A Practical Guide to Designing in Small Spaces
This blog post is an excerpt from our guide, “Practical Design for Small Spaces.” To purchase your copy, click here.
Small spaces pose a common challenge for many individuals, especially those working within a budget or moving into a home they didn’t design themselves. So, how do you tackle the issues commonly faced in small kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms? How do you turn challenges into opportunities for creative solutions?
Identify the Challenges of Your Small Space
The first step in optimizing a small space is to recognize the challenges it presents. The primary concerns in small spaces are:
Lack of storage - nowhere to put items that need a home, e.g. a blender in the kitchen
Limited mobility - this is felt in different ways dependent on the room: in a kitchen it could be you can’t open the oven and fridge at the same time, in a bathroom it might be that you can barely move around because there’s so little floor space
Layout issues - these are primarily in rooms filled with freestanding furniture, like a bedroom or living room, but more expensive layout issues are also found in bathrooms and kitchens—rooms with expensive fixtures that are costly to replace and move around
Identify Your Small Space Needs
Once you’ve identified your challenges, it's important to understand the specific needs you have within that space. These can also pretty much be broken down into three categories:
Storage needs: What needs to go in there and how? On show or not? Do you want toilet paper on display in your bathroom or hidden away?
Spacial needs: What do you need to be able to do in your small space? Do you need room to brush your teeth or room enough to tapdance?
Infrastructural needs: What physical structures or fixtures need to be in the space and who do they need to be able to cater to? Who is this space for and how does that inform the type and style of furniture and fixtures you need?
You’re essentially identifying the problem or problems, figuring out your needs, and then you’re ready to start thinking about those in the light of the specific room or space you’re dealing with.
Small rooms and spaces come with some challenges, but with thoughtful consideration and creative solutions, every challenge can become an opportunity for a beautiful and functional environment. By understanding the specific needs of each room and thinking outside the box, you can make the most of your space, no matter how small.
Want room-specific solutions?
Listen to our podcast episode: How to Design in Small Spaces and
Click here to purchase our guide, “Practical Design for Small Spaces.”
