Cities are growing and residential spaces are shrinking, offering fewer options for homemakers to build sprawling homes with backyards for pavers or lawns. The story is no different in newly constructed residential complexes and the quintessential space saving flats in different parts of the city; some of which are slightly better space than the clichéd matchbox homes.
If you are living in one such home or are planning to shift into one, you would have experienced the dilemma of equipping it with the right accoutrements or making space for all the accumulated household stuff. How many seater sofas can the sitting room accommodate? Where could the dining table find space? What about the wardrobe in the bedroom and the boxes of clothes waiting to get hung in there? And the kitchen…will there be any space for cutlery and knickknacks after the fridge and the washing machine jostle for space?
The size, often, leaves little choice in the furniture and furnishing quarters to enhance the style quotient of your living space. From the size of the sofa and the dining table to gadgets and cutlery in the kitchen, every item has to be picked with the limited space in mind.
But there is, apparently, hope for all those waddling on that path. Here is a quick checklist of space saving ideas and gadgets to meet the requirements of people living in small homes.
Space Saving Sofas
There are sofa-cum-beds and there are wall beds that double as a sofa… While the former isn’t difficult to source from the local market, a wall bed is also doable with the help of an efficient carpenter. A wall bed is handy when there are guests staying overnight and there are no spare bedrooms to share. The convertible bed can transform into a sofa during the day and turn into a bed at the touch of a button when required. Popularly known as a Murphy bed, it is also called a wall bed or fold-down bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall or inside a closet/cabinet. However, if you are only interested in a sofa, the furniture market in the capital has several options to fit specific requirement of your living room, with sofas ranging from bulky cushioned couches to scaled-down sofas that occupy very little space.
Beds with Storage
Beds that come with built-in drawers are designed specifically for small bedrooms with very little space for big wardrobes. The space saving beds can hold all your bedroom essentials, from towels and linens to pillow covers and blankets. Alternately, you could create the required space by raising the bed frame with a raised mattress platform or with blocks of wood that can go easily under each of the bedpost to give additional space under the bed. For a neater appearance, check out if you could source bed risers from online stores or the local market.
Corner Shelves
A compact bedroom leaves no space for the quintessential bedside table to hold a lamp, books, water and whatever it is that you may require during the course of the night. One easy option is to install a corner shelf to hold all the knickknacks or make your desk double up as a bedside table. The stool can easily go underneath the desk.
Floating Desk
If there is absolutely no space for a desk in the bedroom, opt for a wall-mounted floating desk, which will give you required room for your work without the legs of a regular desk occupying the space. This could also be used as a dressing table to hold all your creams and lotions.
Kitchen Cart
Smaller kitchens mean less counter space to prep up the meal, and this is where a kitchen cart can make all the space saving difference. With wheels to move around and counter space to work on, a kitchen cart is exactly what you would require to create more space; it provides additional storage room and can be easily put in a corner when not required. However, if the kitchen can accommodate a fixture, it is best to install a kitchen island and enjoy its style factor, not to forget the functionality it imparts with enough space to cook and even serve meal on.
Pot Rail
As the name suggests, the pot rail is a kitchen device to hang things – from knives and cooking spoons to platters and pots; it is a versatile, hang anything rail to make room for other gadgets in the kitchen. Hanging all the everyday kitchen items on the wall also makes it convenient and easy for busy folks.
There are several innovative ways to create and enhance your living space. Check out online resources for inspiration and visit your favourite furniture store to find out the options available to make those ideas become a reality.