18 Small Space Ideas We Can Learn from Tiny Boutique Hotels

“Our HDB flat has so much space!” said no one ever. For many of us living in small apartments in Singapore, it’s often an uphill struggle for space. Being creative with your small space is therefore essential in ensuring that you can fit in everything you need. In this article, we are turning to petite boutique hotels for small space inspiration. After all, they are the ones who best know how to work around spaces that are well, spatially challenged. These rooms are the perfect illustrations of comfort and functionality, showing you inventive ways to make full use of a tiny space.  

1. Wall-mounted desk

Hoping to incorporate an office pad into your already cramped space? The wall-mounted desk is the perfect solution as it frees up extra floor space for you. Mount the desk on its width rather than length so that it can be used on both sides! Hotel: Longman & Eagle (Chicago, US)  

2. Ledge Headboard

A narrow ledge built around the perimeters of this hotel room doubles as a headboard and a space to display your personal artefacts. We like how it extends and expands into a working desk beside the bed. Hotel: Longman & Eagle (Chicago, US)  

3. Curtains as a divider

Curtains don’t hold the same visual weight as a concrete wall, which is a thumbs up in the small-space handbook! Leave them open if you want light and air. But when closed, they offer privacy and help to delineate the room. Hotel: grätzlhotel Karmelitermarkt (Vienna, Austria)  

4. See-through closet

Open wardrobes are a popular staple in small hotel rooms. Visually lighter than closed cupboards owing to their see-through nature, they allow room to store more for the weary traveller. In a home, it’s a good option if you don’t have too many clothes and are organised. Hotel: grätzlhotel Karmelitermarkt (Vienna, Austria)  

5. White patterned tiles

We all know how white makes a space look bigger and brighter. But if you find it too clinical or boring, it’s always a good idea to perk things up with patterns. Patterns, done subtly, like in this hotel bathroom, can be very elegant. Hotel: grätzlhotel Karmelitermarkt (Vienna, Austria)  

6. Dining peninsula

No room for a proper dining table? Create a dining peninsula in your kitchen instead. This setup is casual and cool, and it acts as a breakfast nook and extra counter space all in one! Hotel: Hotel Covell (California, US)  

7. Loft bed

Bunk or loft beds are the ideal solutions for really small bedrooms, since they take off that huge chunk of furniture i.e. the bed, off the floor for you. They are great options for kids’ rooms, but can totally work for a grown-up studio apartment too. Hotel: Dean Hotel (Dublin, Ireland)  

8. Keep things floating

A favourite space-saving trick of ours is to use floating furniture, which tricks the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it really is since it allows you to show more of your floor. Hotel: Ibsens Hotel (Copenhagen, Denmark)  

9. Wire frames

Wire furniture are the epitome of minimalist furniture. And they are great for rooms with limited square footage since they are visually lightweight and see-through, giving the space an airy feeling. Hotel: Hotel Rum (Budapest, Hungary)  

10. Wall niches

Eke out extra storage space on your walls with recessed niches. They are a useful option for wall spaces that you don’t know what to do with, and since they sit inside walls, they don’t take up a lot of visual bulk either. Hotel: Hotel Rum (Budapest, Hungary)  

11. Under bed storage

There’s nothing more valuable than under the bed storage for those with petite sleeping quarters. We like this hotel’s idea of coupling closed drawers with open shelves around the perimeter of the bed. It’s great for easy reach, while keeping the bedroom clutter at bay. Hotel: Moxy Times Square (New York, US)  

12. Versatile wall hooks

The most important thing in a small space is to get organised, and wall hooks – a row of them! – are great tools for organising. Get sturdy ones so you can store everything from cups to furniture. And make sure you don't hang them too low, as items pooling on the floor isn't that attractive. Hotel: Moxy Times Square (New York, US)  

13. Under sink shelves

In a bathroom, things under the sink tend to go to the deep abyss after a few months, so it works to use an open shelf to organise things better. Plus, open shelves create more room for even more storage! A total win-win. Hotel: Moxy Times Square (New York, US)  

14. Adjacent beds

Adjacent beds make a good option for children’s rooms where space is a premium, since they only take up one side of the wall, leaving the rest for play. Hotel: Moxy Times Square (New York, US)  

15. Separating the sink

Leaving the sink and vanity counter outside the bathroom means freeing up more room within your small bathroom space. Use a glass divider to separate the vanity counter from the rest of the room. Hotel: Tango Inn (Taipei, Taiwan)  

16. Glass walls

We know how glass wall partitions are one of the best ways to divide up a small space, since they help to invite light into every corner of the apartment while preserving the openness of a space so that it doesn’t look too cramped. This hotel bedroom uses a translucent glass divider to separate the bedroom from the bathroom in order to retain a semblance of privacy. Hotel: Tango Inn (Taipei, Taiwan)  

17. Bay window storage

Make the most of your bay window by building storage on top of it. Hotel: Miss Clara (Stockholm, Sweden)  

18. A chair on a bed

Separate pieces of furniture tend to take up a lot of room, which is an issue if you’re short on space. In order to incorporate a chair into the room without taking up extra footprint, the designer of this hotel decided to attach a back frame of a chair to the end of the bed. Hotel: Miss Clara (Stockholm, Sweden)  

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