Do we really need large houses or is it just an ethos we have adopted? Australian and New Zealand homes are still the the largest in the world, but when you think about the actual space required for living and sleeping, you realise a lot of it is simply 'wasted space'. Architects today, are concentrating on designing homes that work both environmentally and just as important, spatially. House designs are shrinking as space is being gobbled up in our cities and in turn, interior designers are having to be pretty smart with their choice of furnishing and layout.
I live in a small house and beginning to truly embrace it, less maintenance and more time to spend doing the things I enjoy has got to be a bonus. My lawn takes 5 minutes to mow and housework only 15 minutes. I might not have a grand home, but it still ticks all the boxes. Great indoor/outdoor living, walk in robe and master en-suite, all these features made it easy to decide to buy. The previous owners had major renovations done to the interior and kudos for creating 3 bedrooms, separate laundry, master en-suite and walk in wardrobe, in just 115 square metres.
I think the most efficient space saving idea in my home was the installation of sliding doors to the walk in wardrobe and master en-suite. An inward opening hinged door would have made it virtually impossible to create an en-suite in what was the corner of the bedroom. At first I was a little disappointed I had to trade a bigger room for an en-suite, however It fits a queen size bed, a chest of drawers and a chair and what more does one really need in a bedroom. Installing sliding doors is definitely a simple way of maximising space in a small area, they can also work just as well as dividers in larger open plan areas.
My small en-suite and walk in robe both have efficient, sliding doors
It is obvious to me, especially living in a city with a major housing crisis, apartments and smaller homes will become part of our future so I have been looking for space saving ideas to share. Whether clever use of shelving, re-organising cupboard space, utilising sliding doors or simply 're-thinking' a layout, you can make a small home feel more spacious.
1. A space saver, the weathered patina of this sliding door is fantastic
3. Wash basins, a great idea for a guest or teenagers room.
4. Doubling up on desk space in a child's room is a great space saver.
5. If you have a room you no longer use, maybe it's just for storage, if you can, create a cosy corner.
6. This tiny, workable space utilises an upper floor for its bed, I haven't quite worked out how one gets to the bed.
1. Kick board drawers, great idea when you have limited storage space, especially for large items.
I hope you've enjoyed these space saving ideas, maybe you've seen something that might work in your home. I would love sliding doors on my laundry and the toe kick drawers in the kitchen are the latest trend. For more space saving ideas, visit my space saving ideas Pinterest board, or see more practical ideas on my Houzz board.
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Lee x
Thank you so much for your comment and helpful tip about the "read more', I will go and check it out now.
ReplyDeleteThe loft above that little kitchen is an amazing idea. I wasn't able to track down the original image source so not sure if it is a holiday home/caravan or just a tiny cottage, but I love it!
Lee :)