How to maximise the space in your home

Smaller homes can easily have everything you want in a home more so than a larger house, but when it comes to decorating your home the smaller spaces can come with many challenges. 

You have to be smart when choosing how to decorate each room to get the most out of each space. Follow these tips and tricks to organise and declutter in order to open up your home for a more comfortable living space.

MIRRORS MIRRORS MIRRORS 
Using mirrors in a clever way can instantly make a space look bigger, opening up empty corners or walls and helping to spread light into darker areas. 

USE EXPOSED LEG FURNITURE 
Add a spin on classic furniture by using exposed leg tables and chairs without arms, making the space appear more open and fluid. 

MOUNT YOUR TV 
A whole TV table, with gaming consoles, TV boxes and any old DVDs you have laying around, can take up a lot of floor space in your living room. By mounting your TV above a fireplace, on a wall or on top of a chest of draws can help free up some space and will give your room a less cluttered look. 

CHOOSE NEUTRAL COLOURS 
Neutral colours work well when you have natural lighting, and can actually fool the eye into thinking there’s more space in a room. You should keep the colour scheme neutral and throw in a couple of subtle textures and patterns to add some variety. 

MAXIMISE KITCHEN SPACE 
If like in most British homes your kitchen is a little packed when it comes to space, opting for a smaller retro fridge freezer is the best bet over the larger newer models. Try some benched seating for your dining room, these seats can fit under the table when you’re not eating and will also allow you to push a table into a more out-of-the- way space whilst not in use. Sliding panel cupboards and tall narrow dressers are also a great way to maximise storage space for all your kitchen appliances and food. 

USE THAT CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS 
Most British terraced houses come with an oddly shaped cupboard under the stairs which tends to go underused, apart from the odd boxes and clutter which we don’t want to deal with. Utilise this space by assigning it as a specific storage room, such as a coat and shoe area, a dog food and toy storage space or even a mini wine storage area. Using a room as a specific storage area will help you feel like your home is more organised and decluttered, and will free up some space somewhere else. 

LIGHT UP YOUR WALLS 
Wall mounted lights can be a good design feature for smaller spaces, helping to light up your rooms whilst not taking up much needed table space with lamps. 

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR STORAGE 
When dealing with a lack of storage spaces we need to be clever. If you have lots of herbs and spices then try using a spice rack to keep them neat and tidy, and if you have empty wall space add some shelves for mugs, plates jars and kitchen appliances, freeing up counter and cupboard space. 

LESS IS MORE 
If you want your decorations to be more impactful but not busy? Many people think the solution is to use smaller furniture to fit the small space, however opting for larger, but fewer, pieces will create that impact you want without cluttering the room. 

INVEST IN FUNCTIONAL FURNITURE 
When possible, pick out more functional furniture, such as beds with storage space underneath, foot stools with a lid and coffee tables with shelves incorporated. When buying your furniture consider how each piece will improve the functionality of the room. Maybe instead of two smaller coffee tables get one big one, or instead of a large desk get a folding desk which can be packed away after use. Consider what works for you and your home.instead