I love working with small spaces and often feature them on the blog and Facebook page. There are some fantastic and creative ways to furnish and decorate them, and they definitely encourage you to only have those possession that you love, and to avoid clutter. With the price of houses these days becoming increasingly unaffordable, smaller homes could arguably be more affordable too.
Some others who agree with this are the owners of the exciting new business, Square Inch. Susan and John Frear think it makes sense to live in smaller spaces as the quarter acre dream becomes an unrealistic goal for many New Zealanders. Living in tiny flats in London and Tokyo didn't affect the couple's quality of life. Their spaces were well thought out and designed to squeeze a lot of living into little space, and they were filled with functional furniture that made the size of the space irrelevant.
Back in New Zealand, Susan and John decided it was time to reframe what comfortable living looks like, and in the process take some of the financial pressure off home owners. They wanted to bring multifunctional furniture pieces to the New Zealand market that would address our basic living needs - comfort, safety, plenty of storage, pieces that would allow us to work, sleep, eat, and entertain, all while looking stylish.
The first Square Inch product range is from young New York designer, Efe Kababulut, who previously worked for BoConcept. When furnishing his first New York apartment Efe was underwhelmed by his options, so decided to design his own range. The range includes sofa beds that are stylish as a sofa, comfortable as a bed (no hard metal bars to interrupt sleep), and offer additional storage.
As interior designers, Dael and I (Bibby + Brady) are always looking for good looking sofa beds, and in the past have struggled to find any that are comfortable and look good, so we are thrilled with the Square Inch range. A lot of our clients have spare rooms that work as offices or media rooms, but need to function as spare rooms when guests stay overnight, and the Square Inch sofa beds are also perfect for holiday homes.
It's not just sofa beds on offer, there are chaises and chairs that fold down to single beds; side tables that can turn into shelving units; entertainment units that can double as a desk... and many of the pieces are designed to work together. Various wood finishes and fabric options are available so you can customise your furniture to suit your home.
The Square Inch vision is to help everyone live large, no matter what space they have. All their products are stored in Auckland and can be delivered nationwide within 2-10 days. The products are flatpacked which makes delivery easier, and allows installation in the room they're destined for - no more nasty surprises when you can't get the furniture through the door!
While most of us are accustomed to internet shopping, if you find buying online a challenge or have any questions Susan is more than happy to answer them. To find out more visit the Square Inch website, and keep up to date with all the news on their Facebook and Instagram pages. If you're quick you can take advantage of the special offer - 15% OFF ALL SOFA BEDS - which runs until 19th July 2015. Go on... think smart and make the most of every square inch you have!
I have a soft spot for small spaces and I actually think it can be a great way to live as you're forced to eliminate clutter and have only what you need and love around you. If you've seen any of my "Nook of the Month" columns in Your Home & Garden magazine, you'll already have picked up some great decorating tips, but I've selected some of my favourite methods for working with small spaces...
Utilise as much vertical space as possible. Built-in bookshelves are fantastic for storage and display purposes, and take up very little floor space. Hooks and wall-mounted shelves are a clever storage tool also.
Furniture that is off the ground and has light, elegant legs suits a smaller room. I would advise against solid, heavy pieces. If you can, knock out walls and have a larger open plan space, rather than two smaller rooms. Then use rugs to differentiate areas - they are the perfect zoning tool. A low hung light over a dining table also anchors the table in place.
Take it one step further with your furniture by using Lucite or transparent pieces, they take up very little visual space. Mirrors are your best friend when it comes to decorating a small space. They reflect light and brighten a room and create an illusion of space.
Furniture that is multi-functional is brilliant! Add a bench seat to your built-in bookshelf for a cosy reading nook; or add a chair and turn one shelf into a work space. Don't forget that space under your bench seat - maximise the space by using it for storage, either open or enclosed.
Don't feel like you need to have small art in your small space. To the contrary... a large piece of art and a large rug will help fool the eye into thinking the room is bigger than it is.
I always like to have floor to ceiling curtains wherever possible. They look elegant and add height to a room. The more natural light you can have, the more spacious it will feel.
We Kiwis love our outdoor living, and by blurring the lines between outside and in will greatly increase the sense of space in your home.
So, don't you agree that living small has many benefits?! They're more economical to build and to maintain, and they encourage us keep (and acquire) possessions that really matter and really work. If you're having any trouble with your space, or would like help to maximise it's potential, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
You know how much I love nooks and tiny spaces! Well, I posted this pic (below) on Facebook recently - it's such a great use of space, dropping the bench top down into a seat to create a tiny dining area. Someone commented on the perspective of the photograph and where it was taken from, so I thought you may be interested to see the whole apartment...
The Swedish are so clever at living comfortably in small homes. The key is to utilise the space wisely, like adding a loft bedroom above the living room (this is where the first photo would've been taken). Down lighting has been added underneath the loft, and they've even included a little bookcase that can be accessed from the loft.
A small wall separates the living room from the kitchen - by not enclosing it completely helps to make the kitchen feel more spacious.
Beautiful big windows, lots of natural light, and the Scandi white interior adds to the feeling of space and airiness. The Wishbone chairs are another smart choice - a more solid chair would take up more visual space.
The bathroom areas are tiny but still stylish. A tiny shelf, a ladder, and a basket all provide storage solutions.
The entrance is actually pretty roomy. The coat hooks and mirror are handy for coming and goings, but I would definitely add a rug and a little console to create a lovely welcome.
It makes you realise how lucky we are with the size of our homes here in New Zealand. But if you do have a small home I hope you've taken some inspiration from this one. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
We can be a little bit spoilt here in New Zealand with the size of our homes, many homes in Europe have a lot smaller floor space to work with. It's amazing what you can achieve with a clever design, as you can see by this gorgeous 45m2 apartment by Russian architecture firm, INT2 Architecture.
A one bedroom home, it's kept light and airy with white painted brick walls and light floorboards. A hole in the wall between the living room and kitchen provides a tiny casual dining area, and makes the small kitchen feel more open.
The bedroom is on a raised platform allowing essential storage underneath. Hooks on the wall can be used for hanging clothes, and a curtain can be pulled for privacy.
I love the use of geometric pattern throughout the apartment which helps with the sense of cohesion. Ceiling high cupboards in the kitchen provide ample storage.
The scrabble tiles in the bathroom are a lovely, quirky touch. Using a floating vanity and loo is another trick to give the illusion of more space.
Even the tiny balcony has managed to fit in lots of storage. At one end old army boxes act as storage and seats, and at the other end a shelf fits snuggly.
When you live in a very small home you learn to only have what you need. Now is a really good time to have a spring clean in your home - be it big, small or medium size. I've been cleaning out cupboards and drawers over the last few weekends, and it's such a satisfying feeling to declutter and only keep what you need or love. Just like William Morris said... "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".
