Creating a vision
Building a vision of the room you’re decorating before you get to work is key. Creating a mental representation of what you want to see can help you plan how to make the best use of the space and the furniture that will best match.
We expect a lot from our homes these days. We need spaces to eat, sleep, work, play, and provide storage for our possessions, so it’s important to carefully consider the functions you’d like each room to serve.
Expert space saving advice
One of our interior designers, Eileen Kesson from Envision, shares how you can create flexible spaces with space saving furniture…
“Multi-purpose furniture allows the room itself to multi-task and is an effective way of opening up a room and limiting the amount of furniture you need. Purposely seeking out multi-functional furniture provides the opportunity to be creative, and while some pieces of furniture have specific purposes, that doesn’t mean you can’t customise it to work for your own space and to suit your lifestyle. For example, dining tables can double as study or working areas.”
Eileen’s top advantages of space-saving furniture
Cost efficient: Smaller pieces of furniture can be both affordable and trendy.
Multi-purpose rooms: You don’t necessarily need an entire room to serve one purpose. Space-saving furniture can often be multi-purpose too.
Reduced clutter: Maximising your space requires organisation, which in turn keeps the area tidier and well kept. Organisation has become a huge home trend in recent years thanks to celebrities such as Stacey Solomon and Mrs Hinch with lots of clever ways to store items, ensuring even the contents of your cupboards are tidy.
Looking for space-saving inspo?
The Avon, Green Park at Grandhome
The three-bedroom semi-detached Avon showhome in Bridge of Don features lots of clever furniture to maximise space and create multi-functional rooms, particularly in the bedrooms. The main bedroom includes a wall-mounted vanity table which can fold down when not in use and the bed is framed by a floating side table on either side.
Floating furniture creates the impression of more space as it does not take up space on the floor, allowing you to see right to the wall.
The Lewis, Mains of Grandhome
The impressive five-bedroom Lewis showhome also uses the floating furniture technique with the bedside tables in one of the bedrooms. As an added space-saving hack, hanging pendent lights act as clever and on trend bedside lamps. Eileen has used a furniture company called Urbansize, which specialises in space-saving furniture in this property.
The showstopping open-plan kitchen and dining room has several functions and includes a striking sage kitchen, stylish dining area and a compact office desk.
The new one-bedroom show apartment at Southbank in Aberdeen includes a dining area with stools instead of chairs in the open-plan kitchen and lounge, which can be easily tucked under the table when not in use.
Eileen has also used shelves underneath artwork to create a striking feature, as well as a place for items to be displayed. Including this feature above the dining table also helps to identify it as a separate zone from the kitchen and lounge with a clear purpose.
The lounge features contemporary, wall-mounted lamps, which extend out over the sofa, creating the same impact as a floor lamp without taking up as much space.
Have some space saving hacks of yourself? Tag us on Instagram @calahomes.
