Small flats: multifunctional areas in tight spaces
Today we do countless things in our homes, but we often don't have enough rooms for everything. So what could be better than multifunctional spaces that can be easily used for different tasks? And yes, even in a small flat. We're here to give you a series of tips and tricks for different rooms in the house that we think you'll find extremely useful. We've applied them all to one room, which can be a guest room, an office or even a small living area (among others).
Check out all our tips and apply them directly to your home!
Transforming a second or third bedroom into a multipurpose space isn't as hard as you may think. However, if you don't need to have an office, a guest room, or a proper relaxation room (as in this example shown in the floor plan), you might want to create a space that best suits your needs and can easily adapt to the activity you want to do at any given time.
In this case, our space makes a lot of use of the sloped ceiling, but you can use our advice for any other type of room.
Multifunctional furniture for guest bedrooms
If you want to create a versatile space like this, which can be used as a guest bedroom, arrange your space with the peace of mind that they will soon be enjoying all the comfort and privacy they need.
- Swap out your usual sofa for a sofa bed—you'll get twice as much out of it!
- Use the side table as a bedside table. If you have one of our KVISTBRO tables, you can also use it to store things inside.
- Take advantage of sloped ceilings by hanging a minimalist bar with leather straps to hang clothes.
- If you add a few hooks, you can store even more things.
Wardrobes and cabinets can help us in many ways, like this one we're showing you here. We've placed it in our multipurpose space, to help us store all kinds of things in our small flat.
In it, we've stored everything from filers with all manner of magazines and documents, to bed linen. When you close the doors, you'll see nothing! It's perfect for extra storage in any space, as it has plenty of capacity.
Another way to make the most of a small space, whatever it may be, is to add wall hooks. These can be used for a wide variety of situations, such as to hang our guests' clothes (or our own!), either directly on the hooks or on hangers.
We have also added our beloved FLÅDIS basket, which is the perfect match for a small, multifunctional flat.
It is handwoven and can be used to store blankets, cushions, clothes and all kinds of accessories, depending on the room you put it in.
If you have sloping ceilings, a great idea to make the most out of the difficult-to-reach corners is to hang a bar, in this case with leather straps attached, as we mentioned earlier. Choose whatever material you like to anchor the bar to the ceiling: leather, rope, fabric, plastic or metal chains...
This bar can help you create your own hanging clothes rack to make the most of a space that would otherwise be completely useless.
Small desks for your multifunctional space
Even if you can't have an office in a separate room, you're sure to want a space to work from home, manage projects here and there, or simply organise bills and other important documents.
Save space by putting a small desk just behind the couch, and complement it with a cupboard with doors like we saw before to keep your desk neat and tidy.
When you're not using the desk and want to rest on the couch, simply turn the desk lamp round so that you have enough light for reading.
Check out this "Video in a flash" on how to organise a space to work from home.
Corners for leisure in small flats
Having a small flat doesn't mean having to do without a space for your creative activities or hobbies. In fact, setting aside a creative activity space in the home is very motivating and inspiring.
If you like to paint, as in this example we're showing you (remember, we're still in the same room!), here are our recommendations:
- Get an easel that you can hang on the wall when not in use, using any type of hook that supports its weight. In this way, it won't take up any floor space. This same trick can be used for other materials and accessories, whatever your favourite activity may be.
- A trolley for your material or equipment can help keep them organised and is also an easy way of moving things around. Put it wherever you want, however you want.
- With a bar and a few small hooks, you can hang up your paintings to let them dry without having to leave them on the floor or anywhere else that ends up blocking the way.
A reading and relaxation corner.
If you want to create a rest and relaxation corner that meets all of your needs but doesn't take up too much space, cosy up in what we will now call "your relaxation space".
To enjoy your coffee in comfort, choose a plush sofa that isn't too big (yes, it's the one we saw before that turns into a bed), some cushions and some quilts. Don't forget to also add a bookcase to enjoy some reading time, and decorative items and music to help you relax.
After seeing so many ideas about creativity, reading and feeling good at home, be sure to check out this video in which Fernando Botella, creativity expert and coach, explains some simple and very effective techniques for stimulating your children's creativity at home, in our programme Making a Home.
We hope you've enjoyed this article and the videos we've provided, and above all that you appreciate that living in a small home doesn't have to limit your horizons now that you know about all the different multifunctional solutions.
Be sure to check out these articles before you go:
We love it when customers use our products in a creative way. Why not try to do something new with them yourself? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products will prevent them from being resold or used for their original use, thus invalidating IKEA product warranties and your right to return.
