Real Estate Matters | Ideas for Small Spaces Making the most of restricted space

Juliet Risdon

Juliet Risdon is a Director of JML Property and a property investor.
Having established the company in 1994, JML Property offers Investment Property & Homes. It specializes in managing properties for owners and investors, and providing attractive and comfortable homes for tenants.

The reality for many people living in Macau is the restricted space available, and that means making the most of the space we are given and adapting to a space far smaller than you may have been used to.
In this article we explore further the idea of creative design for small spaces.

Less is more
Furnishing small spaces requires restraint.
Only furnishing with functional items and avoiding pieces that are just for show and create clutter is essential.
Here are a few tricks used by Interior Designers to maximize space usage:

Living Room
* When choosing a sofa, look for one with legs rather than one that touches the floor. It will appear to make the room larger.
• This rule also applies to kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. If you can see the floor, the area will appear larger.
• Avoid using a central coffee table, and consider using side tables instead that can be pulled out when you need them. The space in front of the sofa remains open, allowing easier circulation in a less cluttered environment.
• Consider buying side tables that can double as stools when entertaining.
• A great space saver is also to wall mount your TV so that you can use shelf space for something else.

Kitchen & Bathroom
Multi purpose furniture is not limited to the living area.
• Think combined dryers and washers, combination microwave and convection ovens, expandable dining tables and bedside drawers instead of a table.
• Average cupboards, wardrobes and bookshelves are 1.8 metres tall, leaving lots of neglected space above them.
• Ordering furniture 2 metres high or floor to ceiling will utlize this space, or if this is not an option, a row of attractive storage boxes on top of the cupboard will also work.
• Open shelving is a comparitively cheap solution. However, unless you’re very disciplined, open shelving can create the appearance of more rather than less clutter.

Next Week: Bedrooms & Mirrors…

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