Urbanisation, population growth and efficiency concerns have pushed homeowners to downsize into quite literally tiny spaces. Urban area housing supplies are becoming more and more strained with 54% of the global population living in cities. By 2050, it is forecast that number is to rise to 66% making it 6.33 billion of the world population of 9.6 billion (UN World Development).
Further, the number of single-person households is rising and many of the new builds are systemically getting smaller and smaller. Whilst this movement has a host of challenges for housing codes and zoning regulations, it also poses new challenges to interior designers and homeowners looking to make the most of their tiny spaces in the city.
Designing the tiny house has gone mainstream over the past few years thanks to TV shows like Tiny House Hunters and Tiny House Big Living. Such shows seek to explore the affordability of making a tiny house a home. Tiny houses aren’t only cheaper but are more sustainable due to their low energy costs and smaller footprint. And there are stylish ways to achieve this.
Making the most of your skinny home
So here’s the deal, constraint often breeds creativity and that’s exactly what we’ve seen inside the burgeoning tiny house movement. Full-time homes have been inhabited by creatives who make the most of limited space whilst making things look good whilst they’re at it.
Juice out space and usage
The first and most golden rule in constructing the interior of your tiny house is to make use of every sing inch of it. If not a necessity, loft conversions are commonly used in any tiny home construction. Partway with your kingsize bed and in turn make room for bigger kitchen areas, bathrooms, dining areas and lounge spaces- all of which make a house a home. Bottom line is, your bedroom can absolutely be held out of sight as your personal and private sanctuary to make room for rooms to entertain guests.
Staircases and opportunities
Got stairs anywhere in your tiny house? Great! That’s a perfect hiding place for everything you need out of sight. Create storage spaces and cupboards underneath any stairs, or even 2-3 steps, to hide away bits and bobs to create your low-clutter interior.
Per definition, tiny houses are expected to contain the bare minimum. This expectation often extends to the luxuries of material goods and luxuries that accompany a typical lifestyle. You can, however, strike a balance.
There exist tiny houses with large dining spaces, luxurious furniture and in some cases, actual gyms! These are stunning examples of tasteful interior design at work. If you do find that your confined space limits your ability to include such furniture, there are ample ways to make big statements in smaller ways.
Use mirrors to reflect light and create the illusion of a larger room. This works particularly well when placed directly opposite a window. Tasteful frames can often contribute to the overall interior design of the room. Flat up against the wall- space is created, not lost.
One of the best ways to create the illusion of larger rooms is to focus on the floor. Literally, free up as much floor as possible to be seen by the eye. There are quite a few innovative ways to do this. First, turn to furniture with legs. Elevating your furniture off the floor, from sofas to storage units, will make the room feel more spacious.
Second, transparent or glass furniture creates the illusion of space because you can see through them. Glass coffee tables work a dream. They retain their functionality as a table, are less visible and exposes much more flooring.
A more unconventional way to save floor space is by hanging your plants from the ceiling. Add lush greenery to your home without having to take up any surface space. Hanging baskets are a good way to bring the outdoors in. When hung strategically, they can remain out of the way, maintain a roomy environment and complement your design.
No matter your abode, small or grand there are ample and equally innovative ways to achieve the interior vibes you seek.