8 Secrets to Living Big in Tiny Spaces

#1. Failing to plan is planning to fail

Image from Pace2race

When it comes to small spaces, it is of utmost importance that you plan in all aspects of your home renovation. These include the budget, duration, selection of your home interior renovation professionals, furniture, furnishing and the cost of moving!

Tip:
Start planning at least 1 year ahead of the target move-in date.

#2. Going gigantic for mirrors

Image from Successful workplace

Mirrors are small spaces’ best friends. A strategically placed big mirror will visually expand the room elegantly, by multiplying the depth of the space, and reflecting light to make the room appear much bigger. Furthermore, when it comes to affordability and aesthetic, mirrors are always the top of the renovation designers’ list when it comes to an illusion of a bigger place on the cheap!

Tip:
“Mirrors made of either glass or acrylic have virtually no difference in reflective viewing, apart from a little distortion in acrylic mirrors. However, glass surfaces, because of their hardness, are more resistant to surface scratches than acrylic surfaces.”. Acrylic mirrors are generally more flexible, thinner and lighter than glass mirrors. Therefore, they are cheaper and easier to mount too.

Image from Hisugarplum

#3. Making big visual impact with a splash

Design: The Scientist

Take advantage of the walls by using stunning large wall paintings to bring away the attention of the smallness of the room. A ceiling-to-floor wall painting will transform a wall into a stunning accent wall instantly.

Tip:
Printed wallpapers or wall decals can also be used in place of large scale printings.

Image from i.pinimg

#4. Less is actually more

Design: TAB Gallery

Do away with unnecessary furniture; rethink the need for traditional furniture such as a coffee table, TV console and even sofas in the living room and a vanity and study desk in the bedrooms. This is because a smaller apartment calls for a minimalist simple lifestyle with the need to reduce and even eliminate superfluous home interior elements.

Tip:
Smart, multi-functional furniture helps to save precious space and money over the long run. Home interior design professionals often deploy space saving design strategies by dual-purposing living (as a dining) or guest (as a study) room.

Design: DSOD Interior

#5. Reconsider the need for a storage room

Design: M3 Studio

Although smaller condominium apartments no longer come with a luxury of equipped with a storage room, there are plenty of ideas to create storage. A well thought-through storage trunk can easily double up as a coffee table, benches and seats can also multi-task as storage boxes too. Hence, with meticulous planning, you can actually alleviate the need for a full-fledged traditional storeroom.

Tip:
One of the most effective storage design strategies is to set aside ample storage for items that are most frequently used in the particular room. For instance, set aside slim wall cabinets for at least 10 bathroom tissue rolls in the bathrooms, since they are usually sold as a pack of 10 rolls. Use storage bed to stove away your bed linen and blanket.

Design: ERF Design

#6. Illuminate with plenty of good lighting

Design: Studio Abby

Ample lighting can instantly makeover a small, dark corner with a flip of a switch! When the room is infused with the right lighting, the bright and airy vibe makes the room appear bigger than it really is.

Tip:
Good lighting is all about implementing functional lighting with the right type of light sources. This helps prevent stress and eye fatigue with the over-illumination.

Design: D’ Initial Concept

#7. Utilize the unique nooks and crannies in the most unexpected places

Design: TAB Gallery

The most overlooked space utilization strategy is to make full use of all the available spaces, no matter how insignificant or odd they are. The secret is to reclaim the much needed space easily through customized carpentry and transform them into either practical storage, or mini photography gallery, laptop desk or even as a simple art corner to showcase your prized collection!

Tip: Jazzed up the recessed areas with mirrors, decorative wallpaper or just a simple contrasting coat of wall paint.

Image from YMinterior

 #8. Built to safely last

Design: Free Space Intent

Customizing the interiors to maximize the square feet will only work if they are built to last. This is because the customized home interior pieces and furniture are usually pulling double or even triple duty than traditional ones. As a result, such items tend to wear out faster over time and consequently, they should be made of durable, lasting materials to ensure that they are safe to use too.

Tip:
The commonly used materials for carpentry include solid wood, plywood and melamine particleboard. Generally, solid wood is most lasting and hence the most expensive among the three. Plywood is made up of sheets which were artificially glued together. Plywood is cheaper than solid wood and is generally more lasting than melamine particleboard.

Design: TAB Gallery

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