Not everyone has the luxury of a vast, open plan space to kick back on the couch – so how do you make a small living space feel bigger than it actually is?
A recent study showed that seven years ago, Aussies were building the biggest freestanding houses in the world – but since then home buyers Down Under have started to embrace apartments, as well as smaller houses on smaller lot sizes. It’s not cheap to live in the Land Down Under, so it won’t come as a surprise to many that the size of our homes are shrinking.
However, it’s important to remember that it’s also about quality over quantity. If you want to live in the city, it usually means a smaller apartment. For others, it’s retreating to acreage in a tiny house or demountable granny flat to save on bills, or as an “in between” while they wait for a new home to be constructed. Either way, if you’re living in a residence with a smaller living space, the good news is that there are plenty of tips and tricks one can deploy in order to make the space feel bigger.
Seven Tips On Making The Most Of A Small Living Space
Regardless of whether you are living in a 300 square feet space or 3000 square feet space, there’s a high chance that you can still learn something new about how to use space efficiently. If your living room, family room, or sitting room feels cramped and cluttered, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend time there when you’re at home – so what can you do about it?
Go Vertical – If you can’t go out, why not go up? Whether it’s plants, lights, or even wall mounted televisions, creating extra space on the ground will help to open up a room and stop you from tripping over cords and other clutter.
Built In Shelving – Custom shelves are not expensive and can even be an easy DIY project, as you can fit them into awkward spaces and nooks. If you have a wall that juts out or an awkward corner where you can’t fit furniture, consider custom shelves to fill the space.
Use Hooks – When in doubt, bust a hook out – and be sure you get creative about it. Use them to hang coats on the back of door ways, on walls to store hats or even a bicycle, or perhaps to install hanging plants from the ceiling.
Smart Art – Bringing your artwork up a notch can work wonders to trick the eye, and expand or accentuate the height of the room. A gallery style wall might seem too busy for a small living space, but it can actually make it feel larger if it extends all the way to the ceiling.
Customised Seating – Instead of trying to buy a sofa or lounge that best fits your room, why not get one made from scratch? This way, you have exact control over the colour scheme, materials and even the shape so it can best fit into an awkward or tight spot.
Light And White – Natural light is the friend of any homeowner, especially when paired with a white colour palette for your walls or ceiling. Eggshell or satin finishes will help reflect the light, creating the appearance of even more space.
Smart Storage – When selecting furniture like lounges, coffee tables or even ottomans, aim for furnishings that can double as a place to shove all of the “extras” – think remotes, blankets, or even shoes. Make sure that every piece of furniture has a dual purpose.
Expanding A Small Living Space With The Professionals
At Kibo Constructions, we’re a full service commercial and residential construction company. We operate anywhere (and everywhere) between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and pride ourselves on our reputation of providing quality and reliable workmanship.
Owner Lee Bourke and the team at Kibo offer a unique “concept to creation” service when it comes to bringing your vision to life.
- Available for residential, commercial and industrial refits and builds
- Ongoing maintenance services and packages available
- A full in-house joinery operation, offering custom options without holding up lead times
- Overnight and weekend scheduling available to minimise disruption
- Full service team providing design, all trades, council and engineering approvals
- Professional site cleaning upon completion
- It’s worth noting that we’re not a large scale, faceless operation. Lee has a long standing policy of being very much “hands on” with each project, and has over ten years of construction experience under his belt. The feedback and advice that stems from working with a true professional can’t possibly be undervalued, and has been proven to be priceless in the long term.
If you know that there’s an upcoming project coming up for you, your brand or your business, we would love the opportunity to provide a quote – you might be pleasantly surprised at the result. Please get in touch with the team at Kibo today to discuss how we can bring your vision to life.