Whether it’s hosting guests, working from home or simply living in a smaller space, there are a few smart ways to adapt your environment to be both practical and flexible to suit the demands of everyday life
How to adapt your home for flexible living
With many modern homes now smaller than ever before, more of us are looking for space-saving solutions that need to encompass comfort, practicality and style. With a major shift in work/home life, spare space is now commonly needed for multiple purposes – from a guest room to a playroom or home office. Here are our top tips to maximise what you have:
Invest in a sofa bed
Guest beds are known for taking up a huge amount of space in a spare room and are not used enough to be a viable option. With many homes working with a restricted footprint, a guest bed limits the opportunities for using space effectively. Adding a sofa bed allows people to make better use of the space available to them – and means you’re enjoying two pieces of furniture for the price of one. Introducing a sofa bed doesn’t mean compromising on comfort so ensure you choose one with a proper mattress to match that of a real bed.
Use light to focus
Offering both purpose and ambience, the key to lighting compact and multi-use spaces is introducing layered lighting. Every small room will feel larger when it’s well lit, so whether you have plenty of natural light available or it needs to be added with lighting, having multiple light sources is the answer. Alongside essential task lighting such as ceiling or pendant lights, don’t forget to illuminate darker corners too with table lamps and wall lights to help make a room feel more spacious and therefore more functional.
Get smart with storage
An essential in every room, smart storage is significant in smaller homes – but it’s important to look outside of the box and add multi-functional furniture pieces that work harder. Whether it’s a coffee table in the living room that extends into a small desk for home working, an ottoman bed with plenty of storage underneath, or utilising every nook and cranny throughout the home for built-in storage, ensure every inch of your home is well thought-out and space-saving.
Plan the layout wisely
Clearly zoning a room, so it has a clear purpose, is a great way to maximise space in a smaller home. For many, the kitchen/dining area also plays as a home office as well as a space to relax in. A great start to zoning is looking at flooring. If you’re on a budget, adding a rug is a good way to softly designate areas within a room. If the room is being designed from the start, introduce two different types of flooring – such as floor tiles in the kitchen and wooden planks in the dining area if the room is open plan. The flooring will act like an invisible wall and create necessary separation.