‘I need more space….’ is the often heard cry…

More & more of us live in multifunctional spaces & work from home some of the time

Open plan living means that we might be working in the same space during the day and wanting to leave it all behind in the evening to create a social space for entertaining or spending time with family. We don’t want the ‘office’ to take over our whole home…we need a positive work-life balance,..which means optimizing & organizing our living space.

So, when considering re-organizing & creating ‘more space’, here are some points to consider

• Ergonomics – furniture should be built to certain heights, especially if working at a desk & in kitchens.

• Comfort & Flow – the space needs to flow easily without any bottlenecks,  & an open plan room needs to be divided effectively - delineate different functions by using such things as rugs, room dividers or tables, chairs/sofas to differentiate the spaces & put some furniture centrally - rather than all around the sides/walls

• Organization – keeping our space clutter free so that every little thing has a ‘place’ of its own - means however hectic our lives we have a clear calm mind..no need to panic every time we leave the house – will I lock myself out/has the dog run off with the keys?, has the baby dropped my mobile phone?..where have I put the allen keys for reading the meter?…everything can be tucked away into special cupboards, drawers or shelving - plan & design what fits your needs

• Optimize your space by building some fitted furniture into every corner of every room to squeeze the maximum from every inch of your house - creating a happy harmonious organized home and perhaps even adding value to your property at the same time!

• Style choices - Fashions of decoration are constantly changing as are convenient ironmongery or hardware accessories. From the numerous names of different decorative styles - such as Mediterranean, Coastal, Scandinavian, Industrial, Shabby-chic, Boho, Modern, Contemporary, Japandi, Rustic, Country, Mid Century….what does it all mean? - I would stick to about 4 or 5 ‘broad’ descriptions = Traditional, Country, Shaker, Contemporary & perhaps Scandinavian, Shabby-chic & Mid-Century - which each ‘describe’ a ‘look’ or style of furnishing a room….although perhaps I have left your favorite out! So when thinking about how you want your fitted furniture to look, that you are planning to have built, these styles can be a starting point for the design process …..obviously so it fits with your existing decor.

• Tips for smaller spaces - Cleaver use of colour particularly in smaller rooms can help create the illusion of bright & airy space - keeping to light whites with colouful accessories is an often used option….but nothing beats natural light for making a space feel bigger, enhanced by the use of mirrors in a small space to bounce the light off. Using furniture of a lower height, breaking the ‘solid’ eyeline - eg a lower bedside table, allows the eye to see more vertical space - thus the illusion of a larger room…other tricks like keeping furniture to a smaller size in smaller rooms, painting a ceiling white & continuing down to the picture rail; lighting can completely enhance a room - if you have no room for lamps, use wall ‘sconces’ or uplamps placed on the floor - still popular in private homes, not just hotels…Floating shelves, that don’t cover the entire wall can also give a more spacious feel, or cupboards reaching half way up a wall in a smaller room…

• Sustainability/circular economy - more and more people are concerned with making a ‘green’ choice, whether it be in choices of wood, paints or glues…Sustainably sourced solid woods are longer lasting, re-cyclable & will biodegrade when it comes to end of life, though generally more expensive than ply or MDF. Some trees/woods take many hundreds of years to grow so we must ensure products will last equally long… Veneer is a cheaper eco-friendly option as it is renewable, reusable, recyclable, completely biodegradable and a highly efficient use of wood; it tends to be used with an MDF base, although other wood could be used. MDF is made from waste wood or sustainably sourced soft woods in Europe, but not recyclable at end of life, and its life expectancy is said to be only 15-20 years [There is a start-up in the UK intending to turn used & waste MDF into insulation & woodfibre, www.mdfrecovery.co.uk]. It is a hazardous product to use for carpenters due to the fine dust & fumes so must be used in well ventilated conditions/& using local exhaust ventilators with proper respirators. Manufacturers produce MDF under controlled conditions which must comply with the most stringent requirements for formaldehyde content given in the European Standard (EN 622.5); more firms are choosing to use different resins altogether; formaldehyde free MDF does not have the same strength levels, but is available; . The huge increase in the cost & availability of virgin wood is an important drive to more recyling/re-suing & recovering of wood products. Competition for supplies of virgin wood is ever greater largely due to an enormous hike in demand for wood in packaging, biomass & particularly construction (as a green alternative to other building materials as well as massive building projects in China in recent decades), & the effects of climate change & the bark beetle as well as the need to conserve trees as a carbon sink…leading to huge price increases as well…so think carefully before you build, and ensure what you build is built to last.

  Paint choices are another area where you can look for greener alternatives, although again the information is confusing & prone to ‘greeenwashing’…so once again the most important criteria are quality, durability and longevity….repainting less often is the ‘greenest’ option. Where possible check the manufacturing process uses a green energy source; other points to note are the ingredients including VOCs.., water used in manufacture, recycling of waste elements & if recycled materials are used if tins, & miles travelled pre delivery.

Finally - First decide on the function, then the style, then plan & design what you need to build to fit & organize your space…

Space saving [fitted] furniture - What are our Options? - Here are some ideas

• Do you have clutter that you want to hide away in bespoke fitted cupboards, or do you want open shelving that can double up as display units? If space is very limited use more diminutive sizes - keep the shelving narrower or the tables & chairs smaller, and definately DECLUTTER!

• Use Room Dividers These flexible and mobile partitions, ie shelving without a back, can create a sense of privacy and define areas whilst still retaining a feeling of space. They can be used to separate your living room and dining space, or your home office setup…or divide a shared child’s bedroom.

• Media Units are a built in option for effectively storing all your media in one place, keeping any clutter such as wires and gaming equipment out of sight & any Vinyl or CDs neatly stored, together with other books or display items

• Do you want a desk that you can close in the evening ? Although JK Rowling hasn’t invented floating Cupboards yet, we do have – Floating Desks that either pull down from an alcove or a wall shelving unit & floating bedside tables built like a small shelf ‘floating’ off the ground, creating the illusion of more space in a small bedroom.

• Perhaps you have high ceilings..so look up and create more storage on a high wall or mezzanine - and don’t forget that bedroom wardrobes can be built up to the ceiling too leaving room to store some of your clothes that you don’t use for part of the year or season (Winter or summer)

• Or on the contrary - you may have spare space under the stairs - to create useful storage, a home office … or even a cocktail cabinet!

• Look around your house to see where else you can squeeze some ‘space-saving’ storage - above & around the toilet, your bed, radiators..you’ll be amazed how many small spaces can be utilized.

• Make your furniture Multifunctional - Do you want to create a desk in an already crowded child’s bedroom? – you can build a ‘loft’ bed which is built above the desk & other storage cupboards …

• Do you want a stool that can double up as a storage chest/side table, or a bedside table with shelves & drawer; or even a pull out shelf in your side table or bed-side table if you like to use your computer in bed, or a neat multifunctional nests of tables - look no further than our handmade furniture page

Remember, when it comes to fitted furniture, the key is to customize it to your specific needs and the layout of your home. With a little ingenuity your home can become an oasis of efficiency & harmony, no mater how small. Talk to Simon for some ideas & find out what he build for you…..he can help you design pieces that will work in your space - design together for life!

And once you have decided on furniture, don’t forget to consider lighting which can completely change the atmosphere of a space – so when leaving the office, turn down the lights for an evening of pleasure…

And finally, don’t forget to add some plants – for some beneficial karma said to purify the air,  improve your health, increase concentration and productivity, relieve stress and anxiety, boost your mood in winter….& help you sleep!