The true meaning of the word ‘bijou’ is a jewel or trinket, which makes it sound rather more inviting than the just-slightly-bigger-than-a-cubicle you may have come to expect when it’s used in respect of a property. Notwithstanding this, smaller apartments have become more ubiquitous particularly in the world’s larger cities, and it may be that the time of almost everyone owning their own house is well and truly over. This being so, how can you make the most of your jewel of an apartment? Here are a few simple tips to help you reorganize your accommodation in Port Lincoln to maximize the space in which you live your life.
Brighten things up
Spaces that appear to be small and dark are often simply spaces that are dark – there are ways to bring some light into your life and your apartment and increase the apparent size of your living space in the process. Start with the flooring, which if dark will shrink the appearance of the room size and make it look smaller. Lighten it up with a change of flooring or a decent area rug in a pale color.
Visual cluttering
Keeping surfaces free from clutter is so on-message that it scarcely bears repeating, so let’s assume you’ve got everything that doesn’t need to be seen behind closed doors and move on. The idea of transparent furniture is not new, but it makes a surprising difference when space is at a premium. For example clear, see-through coffee tables really can enhance the feeling of spaciousness in your room as frankly, you don’t really know they’re there. Windows looking out onto the world are also magical and bring in extra light, but if you can conceal these at night behind neat window shutters, then you won’t have any messy trailing drapes to detract from your space or make it look smaller.
Reflect on that
Well, they say magicians do it with mirrors and so can you. Lots of hotel bathrooms use mirrors to create a spacious feel, particularly where there are no windows, and reflecting light will certainly illuminate forgotten corners of your accommodation. Consider if mirrors could change the apparent layout of your apartment and work out ways to make the most of them.
Vertical storage
Perhaps the greatest architectural headache that designers searching for ideas to meet domestic, industrial and business needs is that of storage. Yet by taking a new look at walls and vertical storage options, you can neatly store everything from your jewelry to your handbags or your bicycle. Simply think of them as objects d’art as they climb your walls,and then they won’t feel the least bitintrusive.
Double duty
If you’ve ever lived in an apartment where the bed folded down from behind closed doors built into a wall, then you’ll appreciate the double duty that some furniture items can do and how they can seriously help out those living in smaller apartments.
Minimalist, compact living arrangements are not such a bad thing after all, it seems, and may even have some advantages to trump the alternatives. Make sure you make the most of your own small space – remember, just like a ‘bijou,’ it’s a precious gem.