How to make most use of small spaces – with planning and organisation of storage

Have you ever seen photos or videos of “Tiny houses”? Do you wonder how people live in such small spaces? The key to making most use of small spaces is planning and organisation of storage, and correct use of light and colour.

Colour

Light, neutral tones make the room appear larger. Avoid a flat atmosphere by using natural light and artificial light at various levels to create a mood. Using patterned wallpaper or painting a feature wall using a deeper tone can give a space additional energy. A feature wall is a wall that adds interest and energy to a room through texture, colour and contrast.

Light

Mirrors reflect light around the room and appear to make the room more spacious.

Make the most of windows and consider the best style of window dressing for the space. Curtains can add luxury and warmth however, depending on the window size a blind might be best suited in the space. If light control is an issue, consider adding blackout lining to curtains, or using “blackout” blinds, which come in many colours, patterns and styles.

Storage in small spaces

You can save floor space in your living room by mounting your TV to the wall, this way there is no need for a stand. This opens an opportunity to redesign your seating layout creating a better flow through your room and giving you additional space.

• Storage and your stairs

A creative storage solution for using up empty spaces under your stairs is by creating drawers.

There are two convenient types- storage in the stairs and storage under the stairs.

In the stairs consists of a wide drawer pulling out from under the step. Here you can save closet space and store shoes, children's toys, sports equipment, hats and scarves and ‘useful’ items.

Under the stairs is quite like a kitchen pantry. Drawers of various sizes can pull out for your convenience or closet shelves can be tailored to fit the appropriate space.

Height

Installing floor to ceiling shelves helps create a sense of height.  Using slimmer, taller shelves focuses on the vertical lines instead of the horizontals. This type of shelving gives emphasis to the books, and to the pieces displayed.

I hope you find my tips useful, and if you have a small space enjoy the challenge of planning and organising it to suit your storage needs and embrace using light and colour.