Small Space Solutions From People Who’ve Been There, Done That
Take a look at how designers have used smart planning to transform these far-from-roomy interiors
If you want to make the most of a small property, it pays to learn from others. We’ve scoured our Houzz Tours and picked out some of the best ideas to help you plan your space and maximise every centimetre.
Use the space below a window
When we’re positioning furniture, we often use walls with uninterrupted surfaces and tend to ignore the ones with windows on them. However, if you want to maximise space, consider using the area below a window. In this open-plan flat, designer Amit Malhotra of Aflux tucked a sofa bed into the window alcove. It fits neatly below the sill to create a sunny seating area that transforms into a sleeping zone when guests stay over.
Take our tour of this elegant two-bed flat
When we’re positioning furniture, we often use walls with uninterrupted surfaces and tend to ignore the ones with windows on them. However, if you want to maximise space, consider using the area below a window. In this open-plan flat, designer Amit Malhotra of Aflux tucked a sofa bed into the window alcove. It fits neatly below the sill to create a sunny seating area that transforms into a sleeping zone when guests stay over.
Take our tour of this elegant two-bed flat
Build out walls for extra storage
Want to fit a cupboard into a small room? How about borrowing space from the room next door? That’s just what designer Irina Townsend of Keir Townsend did in this central London pied-à-terre.
Either side of the sofa, Townsend built out the walls to create room for two wardrobes in the adjacent bedroom. The protruding surfaces have made a cosy niche for the sofa. “In such a compact flat, there was a lot of give and take,” Townsend told us.
Feeling the squeeze? Discover more small space ideas in this Kensington apartment
Want to fit a cupboard into a small room? How about borrowing space from the room next door? That’s just what designer Irina Townsend of Keir Townsend did in this central London pied-à-terre.
Either side of the sofa, Townsend built out the walls to create room for two wardrobes in the adjacent bedroom. The protruding surfaces have made a cosy niche for the sofa. “In such a compact flat, there was a lot of give and take,” Townsend told us.
Feeling the squeeze? Discover more small space ideas in this Kensington apartment
Play with shape in your shower
Slotting your essential sanitary ware into a tiny bathroom can be a challenge, but Olga Alexeeva of interior design firm Black and Milk Residential found the perfect shower solution for this small studio flat. “I didn’t want a square shower enclosure, as you would have been knocking against its corners all the time,” she told us. This diamond-shaped design was the answer, as it protrudes far less into the space and slots neatly into the slim shower tray below. “It saved my life!” laughed Alexeeva.
Find out how this smart studio flat makes the most of its space
Slotting your essential sanitary ware into a tiny bathroom can be a challenge, but Olga Alexeeva of interior design firm Black and Milk Residential found the perfect shower solution for this small studio flat. “I didn’t want a square shower enclosure, as you would have been knocking against its corners all the time,” she told us. This diamond-shaped design was the answer, as it protrudes far less into the space and slots neatly into the slim shower tray below. “It saved my life!” laughed Alexeeva.
Find out how this smart studio flat makes the most of its space
Add some mystery with a false wall
In this cosy cottage, a fireplace provides the focal point in the small living room. To keep the rest of the room neat and uncluttered, Philippa Thorp of Thorp Design devised an ingenious way of hiding the TV. A false wall of books conceals a rise-and-fall mechanism which brings the television out when it’s needed.
5 Ways to Amp Up With False Ceilings
In this cosy cottage, a fireplace provides the focal point in the small living room. To keep the rest of the room neat and uncluttered, Philippa Thorp of Thorp Design devised an ingenious way of hiding the TV. A false wall of books conceals a rise-and-fall mechanism which brings the television out when it’s needed.
5 Ways to Amp Up With False Ceilings
Open up the space
Consider opening up the walls to create a feeling of space. You don’t have to knock the whole wall down – removing just the top half will have the same effect. In this Dublin riverside flat, Dana Kallo of Black Fox Interiors knocked down the top section of wall between the kitchen and living areas. The small area of wall above the sink now acts as a splashback, and the room feels light, airy and much more sociable.
Feeling cluttered? Explore this cosy apartment full of smart storage solutions
Consider opening up the walls to create a feeling of space. You don’t have to knock the whole wall down – removing just the top half will have the same effect. In this Dublin riverside flat, Dana Kallo of Black Fox Interiors knocked down the top section of wall between the kitchen and living areas. The small area of wall above the sink now acts as a splashback, and the room feels light, airy and much more sociable.
