6 of the Best Small Home Design Ideas

Designing and decorating a small flat certainly comes with its limits but with more of us living in built up blocks in the city where we’re not blessed with large amounts of space, we have to be creative with our furniture, decor and storage choices.

Just because the square metre floor plan is small, that doesn’t mean to say we have to think small. Make your apartment design plan modem through incorporating clever elements to open up the space whilst still feeling homely.

Read on for 6 small apartment design ideas.

Whatever size your windows may be, maximise the amount of light they bring into the room by ditching the curtains and opting for a roller blind that sits within the parameters of the window. While curtains may feel like an obvious option to draw out the light and keep the warmth in on cooler evenings, they take up an unnecessary amount of space, making the window wall feel bulky and enclosing the space.

Keep your blinds a neutral colour to brighten up the space and consider how to maximise your light sources. Floor lamps will take up room that can be better used for a table or storage unit. Adding lamps to shelving at a height will give the same cosy glow that a floor lamp would but without taking up extra space.

Colour choices are everything when it comes to small apartment living; there’s a reason why landlords opt for white walls to attract tenants. Keep your canvas pale to create the illusion of space. If you want to add a wash of colour to the walls, a light sage or blush tone will do the trick while still feeling bright and open. Annie Sloan’s selection of chalk paints offer a selection of shades that will be subtle yet still add character.

Try to avoid creating a feature wall with bold paints or wallpaper - having all walls the same colour will make the space feel much more open and inviting. Bolder colours can be injected through the decor. Add pops of personality through cushions, vases, wall art, rugs and blankets.

The easiest way to maximise a small apartment is to limit the amount of stuff you own. Filling your space with trinkets, ornaments, excess furniture and other material objects will create a feeling of tightness. Make sure that every object you choose to exist in your flat has space to breathe. Ensure your living room sofa is small enough that you can fit in a coffee table with a good distance in between, even if this means removing an arm chair that doesn’t serve a purpose. Everything you own should be as functional as it is beautiful so that a single square metre isn’t wasted.

Get creative with how you store your belongings. The easiest way to achieve extra space is to invest in furniture that allows for space below to add baskets that won’t be seen or get in the way. Maximise every corner by building shelves into coves to store books, glassware and other decorative pieces. Consider adding wall brackets to keep the television, speakers and any other tech at a height so it doesn’t take up extra floor space. The same can be done with towel rails, kitchen utensil hangers and spice racks. Yamazaki’s selection of storage fixtures are minimal and functional so won’t detract the eye from the room itself.

If your apartment is open plan, you’ll already be granted what feels like extra space. Boxed off rooms have a tendency to feel smaller and more closed-in. There are hacks, however, to make your boxed rooms feel more open. Create ‘moments’ in each room that feel almost separate and allow you to have two rooms in one. Rugs can be a great way of dividing out space for this purpose. Adding a rug below your kitchen table will elevate it into feeling like an open plan dining area. Similarly, sectioning off a reading chair in the living room with its own side table and lamp will create the feeling of an extra area to retreat to.

Keeping your apartment minimal doesn’t mean losing character. In the same way you want to maximise floor space, consider bringing something interesting to the walls. With a neutral backdrop, you can add colour and personality through framed art prints. For a wall hosting a fireplace, consider a large print to add maximum impact. For walls with a bigger surface area, creating a gallery wall will bring in exciting colour combinations and add depth through the range of print sizes. Look to East End Prints for a truly unique selection of works by a range of artists.