Our European neighbours have spent the quarantine in their garden or terrace, with enough space to breathe the outdoors and with views beyond buildings. According to the latest data from the European Statistical Office (Eurostat), Spain leads the ranking of European Union (EU) countries in which the highest percentage of the population lives in a flat: 66.5% of Spaniards live in this type of building compared to 33.1% who live in a house, as is the example of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Why is there a greater tendency to live in flats in Spain?
To understand it better, it is necessary to go back to the fifties, when Spaniards left rural areas to live in the city. At that time, the aspiration of many families was to own a home to develop their personal and professional lives. However, living in a small apartment has some advantages, mainly its cleaning and maintenance, which is simpler. In single-family houses, the design and layout greatly influence the feeling or not of coldness and discomfort. The less space we have, the more close at hand we will have everything and everything easily tends to be warm and welcoming. Despite the ease of cleaning, maintenance and decoration that having a small home entails, the main problem is the lack of space. Making the most of the space through an optimal layout and decoration according to the lifestyle is possible. Do you want to know how? Kaleidoscope gives you 4 tips to make the most of space in small flats.
How to make the most of space in small flats
Distribution
In small flats, we often do not have walls that specifically delimit different rooms in the house. Instead, we will have to bet on redistributing the space through differentiated environments according to their functionality. Clearing the passage areas, not obstructing the entry of light or sticking to the wall those pieces of furniture that are taller and bulkier are other ideas that can help us improve the distribution of our apartment.
Furniture
In small and small flats, making the most of the space with a good choice of furniture is essential. A tip to place shelves on the walls, and even above the door frames, designer stairs with plants. Having custom-made wardrobes, which cover the entire wall up to the ceiling and eliminating furniture that is unnecessary and does not take advantage of us to store anything, will also allow you to get more out of the entire height of the room. Choice of furniture that is not bulky and that, at the same time, helps us to increase capacity, betting on dual-use and modular furniture, or custom-made furniture, as we mentioned up to the ceiling. The sofa, for example, is useful if it has a trick. Choose sofa beds for when you receive guests and want to take advantage of it.
Harnessing light
Natural light and a feeling of spaciousness go hand in hand. In fact, even if your apartment is small, it will always seem larger if it has natural light. It is important to keep the windows clear so that nothing gets in the way of the light passages in the rooms. If you don’t have too much natural light, you can play with lighting: you can use elements such as mirrors with lights around them to bring greater clarity to the room.
Walls and floors
If you are thinking of doing a renovation to make better use of the space of a small apartment, you should think about changing the floor and walls. Ideally, the floor should be clear, smooth, medium-sized and preferably shiny; In the case of walls and ceilings, the color white is a safe bet, as it increases the feeling of space. Combine soft and light tones, as they give a lot of light and spaciousness and are also easy to combine. If you choose this option, you may need to unify your floors and décor, but it’s worth the investment. Another idea to make the most of the space in small flats?
If you have a terrace, add part of it to the kitchen living room with a simple enclosure.
Are you thinking of doing a comprehensive renovation to make the most of the space in your home? Contact us through our planner.
