As John McGrath noted in his newsletter, The House of the Future, ‘The move to minimalism is resulting in smaller, simpler homes…’, which means interior design trends will also start to focus on maximising the space available. Whether you have a large home with just the one small space or live in a smaller home, these tips and tricks will help you to style these spaces so they are just right.
Bedroom
If you have a small bedroom but prefer cosiness over clutter, decorating your room with lighter colours will help to keep it feeling open and not claustrophobic. Using white as the main colour in your room is practical as it invites light but also allows you to experiment with splashes of colour so the room still has some personality. To keep it from feeling clinical add textures and layers of different shades of white, we love a chunky knit throw rug to warm things up for autumn.
If you’re wanting to maximise floor space, position the bed in one corner of your room as opposed to the centre. Not only will your sleeping space feel all the more cosier it also allows you to include more furniture or storage options on your bedroom so you can store away any extra clutter.
If you’re really stuck for storage, opt for a bed with drawers or with a storage system underneath.
Living room
There’s no magic spell to make your living room larger, but there are styling hacks that can make it feel larger. The first step, and arguably, the hardest is to remove all clutter. Get rid of items that have no purpose in your living room, that way you can work with a ‘clean slate’. If you’re lucky enough to have lots of natural light pouring into your living room don’t block it out with heavy curtains. Instead, choose a curtain, shutter or drape in a lighter shade so even if you do need to block the sun you can still maximise the light exposure.
If you love the idea of creating an intimate space, run with the idea of making it cosy and snug by keeping your seating arrangements close together, include a nice plush rug, throw cushions and a coffee table. This way your living room will remain functional and still have all comforts a larger space can afford. If you don’t have space for a coffee table you can opt for ottomans which can also be easily stored away when you have guests over.
Everything else
What about the rest of the house? Don’t worry we aren’t finished yet! If you’re one to work from home but don’t want to commit too much space to your home office, go for a wall-mounted desk you can fold out of the way.
Be smart about lighting by using pendant lights or lighting fixtures as opposed to floor lamps as they are just another object taking up floor space. Pendant lights also allow you to add an extra touch of style whilst maximising the usability of a room.
Mirrors can help you to create the illusion that a room looks larger than it actually is and work to reflect natural light around rooms that don’t have much exposure to light.
Finally, we all know a great rug ties a room together so make sure you go big here, a small rug will only make a room feel even smaller. Try to pick a rug large enough so all or most of your furniture will fit on it (think in your lounge room particularly). This will help to make the space feel bigger and also help you to position your furniture so it isn’t taking up any more room than it needs to.
Donna Etchells - McGrath Estate Agents 