Small home

Малкото жилище

Q&A: Small home

Small-sized apartments are common in modern buildings. They are designed for no more than two people. It is no coincidence that this type of housing is the biggest challenge for both owners and architects and interior designers. Here are some ideas on how to optimize a small home and make it offer you a high standard of living... 

Q&A: How to use the entry?

Each of us has been convinced of the need to have a wardrobe for outerwear and umbrellas at the front door. Placing the standard portmanto is often unthinkable due to the extremely small size of the room. Do not rush, however, to pass by the entrance area and look for alternatives. Sometimes it hides unexpected opportunities. Just look around! If somewhere on the walls you notice a revision door behind which are located the vertical risers of the dwelling (water measures, plumbing and sewer pipes, heating, gas, etc.), there is hope. Actually, exactly the entry is the most used room for these installations, so the chance is very big. Typically, the pipes are about 30-35 cm inboard from the wall. This allows you to drill a slightly larger hole and install a thin board (plasterboard, chipboard, MDF, etc.) that can be easily removed during the inspection. The niche thus obtained is closed with a door with barely noticeable hinges or, better still, with a sliding mechanism. You can shape the faceplate in two ways:

  • in the center of it attach a picture or art photography. The effect will be full if the artwork fences with a frame with built-in LED lighting;
  • use the same material as the rest of the wall and fit the guest hangers on the door. In both cases no one but you will suspect the existence of the wardrobe.

Q&A: What is important to know about the main room?

Typically, small homes have a space that has to accommodate all functions - rest, watching TV, cooking, eating, working, sleeping and more. Though narrowly and seemingly devoid of opportunities, with a good thought, this room has all the chances of fulfilling the tasks for which it is intended. The basic principle is to maximize the capacity of the spaces and furnishings. Separation of corners is inevitable. Unlike other dwellings, however, zones can constantly swap their features and sizes:

  • The seating area is furnished with multi-functional furniture - sofas and armchairs with the possibility of stretching and storing various items in them. The stores sell comfortable models, fitted with drawers at the base;
  • The coffee table can also be suitably designed to accommodate a variety of items from tea bags and coffee mugs to remote controls and magazines. Modular kits where stools can perform mass functions are recommended;
  • The dining table, as well as the desk in the work area, is also good to be extensible. The best examples are when in a stowed position they are part of the panel of a cabinet or wall;
  • Appropriate chairs for small housing are folding models because they earn valuable space when you do not use them;
  • Because the space often does not allow a sleeping area, or even a smaller room, you can think about the so-called falling bed. There are good and stylish examples of cabinet and library shelves in the market that include such mechanisms;
  • If you have more options and desire, you could order professionals to design and build a mobile wall section. It is equipped with wheels that rotate in rails mounted on the floor and / or at the ceiling. This simple facility will allow you to fully enjoy two areas - a living room and a bedroom. With movement, it adds extra space to one or the other corner. Representation of Dorma in Bulgaria offers similar solutions.

Q&A: What to do with the kitchen, the bathroom and the balcony?

Each of these spaces is of the utmost importance for the dwelling. Do not reduce the size of any of them. Either way, their area is reduced enough at the expense of the rest of the rooms. Of course, it is also good to think about optimizing the space:

  • In the kitchen install built-in appliances to earn a larger worktop;
  • If the bathroom does not allow a shower with a minimum 80/80 cm shower space, make sure that the sink mixer has a "telephone handset" plug;
  • On the balcony, put extendable clothes dryers (standing or mounted on the wall) to free up space when not in use.