Living large in a tiny home.

A while back, I got inspired by tiny homes. This was when I was living in a rental property and after moving thrice, I realised that it is sometimes impossible to afford space enough to fit all your needs. As you progress in life, you realise that you need additional space e.g. an office, a kids play/school room, a laundry/offload room etc. All this spaces end up requiring one to get a bigger house every other time. This for sure is not sustainable.

As a single person, it is easy to have a small space that fits all. To date, I still admire the functionality of the tiny home designed by Ana white. Check out my blog on “The Tiny house”: https://interiordesigncafe.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-tiny-house.html .

In it is a link to Ana White’s video: Open Concept Modern Tiny House with Elevator Bed.

In my last blogpost, one reader commented:

As an Interior designer, I believe the goal should be creating solutions that make your house work for you and not necessarily adding up horizontal space. Before you consider renting a bigger space, always ensure that you have exhausted every corner horizontally and vertically. Your house should be a living space and not a storage space and therefore, also ensure that everything in the house is usable and has not just been stored for future use. Procure items that fit the users of the house and a few spares for sleep over guests. Do not rent up real estate with guests in mind as that is an additional procurement and maintenance cost that is unnecessary.

Every space in the house should be used for the purpose it was intended. For example, the living room should be used purely as a living area unless it’s big enough to fit any other function such as a living/dining area or mini office as well. When reviewing your house, check for the following:

1.       Purpose of the room

2.  Has furniture been installed that fit this purpose taking into consideration the size of space available?

3.     What other function can the room serve as?

4.     Do we have sufficient storage for items used in this room to avoid visual clutter?

Visual clutter is one of the things that affect comfort and aesthetics in small spaces. A space without visual clutter always feels bigger and more spacious.

 a.       Laundry room

A laundry room is a luxury in most homes especially because landlords in low/medium end homes do not take this into consideration. It is the centre bolt to cleanliness in a home. The key functions in this space are washing and drying. Equipment such as a washing machine can be installed to make life easier. With modern technology, a washer/drier machine can be procured so that it serves both functions at once. In a laundry room, one needs to also consider storage for cleaning detergent, buckets, basins, brooms & mops used to clean the rest of the house. This space can also be used for folding, ironing, pet bed & bath and also as a mud room where all shoes, bags, hats or umbrellas are kept once one comes inside the house. A 1.8 m by 0.6 m by 2.4 m is sufficient for this.

b.      Nursery

This is one of my most favourite spaces at the moment as I prepare for my little bundle of joy.

For expectant moms or those with small babies that do not have the luxury of acquiring a bigger space, function is key. Inbuilt storage works best in order to make use of vertical space. In your bedroom, one can take up one wall and make it a nursery. The necessity of a baby is sleeping, bathing and feeding. Baby items can be stored in the overhead inbuilt units to avoid cramping up the space horizontally. When shopping, only buy necessities. Diapers, oils and soaps should be usable for only one month or two as they are can easily be procured.

c.       Dining room

Dining tables need circulation all around for access. In the event one does not have a dedicated space for a dining room or where the space provided is small, a corner booth seat can be considered with a loose table and seats on the other end. The booth seat reduces on circulation on two sides. If the family has an infant, a baby feeding seat can be placed replacing one dining chair. A storage space can be created on one wall to act as a library or office supplies storage so that this space can also be used as an office or kids homework/crafts area. The booth seat base can have drawers for additional storage.

 d.      Bedroom

Bedrooms are one of the most badly furnished spaces in the house. One of the biggest mistakes users make is to buy a bed that does not fit the room. Most people want a 5’ x 6’ or 6’ x 6’ bed and yet the room floor area does not allow for this. For a small room, in-built furniture around the bedhead is a good way to provide storage. One can wire within the cupboard and provide new sockets or switches near the bed for ease of use. Clothes, shoes, electronics or even books can be stored separately. Cabinets at the highest level can be uses for spare items or items not used on a daily such as suitcases.

e.      Living room

The main secret to designing a small living room is Decluttering, Lighting and Essentialism.

Before embarking on the design, identify how you use the space. If you use the space for relaxing after a long day and watching TV, then a comfortable seat and TV need to be included in the room. If you prefer reading books, then a small library needs to be included. One seat and most preferably a Pull-out couch is sufficient. Mobile Ottomans that can be stuffed under the TV cabinet or rather maybe also used as stools can be considered. A set of nesting stools is more preferable to a large coffee table. Inbuilt TV cabinet/library shelving will maximize space. Wall mounted TV and sound system will reduce visual clutter and reduce on hanging cables. Light white sheers (or none) can be used to ensure maximum light filtration and reflection in the room. The main paint palette to be white or off white to ensure the space remains as bright as possible.

Inspiration pour le Journee

I love House and home because of all the fantastic ideas they put forth in Interior design.

In this video “Bungalow Makeover: How to make a small home feel big”, the Designer Brian McCourt designs an amazing small house. He takes into consideration all tips that one can use to maximise space.

 Learning points.

1.    While making use of vertical space, consider vaulting ceilings to acquire room height which eventually makes the room feel bigger.

2.       Take advantage of the vaulted ceilings to introduce Skylights.

3.       Install tinted windows to avoid curtains or blinds where necessary.

4.       Break down unnecessary walls to open up space.

5.       In the event walls or screens are required, consider using glass.

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