Feeling cluttered? Explore this cosy apartment full of smart storage solutions
Squeeze a bed into a nook
When interior blogger Igor Josifovic moved into his one and a half room flat in Munich, he wondered how he would fit everything in. Clever space planning paid off, as well as his ability to make the best of awkward areas. Here, he has embraced the sloping ceiling and turned it into a sleeping nook. By painting the pitched roof a darker colour and hanging plants along it, he’s transformed a tight spot into a lovely retreat. The bed space is separated from the living area by a partial wall, but the mustard yellow bedspread gives it a distinct look of its own.
Check out the rest of this retro chic flat in Munich
When interior blogger Igor Josifovic moved into his one and a half room flat in Munich, he wondered how he would fit everything in. Clever space planning paid off, as well as his ability to make the best of awkward areas. Here, he has embraced the sloping ceiling and turned it into a sleeping nook. By painting the pitched roof a darker colour and hanging plants along it, he’s transformed a tight spot into a lovely retreat. The bed space is separated from the living area by a partial wall, but the mustard yellow bedspread gives it a distinct look of its own.
Check out the rest of this retro chic flat in Munich
Knock two rooms into one
The key to making your home work for you is to think about your needs and how you can meet them. Sometimes that involves making bold decisions, such as turning a coveted two-bedroom flat into a one- bedroom one. The two sleep spaces in this flat were tiny, so Ebba Thott of Sigmar came up with a controversial plan of reconfiguring them to create a large bedroom and walk-in wardrobe.
The wardrobe “could change its role, though, working as an office, a baby’s room or somewhere for guests,” Thott explained. “That’s the way London living is going to go, I think. You may not be able to get the two-bed flat you want, so it’s about making space flexible and making it work for you.”
Tour this small yet stylish Victorian flat boosted by smart design
The key to making your home work for you is to think about your needs and how you can meet them. Sometimes that involves making bold decisions, such as turning a coveted two-bedroom flat into a one- bedroom one. The two sleep spaces in this flat were tiny, so Ebba Thott of Sigmar came up with a controversial plan of reconfiguring them to create a large bedroom and walk-in wardrobe.
The wardrobe “could change its role, though, working as an office, a baby’s room or somewhere for guests,” Thott explained. “That’s the way London living is going to go, I think. You may not be able to get the two-bed flat you want, so it’s about making space flexible and making it work for you.”
Tour this small yet stylish Victorian flat boosted by smart design
Include some luxurious extras
Dressing rooms aren’t just for big houses, as Chicago-based designers Katie and JoAnn Neenan of EM Interiors showed us in their guest bedroom. The sisters removed the doors of an old wardrobe to create this stylish dressing area.
Natural fabric from a local warehouse has been used as curtains to close off the space, and jute baskets provide attractive storage.
Got a tiny bedroom? See how this small sleep space was transformed on a budget
Read more:
Smart Storage Solutions for All Spaces
8 Guaranteed Space Saving Solutions
Tell us:
Have you come up with a clever idea to maximise space in a small property? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments below.
Dressing rooms aren’t just for big houses, as Chicago-based designers Katie and JoAnn Neenan of EM Interiors showed us in their guest bedroom. The sisters removed the doors of an old wardrobe to create this stylish dressing area.
Natural fabric from a local warehouse has been used as curtains to close off the space, and jute baskets provide attractive storage.
Got a tiny bedroom? See how this small sleep space was transformed on a budget
Read more:
Smart Storage Solutions for All Spaces
8 Guaranteed Space Saving Solutions
Tell us:
Have you come up with a clever idea to maximise space in a small property? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments below.
This compact kitchen is used for the owner’s jam-making business, so it had to be extremely functional. The designer, Jasper Middleton, design director of Middleton Bespoke, made the most of every millimetre of space. He even managed to squeeze an island into the room by designing one that measures just 1050 mm x 490 mm. It’s smaller than usual, but still provides an extra work surface and handy storage.
The cabinets here are custom made, but it’s possible to do something similar with freestanding pieces. Be creative and look for slim console tables that can be repurposed as an island, or a narrow chest of drawers that could be fitted with your own worktop.
Kitchen Planning: 9 Reasons That Make an Island Irresistible