Design Smarts For Small Homes

A reading nook on a mezzanine landing utilizes otherwise wasted space

Here are some useful tips to make the most of your small space.

1. House Of Mirrors

A large wall mirror creates a visual illusion that enlarges a room 

If you have a small bedroom or living room, a mirror along an entire room wall will light up and brighten the room. The mirror image in the reflection will also create the illusion of more space in the room. 

2. Tall Order

Squeezing mountains of stuff into inadequate display and shelving units is a task, let the built-in floor-to-ceiling shelves come to the rescue. Floor to ceiling shelving is a  vertical display that utilizes space that is usually left empty. Tall shelving units will provide a home for books, a functional display area for a selection of teas and spices in the kitchen, or a dedicated place for attractive arrangements of precious knick-knacks. 

3. Secret Spaces

Locate spots in your home to double up as an office space or as storage. Exploit the space under the stairs or on a small mezzanine by installing a shelving unit for books, a reading nook, or a built-in desk for a home office. Find under-utilized space under your kitchen island and sink, install shelves to store your spices and cutlery on the island, and for dishwashing soaps and cleaning essentials under the sink. 

4. Floor First

Keep things off the floor for visually clear space. If your room is stamp-sized, invest in a bed that has built-in storage drawers instead of putting in a cupboard along the wall that will eat up precious square feet. A sofa cum bed is the perfect choice for a small guest room, as it is easy to pull out to make a bed for overnight guests, but leaves the room clear during the day making it look spacious.

5. Shade Smarts

An innovative way to make your room look bigger is to pick out, or paint, all furniture the shade of your walls, or paint the walls the shade of your furniture! Your furniture blends and disappears into the walls with this 'pro' interior design trick. This design illusion works best with white or light shades of paint.  

6. Three In One

If your living room is smaller than a closet, a set of nesting tables will help to keep the living space clear on a daily basis. Nesting tables usually come in sets of three tables that are graduated in size and neatly stack under each other when not in use. When entertaining, the other two tables will come in handy and are easy to pull out for convenience.

Simple but creative design ideas make for better living spaces. Who knew you could create extra visual square feet simply through better design!