This post is in collaboration with Habitat and contains gifted items.
Even though my new home (I still call it new, even though I’ve lived here for 6 months) has quite a bit more living space, some of the rooms do still need to be multi functional. My spare bedroom needed to double up as a working space and my living room needed to have space to have friends round for pizza and not slop it all over the sofa – basically it needed a dining table that wouldn’t take up too much space.
I needed to choose the furniture and furnishings wisely so that they didn’t feel out of place or in the way but were still functional pieces that meant I used the space in a better way. Small space living has become pretty much the norm for 20 and 30-somethings, you have to make sacrifices when it comes to square footage if you choose to live where you actually want to live and that means you have to be more creative with how you furnish your home.
If you’re lacking inspiration and really just don’t know how to make the best use of the space you have, Habitat are here to help. They’ve teamed up with online interior design company, Homewings to show how to make the best use of a space and maximise it with a few tips and tricks. They got in touch to see if I’d like to put some of their tips to the test and style up some of their products – obviously the answer is yes.
Tip 1: Use Choose multi-tasking furniture
When I first moved into this house, I knew I wanted to get a dining table that I could use for aforementioned pizza nights, but I also knew that I didn’t have the space to have it out on show all of the time. I’d started to look into drop leaf dining tables but none of them were really doing it for me and all seemed to look a bit rickety and a bit cheap. That was until I saw the Heath Folding Table. It’s literally the perfect solution for my small space living problem – the perfect multi functional dining table. I chose the Walnut finish and it goes so so perfectly with the look I’ve created in my living room (I haven’t shared the ‘reveal’ yet, so you’re getting a sneak peek!).
It can easily fit 4 people around it but isn’t too big and fits nicely into the space next to my sofa, even when it’s folded out. It’s got a really cool manoeuvre when you take it from being a console table to a dining table – you basically just swing the outside legs around and fold the top open and it’s done. It’s really easy to do on your own, so I won’t have to wait for someone to come over before I can dress the table with my fancy dinner set. I’ve got some folding chairs that I store in the cellar when the table isn’t in use so they don’t take up any extra space.
So that’s the Heath Table out as a dining table, and here it is in all it’s glory as a side table:
I was lucky enough to get another piece from their collection – I went for the Marbelle Table Lamp with a marble base, brass hardware and a beautiful black silk shade. I loved how slimline the base and ‘arm’ were – I didn’t want anything too clunky and robust, so this was absolutely perfect. The light it gives off is really stunning, it glows from both above and below the shade, giving a lovely, soft light. I bought the prints a while ago, and knew I wanted something equally as simplistic but statement to go alongside them – isn’t it just perfect?!
The lamp also links well into…
Tip 2 – Go for the skinny legs – “Furniture that’s upholstered all the way to the floor can swallow up a room fast. Opt for open pieces that are supported by slim legs—they will feel lighter and airier. The more floor you can see, the bigger the room feels as light is able to flow through the space creating a ‘loftier’ vibe. Feel free to blend the types of legs supporting the furniture – furniture legs can be straight or flared out so mix and match the styles that suit you.”
I think both the table and lamp emphasise this tip, the table legs, while not super skinny, show plenty of open space under the table, while the lamp has the statement silk shade on top of the skinny brass ‘arm’.
Tip 3 – Use ‘skinny framed’ furniture – “Put simply – the lighter a space, the larger it appears. Natural light is the key to making a space feel comfortable and enjoyable, however this is sometimes limited, particularly in densely built areas. So, to make most use of the light you have available look to invest in skinny framed or glass furniture that allows all-important daylight to flow right through a room, rather than heavier set furniture that blocks and punctuates a room. Light woods, light colours and metallic surfaces are also your friend here that will all help reflect light and give a more spacious feel to a space.”
I know I’ve chosen darker colours for my pieces, but I’ve also chosen pieces that aren’t too obtrusive and fit into their intended spaces really well without looking too bulky. I knew that with light-ish coloured walls, I could afford to go a bit darker on some of my soft furnishings and furniture.
Habitat have a great range of products that would create the illusion of a bigger space and if you need a few more tips – you can read them all here.
This post contains affiliate links – I make a small commission if you choose to buy the products I have recommend (you don’t pay anymore).