Spatial considerations are a key talking point for any homeowner. Limited space can be a concern since it affects how your home looks to you and your guests. Homes are not getting any bigger, either, and if they do, it is only available to more affluent buyers. It makes sense to make do with what you have, but how do you make the most of your available space without making it feel cramped or smaller than before?
Fully utilising your living space shouldn’t be a headscratcher, even for a simple 2-bedroom home. We’ve outlined several handy tips and tricks to help you maximise your space and elevate your home’s appearance!
Know Your Space
Occasionally, some people don’t carefully consider how much space they need before furniture shopping. They might buy a sofa that is too wide for the living room or have a living room arrangement that has plenty of narrow pathways.
It is always a good idea to know the layout of your 2-bedroom condominium well in advance. The floor plan is the best visualisation tool at your disposal, as it gives you the dimensions of each room and a way to picture each furnishing you plan to add. You will have an easier time planning the ideal concept while making enough room to move around.
You could also hire an interior designer to help you out. With their expertise, the floor plan can give them a better read on the overall layout you have in mind. They can also make on-the-fly adjustments based on their recommendations or changes you submit.
Some interior designers may use your floor plan to help you pick the right furnishings for your home. That can do wonders to provide ample space while maintaining a great look at your home.
Get Rid of False Ceilings
Think of a false ceiling as an extension generally used to hide electrical wiring, add soundproofing, or improve the look of your interior space. The false ceiling can help to give your home a tidy, intimate feel. However, it can also make the room seem smaller than it is. Since a 2-bedroom condominium is on the smaller side, you could feel squeezed in with the false ceiling.
It would be better to remove the false ceiling and use other elements to make your home feel spacious. You can still add a lovely decorative light to accentuate the space with minimal fuss over wiring. You also won’t have to worry about maintaining the false ceiling, which can easily be home to dust bunnies and the odd house gecko.
Compartmentalise
Much of what we do to maximise space is called compartmentalisation. It involves practical and flexible arrangements that maintain an aesthetic appeal that homeowners can enjoy. A common form of compartmentalisation is via vertical arrangements. A simple example would be wall-mounted shelves and tall cabinets as storage areas.
Wall-mounted furnishings make full use of available wall space while giving you plenty of room to place larger furnishings (like chairs or tables) on the floor. Similarly, tall cabinets usually don’t require a lot of real estate but still reliably store various items on their shelves. With the right combination of colour and lighting accents, these furnishings can help your interior stand out.
Other homeowners may find other creative ways to compartmentalise, such as having the bed fold up inside the wall whenever it is not needed. Talk about space saving!
Multifunctional Furniture
Because of compartmentalisation’s growing importance, multifunctional furniture has been gaining popularity. As the name goes, they offer plenty of flexibility to your home without needing additional space to fit. This flexibility stems from the fact that multifunctional furniture has multiple purposes in a single piece of furniture.
Take daybeds, for example. In the day, daybeds are sofas for you and your guests to sit on, but at night, you can open it up and convert it into a bed for sleeping on. You also add ottomans that can serve as footstools and makeshift tables; some ottomans may even have small storage spaces you can use. Meanwhile, replace your large dining table with a kitchen island; it can double as a dining table while also having some room to store your kitchenware or other items.
Platform beds are another example: the platform just below the bed serves as a storage area for anything you need tucked away.
Open Concept
The open concept is also gaining a lot of ground over the years. When you have limited space to work with, tearing down a wall or two may be necessary. While costly, it can do wonders to open up your home and free up some much-needed space. You can replace the torn-down walls with glass ones instead. They serve as physical barriers that also let light into your home, giving the impression that the space is much larger than it is.
You can remove a portion of the wall instead, but you should consult with the renovator first. Also, do note that you can’t simply tear down any wall. In some cases, the wall may be there to provide structural support.
Once you’ve opened up the space, you can also use your furnishings to demarcate the different areas of the house. One example is to let the living room couch “float” – that is, place it in the middle of the room instead of against a wall. That couch now serves as a simple zone divider. Glass partitions can do the same while brightening up the space as natural light comes in.
Embrace Minimalism
There is also the minimalist approach to consider. Minimalism doesn’t necessarily mean you should only have the bare minimum. Instead, it relies on simplicity: having what you need or love for your home. It means decluttering and prioritising what is truly important for your home.
There is no right or wrong way to look at or incorporate minimalism. To some, it can be a sparse, spartan home with only the bare essentials. Others may opt for simplicity in the furnishings they choose. For example, a minimalist living room might include a long sofa, a matching single sofa, a coffee table with a flower vase, and a carpet. Some people may pick a few other things to add warmth or joy to the home.
You can find inspiration simply by knowing what you truly value in your home. Once you understand the less-is-more school of thought, you can easily find a suitable minimalist approach to maximise your living space.
Usher in a New Living Space
Planning your living space arrangements for a 2-bedroom condominium can be stressful because of the limited space or budgetary concerns. Take the headaches of home planning away by booking a consultation with us. We can help you work within your home’s spatial limitations with a carefully outlined blueprint, taking note of your colour, theme, and other design preferences. We can also provide financial consultation so that you are getting value from every dollar spent.
Contact us today for a free consultation to make your dream home a reality.