Maximize Your Living Space and feel free
January 16, 2018
A large part of living comfortably in your home is having the space to do so. Even if you don’t have much to work with, there are simple ways to maximise space in common living areas.
A natural part of being a homeowner is seeking to make the best use of space in order to create a welcoming atmosphere, which is both practical and liveable. Naturally, it’s the rooms we spend the most time in which seem to accumulate the most clutter – smart storage is key to maximising living space in these areas.
This article is all about space
Open up your home entranceway
This is where family members and guests get a first-time feel for your home, and there’s nothing like a good first impression.
Your home’s entranceway is also an area which needs to be practical. This area sees the most traffic out of your entire home, so maximising space is key to allowing traffic to move quickly and efficiently.
A great way to utilise space in a hallway is to place a bench or wall hanging hooks for storage of items such as kiddie back packs, keys, shoes, umbrellas, rain jackets and other paraphernalia used on a typical day in your household.
Placing a mirror in an entrance way goes a long way to creating the illusion of more space and opening up the area of a small hallway.
Make your kitchen functional
Aside from your entranceway; your kitchen is probably the second-most commonly used area in your home. In this case, it also needs to be both functional and welcoming, especially if it’s on the small side.
A highly on-trend way to maximise kitchen space is with open shelving, where plates and cups are on full display. This is a great way to ensure you keep only enough of everything, as too much on display can make any room look cluttered.
Install overhead pot and pan storage for another on-trend, fully functional touch to your kitchen, and organise a pantry or shelving space with clear or labelled jars of your dry goods.
Clever use of bathroom space
Your first step to maximising small bathroom space is to assess who uses the bathroom for what on a daily basis.
If your bathroom is littered with children’s toys, soaps and shampoos, consider installing open shelving or baskets under your sink area for storage of toys and extra towels. You can also use tile-adhesive plastic baskets around your bath for storage of your child’s favourite bath-time toys.
If you’re looking to organise beauty essentials, hang a shoe storage rack on the back of the door for a hairdryer, hair straightener and everyday beauty products.
Avoid clutter from gathering in public rooms
While a public room, such as a lounge may be one of the biggest areas in your home, it’s easy for it to become overly cluttered because it is so commonly used. Make sure this large living area remains spacious and comfortable with smart storage and you’ll immediately create the illusion of living in a ‘bigger’ space that is somewhere you’ll want to spend time in your home! A simple living room designs can go a long way and create space.
Smart and stylish storage for public rooms include ottomans that open and double up as storage holders for children’s toys, video games, winter blankets and more. Coffee tables with drawers and small cupboards can be used to store items such as remotes and coasters. You can even use stylish room dividers to break up a space and hide clutter If needs be!
Love your laundry room
Let’s face it, most laundry rooms in any home, no matter the size, tend to be neglected and avoided at all costs! But there are simple, yet effective ways to create functional space in a laundry room that is typically one of the smallest areas in your home.
Create a well-organised laundry room with vertical shelving and a handy hanging rack for clothes. Use overhead cabinets for storing of detergents and appliances, while front-loader machines mean you can stack a washer and dryer above one another to maximise space in this area.
If possible, make sure your laundry has a window, as this will allow for fresh air into the area for better drying of clothes, while creating the illusion of added space.
Being mindful about space usage means that there is less chance of clutter building up and affecting your lifestyle!
Share on Socials
Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light. For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
A safari theme never really runs out of viewing time and is particularly popular for interiors at the moment. The warm, earthy tones give a sense of comfort and the accessories offer the anticipation of travel and adventure.
Stay protected from mosquitoes with top quality mosquito nets. Buy online in South Africa for the best deals. Shop now and sleep peacefully.
