With house prices and rent remaining at an all-time high, space is becoming a luxury that many of us are struggling to afford. Enter the era of compact living – there are many positives to smaller homes, including reduced heating bills and easier cleaning.
Having mastered small space living, the quest to maximise every inch of the home becomes essential. However, what if you’re faced with an awkwardly shaped room? The layout of a narrow room can be notoriously tricky, as noted by Sarah Lyon at Apartment Therapy: “Whether you’re decorating a narrow living room, bedroom or dining area, it can be challenging to determine a furniture layout that best highlights your space without making it feel even more cramped than it already is.”
Fret not; if you are stuck in a rut when it comes to making the most of your petite abode, look no further than our top tips on how to style narrow spaces.
Choose furniture carefully
Oversized furniture pieces just don’t work for smaller homes – forget big corner sofas with wide arms and generous backs. Choose a modest style that’s less bulky with slender arms and a slim back, such as our Kobe sofa bed. Featuring a sturdy frame, Kobe is a clever multifunctional piece that transforms from sofa to bed in one easy move. Remember, practical furniture with more than one use is crucial for making the most of a small narrow space.
Meanwhile, when it comes to choosing a coffee table, opt for a narrow rectangular style; alternatively, nests of tables and smaller side tables are great for easily tucking away when not in use.
Maximise vertical space
If you’re short on floor square footage – look up! You’ll be surprised how much use you can get from wall space. Fill the room from top to bottom with hooks, shelves and cabinets – the more storage, the better. Cove, a handy family of wall shelves, is brilliant for housing small treasures. Use shelves on the wall for displaying items or as an alternative to a side table.
An overdoor hanging caddy is another ingenious storage solution, regardless of the size and shape of your room. Lastly, mounting your TV will help free up space underneath, allowing you to move seating around your narrow room more flexibly.
Select rugs wisely
Large rugs can drown a room and make a space feel smaller. If your area is particularly long and narrow, why not consider a runner? It will create a feeling of cosiness and interest without overtaking a room completely. Rugs are a brilliant way to inject colour and brighten up a small room instead of filling it with knick-knacks and accessories.
Light it up
Small snug rooms can often feel dark – reflect natural light with a gallery wall of mirrors, which also make a great focal point. Use targeted lighting with table and/or floor lamps or even wall sconces to save on floor space. Opt for a ceiling shade that illuminates the area – you can layer lighting even in the narrowest of rooms. The brighter and lighter your space is, the airier it feels.
Get creative with storage
As we’ve stressed before, clutter is not your friend if you’re looking to excel in small space living. Once you’ve purged anything you no longer need, finding a place for your much-loved things is next on the agenda.
Get creative with your storage by choosing pieces with integrated solutions, such as a leaning ladder desk or corner shelving, to make the most of areas that are often wasted potential. Invest in under-bed drawers, perfect for housing toys, blankets and spare guest bedding; and look for cabinets with reduced depth, highly practical and ideally suited to narrower rooms. If you’re working from home, consider opting for a desk that folds up once you’ve finished for the day.
Do you have a narrow room that needs a pick-me-up? Let us know if you’ve found any of our tips useful. We’d love to chat about it when you pop into one of our stores. Alternatively, take a look online for more inspiration for your narrow space.
