Room-by-Room Guide: Maximise Space in a 2-BHK for a Family of Four
Feeling the space crunch in your two-bedroom apartment? Here's an exhaustive set of tips for a sense of expansion
If you are a family of four living in a 2-BHK apartment, chances are you struggle to make the most of the space at hand. There’s always the problem of growing children needing more space, their stuff spilling out all over the house; of rooms needed for rest and for entertaining; and, of course, storage needed for the clutter you collect over the years. With a little bit of the smarts and a little help from these ideas, you can make the most of your two-bedroom flat; you’ll find it can give you all the space you need.
Multifunctional pieces
In a home which houses four or more persons, floor space, or rather, space to move around, becomes of utmost importance. That’s why it’s wiser to invest in pieces that offer more functions than one, so you cut down on the furniture footprint. Think of a nest of tables for multiple purposes, which can be stacked together, an ottoman with a cavity inside for storage, a coffee table on wheels that can be whisked away at the drop of a hat to increase standing room.
Check out 10 multipurpose furniture pieces ideal for compact homes
In a home which houses four or more persons, floor space, or rather, space to move around, becomes of utmost importance. That’s why it’s wiser to invest in pieces that offer more functions than one, so you cut down on the furniture footprint. Think of a nest of tables for multiple purposes, which can be stacked together, an ottoman with a cavity inside for storage, a coffee table on wheels that can be whisked away at the drop of a hat to increase standing room.
Check out 10 multipurpose furniture pieces ideal for compact homes
Built-in shelves
Installing long, floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets on walls, such as in the living room, can be an efficient use of space. It doesn’t look bulky, offers enough storage and gives the room a clean, uncluttered look. Plus, it reduces the need to have large cupboards that take up floor space in the room.
Installing long, floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets on walls, such as in the living room, can be an efficient use of space. It doesn’t look bulky, offers enough storage and gives the room a clean, uncluttered look. Plus, it reduces the need to have large cupboards that take up floor space in the room.
Dining room
Living-cum-dining room
While some 2-BHK apartments have separate living and dining rooms, some others don’t – the two are a part of one multipurpose space. In such situations, if you want to separate them, you could use understated partitions – curtains, wooden screens or even plants. These create a subtle division so that the space doesn’t suddenly look cramped and small. In case you’d like to keep the living and dining areas as one seamless space, you could continue with the same colour scheme and materiality in furniture. These points will ensure that the space doesn’t look small and has an airy, lucid look.
Living-cum-dining room
While some 2-BHK apartments have separate living and dining rooms, some others don’t – the two are a part of one multipurpose space. In such situations, if you want to separate them, you could use understated partitions – curtains, wooden screens or even plants. These create a subtle division so that the space doesn’t suddenly look cramped and small. In case you’d like to keep the living and dining areas as one seamless space, you could continue with the same colour scheme and materiality in furniture. These points will ensure that the space doesn’t look small and has an airy, lucid look.
Mirrors
Using a mirror in front of furniture pieces or close to a light source is a useful trick for conjuring a space-expansion illusion. It amplifies everything it reflects, resulting in a look of expanded space and light.
Using a mirror in front of furniture pieces or close to a light source is a useful trick for conjuring a space-expansion illusion. It amplifies everything it reflects, resulting in a look of expanded space and light.
Space-saving seating
Choose dining chairs that can slide under the table after meals. Or consider benches than can can seat more than one person and can be tucked completely out of the way when not in use. Alternatively, you could try fold-out tables that can be put back on the walls, completely out of sight.
If you do want a proper dining table, you could get a round one, as it usually allows for more walking space around it from all sides, thus saving precious space.
Choose dining chairs that can slide under the table after meals. Or consider benches than can can seat more than one person and can be tucked completely out of the way when not in use. Alternatively, you could try fold-out tables that can be put back on the walls, completely out of sight.
If you do want a proper dining table, you could get a round one, as it usually allows for more walking space around it from all sides, thus saving precious space.
Floating shelves
Cabinets or sideboards look nice for your china, of course, but their bulkiness can dominate a room. Floating shelves, on the other hand, can be customised to fit your needs, and can be made to look light and visually less daunting.
Cabinets or sideboards look nice for your china, of course, but their bulkiness can dominate a room. Floating shelves, on the other hand, can be customised to fit your needs, and can be made to look light and visually less daunting.
Master bedroom
Low furniture
Consider a low bed, tables and chairs in your bedroom design. By keeping things low to the ground, the height of the walls and the ceiling becomes more pronounced, making the space seem taller and bigger. Unobstructed sight lines lend a sense of spaciousness.
Here’s how to live big in a small bedroom
Low furniture
Consider a low bed, tables and chairs in your bedroom design. By keeping things low to the ground, the height of the walls and the ceiling becomes more pronounced, making the space seem taller and bigger. Unobstructed sight lines lend a sense of spaciousness.
Here’s how to live big in a small bedroom
Transparent bedroom seating
Try replacing your wooden desk with a glass-topped table and swapping regular chairs with acrylic seats. These may take up the same amount of space, but will trick the eye into feeling like they do not, as they make minimal visual impact.
Try replacing your wooden desk with a glass-topped table and swapping regular chairs with acrylic seats. These may take up the same amount of space, but will trick the eye into feeling like they do not, as they make minimal visual impact.
Colour coordinate
Colour matching can have a subtle yet significant impact on the area of your room. When you group similar-coloured books or coordinate the shades of the bedsheets with the floor or carpet, and so on, there is a coherence, where different corners seem to flow into each other, creating a feeling of more space.
