To make the best of a limited area, rein in your colour palette and try to keep things clean and tidy.
Every design decision matters when space is limited, especially if you want to create a sense of calm.
Interior designer Will Engelbrecht suggests you toss the cushions and keep the palette neutral.
And he says because homes have become smaller there is an array of furniture now available that folds up or down or in to create space and hence calmness.
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Here are some tips from Ina Baard, creator of Mother’s Love products and interior design fundi:
• Keep visual clutter to a minimum. I decided to stick with a mainly black and white colour scheme in my small apartment to keep things calm, with pops of colour to make it feel warm.
• Don’t underestimate the power of essential oils in your apartment. They create another layer of “decoration” and add to the sense of a homely space.
• Plants add a layer of warmth.
• A small space tends to get messy quickly. The good news is it can be quickly tidied again. The most valuable tidying advice I ever got was to look for things that are not where they should be when you move between rooms.
For example, when I get up from the couch to go to the kitchen, I always check for cups and plates I can take with me. Also as I clean my flat and notice things are looking old and tired, chipped or outdated, I consider whether it is time to let go of them or fix them.