STYLISTS’ NOTES

Don’t have a massive pile in the country to decorate? Well join the club. These experts share their tips on the ways you can maximise your space in even the smallest rooms – and how you don’t have to compromise on style

Sarah Akwisombe

Interior designer and nomessing homes blogger Sarah says living in a small space is a blessing, and if you really want to paint the littlest room black, just do it!

Does small have to mean playing it safe?

No, these spaces are exactly where you can be bold with colour and design. People say paint it white so it will feel bigger. It won’t – a small room is a small room. So if you like colour, go for it: it’s a cool way to go.

How do you make all-purpose living spaces work?

The living room can end up being the area for everything – and there’s a trend in new builds to have the kitchen in the same room too. Be clever by zoning: separate the kitchen from the cosy area with a small dining table, or put a sideboard or console table along the back of the sofa to divide the spaces.

Is it easier to shop for compact areas these days?

Yes, the high street has really picked up in the last few years.

Urban Outfitters, for example, is doing furniture and home decor, targeting first-time buyers or renters. DFS now sells a lot of modular furniture, as does Made, and that lends itself to flexibility and change. You might not always live in a small space.

Your trickiest challenge?

It was a micro show flat I designed [for Innova] in Croydon. Dual-usage furniture came into its own: a coffee table that becomes a dining table, and little side tables that can serve as stools. Using every level of wall space is key, so there was shelving for storage boxes set above a lovely sofa bed. All clever stuff. The best designs can come out of having restrictions.

Have you followed your own ‘be bold’ philosophy?

In our little flat the ceiling is neon pink and we have a cobalt blue velvet sofa. Small isn’t an excuse to be boring. Show your personality and you’ll enjoy the space more… So, I’d say yes!

Find more inspired thinking on sarahakwisombe.com

Joanna Thornhill

Homes writer and interiors stylist Joanna says think clever, cohesive and clutterfree and your small space will be a little palace.

What’s your advice for small-space rental living?

If it’s unfurnished, and you’re buying new, opt for modular seating. It will look less cluttered than if you go for a small sofa and armchair, and you can add to your piece down the line. If it’s furnished, give it a cohesive look by limiting your palette – it can be as bold and as dark as you like – and pick throws, cushions and accessories in your chosen colours to visually unite the space.

How can you minimise clutter? Rather than, say, 20 little plants on a side table, go for a big statement fig or cheese plant. Less but larger generally works better in a restricted space.

What should we consider in a less-than-large kitchen?

It has to be storage. Our budget wouldn’t stretch to bespoke kitchen units, so we made our off-the-shelf ones work for us by asking our builders to create slim storage niches – using leftover side panels – at the ‘dead ends’ of our run of wall cupboards, rather than boxing them in. We use them for storing trays and chopping boards.

Tell us how you’d make an office feel more like home?

If your workspace is part of the bedroom or living room, choose pieces that aren’t obviously office furniture – an old writing desk or a dining table with a cutlery drawer for pens, or a bureau that you can pull down when needed. Put files and stationery in pretty boxes (try Paperchase or Ikea), or cover plain boxes in wallpaper so they aren’t screaming out:

‘I’m an office item!’ Blend it in.

Find more ideas in Joanna’s book My Bedroom Is An Office & Other Interior Design Dilemmas (£14.99, Laurence King); joannathornhill.co.uk