Smart Living in Small Homes

By Chirag Sharma

Photography: World Wide Web

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‘Minimize constraints and maximize functional aesthetics’ is the key to put your best foot forward even in a small space... 

It’s all in the mind. Adapting to a small area need not be synonymous with adapting to a cramped lifestyle! Today, small homes are being optically lifted, expanded and their positive aspects highlighted making them appear much larger than they actually are.

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Small spaces are being enhanced in various ways. Right from structurally opening space by lowering windows, spacing out dead niches, enclosing balconies and knocking down walls, and aesthetically enhancing the essential beams and columns through the tried and tested principle of camouflage, to a careful balancing of furniture, fittings, soft furnishings and accessories against a balanced palette of colour and light.

‘Less is more’ in a small space! The idea is to create a feeling of spaciousness – harmoniously and stylishly. The key lies in change - change in one’s style of living, storage habits, and personal habits based purely on one’s distinct environment and need.

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Light: While natural light is the best option, any use of artificial light should be in form of a sleek table lamp or an up-lighter to create balance, scale and mood. Even small chandeliers/ wall brackets are best avoided in a room with small proportions.

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Colour: Stick to a neutral colour palette. Soft earthy tones and broken white open up spaces and create a perfect backdrop for hues from furniture, furnishings and accessories. Accents in colour and form are well focused upon with a minimal palette. Painting the walls and ceiling in the same colour creates an uninterrupted flow giving the room an expansive feel.

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Texture & Pattern: Small patterns and smooth textures create interplay of design and decor elements that complement the spatial feel. The fewer they are – the more spacious the room feels.

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Scale & Form: Remember, no cornices, no moldings, nothing frilly and no clutter. A false ceiling too is best avoided. Let the simplicity of the structure per se be visible so that the add-ons enhance its natural line and form.  Heavy furniture is an absolute “No-No”. We recommend light furniture of a more open design say exposed sleek legs to the sofa and chairs as opposed to the heavily upholstered variety. Fold-aways, built-in cabinetry with a two-way option (with open-able shutters and drawers on both sides), low furniture are other space enhancers.

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Accessories: Materials such as glass and metal, and fabrics that are light and airy lend a feeling of openness. Few well-chosen accessories – well placed, can work beautifully enhancing the balance and harmony of the ambience rather than bric-a-brac selected and placed without conscious thought. Windows could be dressed in straight lines rather than valences. Also, a little plant on the windowsill or a tall planter tends to add on to the aesthetics.  Use mirrors – on the wall – as a place mat under an artifact or as a tabletop. The reflections generate an element of interest.

Above all, one should always make sure that movement around a small room is unimpeded and comfortable.