A small house design can be a challenging yet fun and rewarding process. Because of the design constraints that are involved in creating a small house design, you are forced to consider every detail and how you can maximize each pocket of real estate in the confined building space for comfortable and practical living. Lorena mentions how this lifestyle is gaining so much popularity that you can rent a Tiny House, read more about that here. Here are a few key points that you need to consider when drafting a small house design.
Read about Small house Design by Mon Structures here.
Make a mood board
For those that don't know what a mood board it is collection of ideas and concepts that represent a certain aesthetic. It can be physical eg printed or virtual. Platforms such as Pinterest can be very helpful for compiling pictures for your mood board. Creating a mood board can help you solidify your design direction. It can save you time in the long run by reducing the number of decisions you need to make down the track as you can refer to your mood board for direction.
Draper by Land Ark interior.
Lighting
Good lighting design is the cynosure for any small house design. Consider both natural and artificial lighting.
Artificial lighting includes three types of lighting techniques, ambient, accent and decorative. Ambient Lighting is all about creating an equal spread of light throughout the space. Accent lighting style is all about highlighting certain features in your small house design. They can be feature objects like paintings, food displays or even a luxury artwork. Decorative Lighting is about adding beauty to your house with the light itself. Decorative lighting is done through elaborate fixtures that complement the interior style of the small house design.
Natural light can both make a space feel spacious and refreshing and also small and cozy. Having large windows and glass doors is a common technique for small house design in order to make them feel larger.
The use of space
Arguably the most critical consideration with small house design is the use of space. Always keep a good balance of function and aesthetics. We have included some considerations below for the smart use of space in your small house design.
Use fold-down options
Things like tables, desk, and chairs can fold away into the wall, very quickly increasing the amount of space. Think about how much space you can save if your dining table folds into the wall. Our Hanging Drying Rack works with a similar principle in mind. It retracts up in the ceiling using the warmer air up higher to dry the clothes and also freeing up space below.
George & Willy Hanging Drying Rack
Use your walls efficiently
Like fold-down options, don’t forget how helpful your walls can be. Your kitchen is a great example of this. The more items you can hang or otherwise store on the wall, the less clutter you’ll have on your kitchen countertop. This means less mess and more room to do your cooking. Our Wooden Pegboard is a great companion for your walls. Its modular design allows you to customize it to your unique needs.
Wooden Pegboard shelf by George & Willy, featured here.
Keep Things Clear Above the Waist
An often overlooked but great consideration in your small house design is keeping clutter below your waist. Other than perhaps the kitchen, it's good to keep the clutter low. This will give you a greater sense of space and mean you're not bumping into things with you arms and shoulders.
Mirrors
An old trick but that doesn't mean it's not a good one. There are reasons elevators are lined with mirrors, it dramatically increases the feeling of space and is great to employ in small house design. They're also a great way to spread light.
George and Willy Cabin on Clyde utilizing easy storage.
Built-in seating with storage
If you haven't already seen our Cabin on Clyde video then be sure to check it out. We utilized this exact principle with the seating in our lounge. The rather large couches double as big storage units and you can store an amazing amount of stuff in there.
George and Willy Cabin on Clyde high ceiling space is perfect for storage.
Nesting tables (and other items)
Tables that nest into each other when not needed are a clever way to have a lot of bench space when you need it but yet pack away small. Glass tables also take up less visual space.
Choose your possessions carefully
Have only the things you really need. It's more important in this day and age to buy long-lasting possessions and especially ones that can serve multiple uses. Our Daily Roller is perfect not only for lists and notes but also things like wrapping gifts, wrapping food and more. Find out more about what you can do with kraft paper here.
Daily roller by George and willy
High Ceilings
When considering your small house design think about your ceiling height. Higher ceilings can easier make a small house feel bigger and also allows more wall space for shelves, storage and larger windows. Because height doesn't increase the size of the footprint of the house it's also a good way to increase space when council consents won't let your footprint get any bigger.
Hanging Drying Rack by George and Willy
Choose good colors
Colour is a critical consideration for small house design. Light colors make space feel bigger and more expansive. The floor and exterior can be any color you want but try for light colors when it comes to the floor and ceiling.