Comfort for large families in small houses
It’s possible to achieve a comfortable, visually-appealing space when living in small spaces (think city living) even if you’re family is seemingly larger than the apartment or home can accommodate.
This blog will share some tips on making a tight space comfier and cozier with some simple strategies and ideas for small-space living.
City Living: What happens when you live in a small city apartment with kids, pets, adults, and all your stuff!?
How can you maximize the space you have while making it comfortable and beautiful?
Often when you’re living in a small apartment or compact living space, you don’t have the simple option of just knocking down walls and expanding. But you can utilize a few of these easy ideas to help make living small feel a little larger!
Tip #1) Keep it Clean and Organized
As often as possible, make your mantra be, “A place for everything and everything in its place!”
A clean and organized space can make a smaller area appear and feel bigger. Clutter is a huge culprit when it comes to taking up room and real estate so make sure that you make choices wisely when it comes to what to keep and bring into the home.
Keeping your small apartment or home in the city organized is key to comfortably enjoy a small space.
I love helping my clients when they live in smaller spaces to choose multifunctional storage solutions such as hanging shoe racks, pots and pans that hang above a kitchen island, and stylish shelves that also serve as a spot to store less-often-used items.
There are tons of opportunities for making the most of your space that can be tailored to your family’s unique daily needs and lifestyle.
Tip #2) Maximize Space by Moving Things From Being Seen
The key to making a smaller space look larger, and to helping everyone live in it more comfortably is to move things from being out and exposed constantly. You want to limit what you choose to leave out and in eyesight, which will help to create a cleaner, more spacious feel in the space.
Again, this can come through intelligently-chosen storage options, as well as decluttering, and preventing new items from coming into the home that aren’t necessary.
Other ways to maximize free space are to create areas that serve two purposes such as a playroom that can efficiently serve as a den as well, or a living area that also houses an office or workspace.
When mapping out the layout of the furniture and space itself, you want to establish flow throughout the home that assists the natural foot traffic of your family as they go about their day.
The more you think in a way that maximizes the space you have and removes additional items from eyesight, the more clean lines and easy flow you’ll have in the home which will help create a sense of more spaciousness.
Tip #3) Use Visual Illusions to Create the Appearance of More Room
As an interior designer, I have a deep understanding of what visual tricks and illusions we can use in a space to help increase the appearance of its size. Often this comes down to finding unique solutions based on the individual space itself but here are just some simple, generally-applicable things you can do for yourself:
Choose lighter colors when decorating large surfaces such as floors and walls. If the space is naturally less prone to light, furniture, accessories, and decor can be used to lighten and brighten.
Bring the eyes up as much as possible. This could be accomplished by selecting taller lamps, or including ceiling paint or wallpaper. The goal is to discover ways to bring the gaze above eye level so the space appears taller and therefore, larger.
Less is more. Rather than choosing more furniture and accessories, err on the side of less. Choose your favorite statement pieces wisely and don’t clutter the space with any unneeded furnishings.
Carefully position mirrors to maximize light. When placed strategically, mirrors reflect light and can create a false illusion of being in a bigger space. This is a great way to make a small space appear larger and bring more cheery, natural light to an otherwise moody room.
City living is a fun family adventure full of new experiences and sights to see. Even with a lot of roommates enjoying it, your small city living space can be beautiful and more comfortable for all!
Want someone to help you imaginatively design a small space where your whole family can feel inspired and relaxed?
I’d love to be the interior designer by your side that helps your family thrive in a small space in the city!