Colour matching can have a subtle yet significant impact on the area of your room. When you group similar-coloured books or coordinate the shades of the bedsheets with the floor or carpet, and so on, there is a coherence, where different corners seem to flow into each other, creating a feeling of more space.
Wall-mounted shelves
An easy way to ensure that there is enough walking area around the room is by choosing wall mounted shelves. Use them to store books, picture frames, or even clothes.
An easy way to ensure that there is enough walking area around the room is by choosing wall mounted shelves. Use them to store books, picture frames, or even clothes.
Children’s room
Beds
For a room shared by young siblings, one way to provide a sense of personal space is by choosing twin beds, with separate shelves above the beds where they can keep their personal treasures. But if the bedroom doesn’t have place for two separate beds, then a bunk bed could be an option. However, if they are a brother and a sister, they’ll need separate rooms when they are a bit older. If you plan on living in the same house in the years to come, you may have to consider making structural changes in the future, to make an extra room.
Wondering how to design a bedroom for siblings?
Beds
For a room shared by young siblings, one way to provide a sense of personal space is by choosing twin beds, with separate shelves above the beds where they can keep their personal treasures. But if the bedroom doesn’t have place for two separate beds, then a bunk bed could be an option. However, if they are a brother and a sister, they’ll need separate rooms when they are a bit older. If you plan on living in the same house in the years to come, you may have to consider making structural changes in the future, to make an extra room.
Wondering how to design a bedroom for siblings?
Storage
One way to increase storage when the cabinets in the room are already full, is by choosing beds with built-in drawers, so the pesky socks, napkins or small toys can be kept away.
One way to increase storage when the cabinets in the room are already full, is by choosing beds with built-in drawers, so the pesky socks, napkins or small toys can be kept away.
Another way to maximise storage without bringing in more bulky cabinets is by adding hooks and hangers to keep the extra clothes and other bits and bobs organised.
Hidden storage
For the staggering amount knick-knacks, accessories and other miscellaneous objects piling up at home, an additional storage cabinet doesn’t seem to be the ideal solution – because it will eat into the available space. This is where hidden storage comes in that conceals things from plain sight.
Living room: Consider storage niches hidden behind a painting on the wall, diwans, stools or coffee tables with a cavity inside for storage, window seating with drawers below or sliding wall panels that hide a cabinet behind them.
For the staggering amount knick-knacks, accessories and other miscellaneous objects piling up at home, an additional storage cabinet doesn’t seem to be the ideal solution – because it will eat into the available space. This is where hidden storage comes in that conceals things from plain sight.
Living room: Consider storage niches hidden behind a painting on the wall, diwans, stools or coffee tables with a cavity inside for storage, window seating with drawers below or sliding wall panels that hide a cabinet behind them.
Bedroom: Purchasing beds with built-in storage compartments, headboards that can open up as storage shelves, an entire bed that can be concealed within a recess in the wall, trunks or ottomans at the foot of beds with storage inside them, side tables with drawers, a wall with a floor-to-ceiling mirror that hides a shelving unit behind it, cabinets close to the ceiling that are way above eye level, are some examples of hidden storage.
Take a look at these clever storage hacks
Take a look at these clever storage hacks
Kitchen: To accommodate more storage, opt for pullout shelves installed on walls, folding doors concealing a pantry (the doors coloured the shade of the walls so they become invisible), an island with storage below, overhead cabinets close to the ceiling that usually get missed by the eye, and slim kitchen counter columns with cavities for storing books or china.
Dining room: You could choose to make the dining table entirely disappear by opting for a fold-out table. You could also consider dining tables and chairs with built-in drawers that can store accessories, a floor-to-ceiling wooden wall panel that looks decorative but hides a china cabinet or a swivelling shelf that displays curios and art and behind it, holds an entire pantry.
Where do the extra bits go?
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A 1-BHK Flat Transforms Into a 2-BHK
Tell us:
Do you live in an 1-BHK apartment? Tell us how you’ve maximised space in the Comments section below.
- Television: A 2-BHK apartment means you won’t have the luxury of an extra TV room. So the tube would have to be adjusted in one of the rooms in the home. Keeping it in one of the private bedrooms – say the master or the kids’ bedroom – usually restricts the viewing time for those who do not inhabit the room. Consider installing the TV in the public areas, like the living room or the dining space, where the family or even guests can get together and watch their favourite shows.
- Washing machine: If you have tiny bathrooms in your home and feel that a bulky washing machine would take up too much space, then consider placing it in the more unconventional parts of the home. Maybe in the balcony attached to one of the bedrooms or inside the kitchen. Choose a space that isn’t heavily frequented by guests or children.
- Guest accommodation: This usually comes as a great inconvenience for the residents, even if it is your best friends or family coming to stay over. In most cases, children are asked to clear out of their room, and have to camp in the living room or the parents’ room, while their space is given to the guests. If this doesn’t sound like a very practical plan, you could consider having a sofa-bed in the living room that can be pulled out and used by anyone staying over. If you entertain a lot of guests, make sure your living room is a minimal space that can be rearranged easily when people come over.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A 1-BHK Flat Transforms Into a 2-BHK
Tell us:
Do you live in an 1-BHK apartment? Tell us how you’ve maximised space in the Comments section below.
Light colour scheme and minimal furniture
To make the living room seem more accommodating and welcoming, keep the elements light and airy. Consider a soft colour palette (white, soft pink, beige, cream) and don’t crowd the space with too many pieces of furniture. Think of sectionals that can seat more people, and individual chairs that can be moved around.