out a panel of siding shelves that blends into an innocuous-looking wall structure or reveal hidden compartments behind doors when visitors come over and they are bound to be impressed by the ingenuity behind these secret hideaways.
Design by: Wolf Woof
Use mirrors to trick the eye
More than just a simple fixture for checking yourself, mirrors are one of the best furnishings to include in a small home. Apart from serving as beautiful accent pieces with their lustrous surfaces, they are also capable of opening up the look of otherwise claustrophobia-inducing spaces. Place a large floor-length mirror in a tight zone, such as a corridor or small hallway, and it will extend the look of its surroundings by drawing the eyes upwards along its vertical frame.
Image credit: Brim Design
Wrap it around
As the oft-heard saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, it is entirely possible to make the most of out of a small home by taking advantage of its compact space. One way to do this is to maximise your furniture arrangement by adopting a “wrap-around” concept. For instance, it is possible to keep everything in easy reach within a small bedroom by building storage options, such as open compartment racks and storage shelfs, around the perimeter of a bed.
Image credit: White Attic Interior
This was adapted from an article originally published in the March 2017 issue of SquareRooms.
