Design Tips for Small Spaces

Design Tips for Small Spaces

Category Expert Insight

Design Tips for Small SpaceS

Small space? No problem.

Seeff Properties shares 10 small house interior design ideas to help you make the most of your space .

Idea 1: Closed Cupboards And Cabinets

Cabinets and cupboards with their doors closed will give off the appearance of a tidy, spacious home. Even if your belongings tumble out the moment you open the doors.

Having glass cabinets will make the room feel bigger as they give the interior more depth. Closing doors will hide all utensils and personal belongings from view. This way, the room will appear to be free of clutter and less busy.

Idea 2: Vertical Furniture

In a small house, furniture is often the most difficult element to accommodate. That is why we recommend having vertical furniture.

Horizontal bookcases or cabinets easily take over a lot of wall space and protrude at awkward angles. Vertical furniture utilises an area that would otherwise be wasted - the ceiling and the highest part of the wall that merges with the ceiling.
 

Narrow, streamlined furniture such as a tall cabinet, tall mirror or tall cupboard will be able to store your belongings while taking up minimal floor or wall space. Vertical furniture also emphasises a room's height. This can make the room look bigger than it actually is.

Idea 3: A Statement Piece

While designing your small space, you want to avoid interior elements that will overwhelm your small home. But, at the same time, you do not want your home to appear dull and uninspired.

Your solution? Showcasing a statement piece.

Big furniture stifles a room, having one or two bigger furniture pieces - like a couch - will make an eye-catching statement without cluttering your entire home.
 

In a small home, every interior element matters, and windows are a great design opportunity. Whether it is a particular paint colour, intricate details on window frames, or stunning patterns on blinds or curtains, windows can also be the statement piece in your tiny home.
 

Artwork is an obvious statement piece. It will bring colour and life into your small home. Just as vertical furniture, it can also make use of higher-up wall space that would otherwise be left empty.

Idea 4: Clear The Floor

Your tiny house needs floorspace. Whether you keep tripping over books and clothes or knocking your elbows on the edge of bookcases and tables, your floor needs to be clear of decor and furniture so that you can move around with ease.

Choose floating bookshelves over bookcases. Opt for a floating desk. Choose furniture that takes up wall space instead of floorspace.
 

Declutter your house. Pick up clothes, ornaments, blankets and cushions, anything that happens to end up on your floor that does not need to be there.

Idea 5: Pendant Lighting

Lots of bright, white lighting can make your small house appear bigger. But even lamps and big overhead lights can take up space. That's why pendant lighting is so useful.

Pendant lighting is elegant, and it creates a focal point. They are also available in a variety of styles and are a popular lighting option in 2021.

Idea 6: Reflective Materials

A trick to making your small house appear bigger is to use mirrors and other reflective materials.

Glass cabinets, glossy paint, light colours and polished metals all reflect light and make a room feel spacious. Glass cabinets, in particular, draw your gaze into the cabinet and thus give the appearance of depth.

Use mirrors to imply spaciousness. You can attach them to the back of doors, to your walls, in your bathroom and bedroom, and even incorporate them into furniture (like a desk, or bookshelf).

Idea 7: Round Tables

One of the interior designs trends (for real estate everywhere) is curved furniture. It softens a room.

A great dining room idea is using small, round tables which is a space saving alternative to a long dining room table. They are also cute, homely and encourage more intimacy and conversations between people.

The best aspect of a round table: there are no sharp edges so people are able to change seats with ease or walk past it without getting caught - or hurt - on corners.

Idea 8: Multifunctional Storage Solutions

Choose furniture that serves multiple purposes. This is a worthwhile storage solution because it ensures that you only need a few pieces of furniture in your home.

A chair can double-up as a place to sit at your desk and also a bedside table.
 

Storage units can be built below or above your bed. As opposed to buying a separate chest of drawers, you could use free-standing storage boxes and then slide them under your bed for extra space.
Install shelves or drawers below your kitchen counter, desk, or even couch.

Idea 9: Light, Neutral Colour Palette

Light, neutral colours make a tiny home feel airy and spacious. Neutral colours will also create a calming sense of flow throughout your home. Making use of lighter colours will reflect light which will keep your home from feeling claustrophobic.

A neutral colour palette is more attractive to buyers, too. So, if you decide to sell your real estate property, this will work in your favour.

Bold, saturated colours still have their place. You can use them as accents, or for statement pieces and keep the rest of your colour palette neutral and light.

Idea 10: In A Tiny House, Declutter!

There's no substitute for decluttering your small home to make the most of the space.

Ask yourself what pieces of furniture you can remove, which items of decor are no longer serving any purpose, and what aspects of the home are worth renovating to make a more functional and practical living space.

Do a thorough cleanout. Get rid of clothes, decor, kitchen utensils and anything else which have not been used in years.
 

Author: Kim Bekker