8 Interior Design Ideas for Small Spaces
We all have that one small space in our house that is awkward to work with and is filled odd bits of furniture in or ends up as the ‘junk room’.
But just because you have a small room doesn’t mean that it is just dead space. There’s quite a lot you can do to make those smaller rooms unique. Here are eight interior design ideas to make the most of your small space:
Give It a Purpose
Our first idea is probably the most important one; give your space a purpose. If you have an unused space on the landing, could it be a cosy seating area? Do you want to turn your junk room into a spare bedroom or a playroom or maybe a cinema room?
The purpose of the room is always the starting point. When designing a room, keep the purpose in mind so that you can make the most of the space for your family.
Down-scale Your Furniture
When choosing furniture for the room, you’ll need to make sure it will fit within the space nicely.
One way to make an area feel larger is to down-scale. By that, we mean by reducing the size of each piece of furniture. Choosing furniture with legs will also help to give the sense of space by creating the feel of more floor space with the furniture lifted off the floor slightly.
Keep the Clutter to a Minimum
You can make a big difference to a room by reducing visible clutter. You don’t have to become a full-on minimalist where the room doesn’t look lived in; it just means keeping your ornaments etc. well thought out so that you don’t have everything on display.
A great way to achieve this is by having lots of storage. Make the most of storage within footstools, side tables or even consider building your own fitted storage to make the most of every square inch of the room.
Functional Furniture
De-cluttering is essential, but the same principle should also be applied to furniture. Having unnecessary furniture in a room will take up space that could otherwise be utilised. Try to stick with the critical functional pieces that are needed. Only if there is still room left may you consider any additional furniture. Remember, open space makes the room feel larger; avoid the urge to use every bit of space available.
Fitted Furniture
Having furniture or storage built-in is a great way to save space and make the most of the features of a room.
If you have a chimney breast, consider building in some storage either side of it. You’ll get maximum storage per square meter, and it can help the room feel better proportioned, which will make it feel larger. Likewise, consider having bench seating in a dining room; it can look beautiful and reduces the amount of space needed to get up from the table. Another great idea is a window seat; they create a lovely cosy spot and can double up as extra storage by hollowing out the bottom.
Natural Light
Natural light is so vital in any room but especially in smaller spaces. Keep window dressings nice and light to maximise the amount of natural light coming into the room. Consider having a large mirror on one of the walls to help bounce the natural light around the room too.
Pocket Doors
It can be challenging to fit all of your pieces of furniture into a room when you consider the space needed for the door to open as well. Why not look at putting in a pocket door instead? You can get pocket doors with glazing in which helps feed natural light from outside of the room. They slide into the wall, so there is no room needed for a clunky door to swing open. Win, win!
Embrace the Smallness
Finally, embrace the size of the room. Small rooms work brilliantly for a cosy sitting area or a snug library. You can create drama brilliantly in smaller spaces with the use of rich colours that would otherwise be too daunting in a larger room, and these can end up being the best room in the house. You don’t need to paint the walls white and keep it all airy if that isn’t the feel you want to achieve.
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For more interior design tips and ideas, why not check out some of our other blogs?