With growing urbanisation and the uncertainties in the real estate market, houses and flats have become a crunched space. Unless you are one of those lucky few that still own a palatial living space, chances are that you are struggling to accommodate your lives in the small, cramped space. We give you tips from the blogosphere to loosen up the space in tight areas and still fit everything you want.
l A room can only hold so much furniture. After that, you need to use some common sense. All you have to do is realise that you have to be your own handy person at times and make use of your imagination.
l How about storage rooms with useful items stacked on top of each other? They?re useful if anyone can find them to use them. If you learned how to manage those spaces, you can use the same principles around the rest of the house.
l Not everything has to go on the floor. Shelving is perfect to keep from having to stack things. Peg board and hooks are perfect for attaching a hanging system to the wall. Another trick is to hang tools high above everyone?s head with a pulley system for lowering.
l Do you have too many pots and pans in the kitchen? They don’t all fit in your cabinets? Create for yourself a hanging system that lifts the pots and pans above the stove. Reach up and grab one any time you want and save yourself some space that would otherwise just be used for hot air.
Bedroom
l If you have an extremely small bedroom that has just about enough room for a bed and a dresser, place the television in the air. Why does it always have to sit on the dresser or some form of an entertainment centre? There are television racks perfect for holding your television against the wall and out of the way.
l If you don?t have enough room for a night stand, opt for a small shelf. It takes up less room and it can actually go above the bed if the bed is against the wall on that one side. You?ll be able to get your alarm clock on it and anything else you need like the book you read before you fall asleep.
l Open up the room by allowing in the most light possible. Many times curtains and blinds are hung in a way in which they block essential light into a small room. Hang all window coverings so when they are open they completely clear the glass. Also make sure no pieces of furniture block the light.
l Try to use furniture in this room that has a low profile. The taller the furniture, the more it will close in the room. See if you have pieces in other rooms you can borrow from.
l Use a monochromatic colour scheme in the room. That means using different tints and shades of the same colour, and usually adding a neutral such as white. Keeping the eye moving by using variations of the same colour makes the room look larger, more open and less cluttered.
Accessories
l Got an empty corner? Add a reading lamp and chair for homework or quiet reading.
l Get as much off the floor as possible. Decorative shelving can be installed and outfitted with attractive storage options to keep school projects out of the living room corner.
l Keep accessories and art to a minimum. Have just a few favourite things out at any one time. You can rotate out your accessories with every season.
lFinally artwork on the wall should be larger in size to streamline the look and keep it simple. If you have a treasured collection, display it in a cabinet or as a group instead of sprinkled throughout the room.