Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want. And as much as we would REALLY LOVE to have a huge castle with turrets, fourteen bedrooms, a grand hall and enough space to fill with a load of junk (that we definitely do need…) we can’t. So when we move into a small house with little space for excess personal items or huge furniture, it can be a struggle to make it look homely and spacious. But there is a way to avoid a cramped home – and it all starts with the furniture.
Bring the park into your home
Okay, so it may seem pretty odd to have a bench in your living room – but trust us, it totally works (and is pretty cool). Nowadays, benches are becoming increasingly popular among those with small living rooms and kitchens, as well as those who want to experiment with the aesthetic of their rooms. If you have a small house, you probably have a small kitchen and dining room. This means socializing can be a bit of a pain. If you love having friends over, it can be easy to buy a big dining room to cater for the extra people. Our advice? DON’T. In your home, live within your means and space. If it is just the two of you, buy the table, and two chairs – not six. What are you going to do with them when your friends aren’t there? How much space are they using? This is where the bench comes in. Depending on the size, benches can sit multiple people around your table. They can also easily tuck under the table, making more space for when you’re not entertaining.
Ottoman beds
There’s nothing we love more than efficiency and tidiness. And Ottoman beds are the epitome of this – so of course, we love them too! Ottoman beds are perfect for the people who have small bedrooms and no storage space. From an outsider’s point of view, the bed looks like a normal bed. But when you lift it up, there is masses of space to put your clothes or any other items you wish to store away from view. This means there’s no need to buy any wardrobes or chest of drawers, meaning you can dedicate your space to a bed – and you’ll actually be able to see the floor and move around your own room!
Stacking tables
The likelihood is that if you have a small house, you have a small living room – and this makes entertaining pretty difficult. You don’t want your guests to put their drinks on your brand new cream carpet, so where do they put them? There’s no space on the singular coffee table? Well, stacking tables are the perfect alternative. The idea behind these tables is to stack as many tables on top of each other as possible without becoming an eyesore. These stacks normally have a few different sized tables on hand for your guests to use. Because they are stacked on top of each other, they take up little space. Perfect.
Armchairs
Many people have a real vendetta against armchairs. You can’t cuddle, you can’t stretch out, and some of them are pretty ugly. However, armchairs can be a lifesaver when you haven’t got a lot of space in your living room. Rather than choosing a bulky three-seater couch which fills your room, choose smaller armchairs which you can space around your room. This will leave ample floor space available, immediately making the room look bigger than it is.
Sofa bed
If you live in a studio apartment where space really is limited, sofa beds will be your savior. The idea behind a sofa bed is simple – by day, you fold it into a sofa. By night, you fold it out into a bed. If you only have one room, a whole double bed can take up a huge amount of space, leaving it difficult to distinguish your sleeping and living quarters. By using a sofa bed, you can do just that and not diminish your comfort.
If you have a small house, try out some of these furniture hacks and watch the space appear from nowhere! It’s not as difficult as it might seem, all you need to do is work with the space you’ve got. Go up rather than out when buying furniture, and you’ll find you can have more furniture than you think!
