Maximising your smallest space

May 15, 2024

Small spaces can present a challenge. How do we achieve what we need with limited space? We look at how to make a small space useful while still adding style and personality.

For us, the smallest spaces can be some of the most enjoyable to design. They require creative solutions, organised thinking and without the commitment required in a large room, they represent the opportunity to really inject beautiful personality and depth into the scheme.

Carefully conceptualising and designing small spaces, from WC to larder, boot room to hall, is key to creating a well used, functional home. They can offer efficiencies that improve your quality of life as well as uplifting, texture rich areas that make you smile every time you use them.

Here are a few of our favourite small spaces and how we approached their designs.

A cloakroom with character

This cloakroom space had no natural light to work with so we started by playing with deeper rich colours and a wallpaper that told a scenic story to pack the punch.

From there we built up layers of texture and pattern using the ikat light shades and moroccan floor tiles. The wall lights were chosen to add structure and frame the shaped mirror.

Wallpaper – Thibaut | Vanity – by Terry Design – Obin | Wall Lights – Pooky | Tiles – Porcellana | Mirror – Vaughan Designs

Maximising pantry space

A necessarily practical space just off the kitchen, we wanted to make sure this area could store and display all the kitchen (and residents’) culinary needs.

Decorated in calm, neutral tones linked to the outside kitchen design, the impact is in the regularity and uniformity of the shelving and panelling, coupled with the cute scalloped pendant light.

Pantry – Function Design | Units Pavilion Grey – Farrow & Ball | Walls Skimming Stone – Farrow & Ball | Swedish Cabinet is specially sourced – TCI

Injecting light

Working within a full Georgian Terrace Townhouse project, we approached this small space by remodelling the interiors and stealing some room from the utility to give us a little extra. With no natural light we brought in creative light via the brightness of the large scale Lewis and Wood Adam’s Eden wallpaper, its ivory ground uplifted by myriad colourful notes.

The trailing vine pattern opens the room up and contrasts well with the painted panelling. The wooden floor was chosen to keep the room in the style of the house itself.

Panelling Aubusson – Zoffany | Wooden Floor – Trunk Flooring | Wallpaper – Lewis and Wood, Adam’s Eden

Peaceful powder room

Another small space triumph is this calming Powder Room featuring Cole and Sons wallpaper in a greyscale tone sitting against a beautiful bespoke classic vanity and pattered floor tiles. We decided to play with scales of pattern here to entertain the eye as you spend time in this powder room.

Vanity – Function Design |Tiles – Porcellana | Wallpaper – Cole & Sons Ardmore Suvati