Making the most of your small space

Thu 7 Dec 2017 Jordan Harling

With rising housing costs, a shortage of homes, and our increasing lust for city life many of us find ourselves living in increasingly small spaces. This is taken to its logic extreme in London where micro-flats are no longer an unusual sight. These sort of living spaces are unique in their own right, but are especially unusual when it comes to interior design. How can you make the most of your small space?

Go Lagom – or just the right amount

If you’ve been keeping up-to-date on interior design for the past few years you’ll be well aware of Denmark’s leading trend, Hygge. But what you might not know is that the Dane’s neighbours, Sweden, also have a style that’s becoming big. Lagom, as it is known, translates roughly to “just the right amount” and it’s all about being practical with your belongings. More than that, it’s about being practical in your approach to life, taking only what you need and being content in your choices. Practicing Lagom is the perfect way to declutter your home and make sure that you don’t waste any space.

Double up

When it comes to furniture, you might be better off taking a note from the Swiss than from the Swedes. The Swiss Army knife is known for its multiple functions, and so too should be your furniture. Storage space is at a premium in small homes, so any furniture that you can also use as storage is worth its weight in gold. Beds, cabinets, ottomans – these are all great options for depositing your stuff in. All you need to do is find one that doubles up and fits your style.

Use optical illusions

Windows are key here as they control the natural light in your room. Either keep your windows minimal with a roller blind or, if you’re set on curtains, make sure you fix the pole as near to the ceiling as possible to create the illusion of height. Make sure your other furniture has an airy feel to it. You can ensure this by buying furniture with legs as well as choosing light colours and fabric.

Keep it light

Living in a small place doesn’t mean living in a cave. In fact, by using your light intelligently you can make your space seem bigger than it actually is. Ideally you want to flood your home with natural light, but smaller homes usually mean smaller windows so this isn’t always possible. What you can do though, is mimic that natural light by using a variety of different light sources and even a couple of mirrors. 

While most of us would prefer to live in a bigger home, that doesn’t mean that we can’t make the most of living in a small one. 


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