Space-saving pointers for your home
TO free up space at home, the most obvious course of action is to declutter. But if everything still feels cramped after decluttering, consider the following:
Can you downsize?
Is an oversized desk or dining table dominating a room, though you and your family do not need one so large? Is space eaten up by huge speakers for a home entertainment system when newer, smaller speakers with improved technology could deliver the same sound quality?
How about a sleek laptop instead of that chunky PC? Many laptops now let you do just about everything you can do on a PC.
let it slide
Some people with plenty of money and imagination have been known to custom-make large, rolling “shelves” that slide behind one another to reveal different furnishings and household areas – one “shelf” may hold books and desk space for a study area, then it can be pushed aside while another shelf holding entertainment gadgets gets pulled forward, so you effectively have several rooms in one room.
If you’re less ambitious (or not so rich), stick to sliding doors for wardrobes or concertina doors for small bathrooms – they use up far less space than swing doors.
Make either the inside or outside of a wardrobe door a mirror so you don’t need extra wall or floor space for a full-length mirror.
Make furnishings do double duty
Choose items of furniture that play more than one role. For example, some companies can design two-in-one bed-and-table furnishings that let you push up and pull down different levels to reveal either a bed or a study desk – without having to rearrange any of the items on the bed or desk.
The good old sofabed is another choice.
Fold furniture away
Other space-saving furniture designs include foldaway beds built into a structure of cabinet storage.
When needed, such beds can be pulled down from the wall; when not in use, they fold away neatly into the built-in furniture.
Foldaway worktops and ironing boards can also liberate space for other activities by folding up flat against the wall when not in use. – Singapore Straits Times / Asia News Network