And other genius ideas for making more room out of the room you have from professional organiser Vicky Silverthorn…
In an ideal world we would all have rooms in our home that tick certain boxes – the office, the playroom, the utility room, the yoga room (wishful thinking, we know) and the guest bedroom – but the reality is that most of us are doing well to have a small living room and a kitchen come dining area. Spare bedrooms are a luxury we’d all love to have but with storage, kids and the works – they’re the last on the priority list. But before you go planning an extension, or looking for unicorn houses to buy that have more space without the price tag, there are ways to maximise your space so that you get the most out of it and start to love it again. All that’s required is a bit of planning and smart thinking around furniture and layouts that can provide more than one function. Multipurpose living is the way to go and with that in mind we’ve consulted Vicky Silverthorn, Professional Organiser, author of ‘Start With Your Sock Drawer’ and founder of You Need a Vicky to share her top picks for furniture that serves more than one purpose.
“Just because your home doesn’t have a spare room and an office, doesn’t mean that you cannot create the space you need to work from home or have guests to stay. The most important thing is that your home works for you and your life and choosing the main function of a room has to be for what it is used for most. So many people have a spare room which is only used twice a year yet they are causing themselves a back ache running their business or doing homework from their sofas.”
These products are merely a suggestion of Vicky’s so that you get the concept – you’ll find plenty of options across various stores and price points.
- The chic sofa bed so that your living room becomes a spare room in an instant.
2. This clever piece works in several ways. As an ottoman, as a bench for relaxed seating, as a coffee table if you place a tray on top of it and it folds out into a spare bed. Brilliant.
Add a large tray and you’ve got a Scandi-inspired coffee table.
3. The Murphy Bed – these have come on so much over the years that people wouldn’t even notice them in your room. For all they know, it’s a chic storage cabinet.
4. The expandable Console Table – genius! Create a dining area for when guests come from a table that tucks away neatly. This is perfect for small living spaces and it looks fantastic. Click the hyperlink for more information and pics on how it extends.
5. This is a brilliant kids play mat come rug come yoga Mat from toddle kind. Such a great idea – now you can have a yoga studio in your front room!
6. An extendable coffee table – if you don’t have room for a dining table then your coffee table can turn into one.
A few slimline chairs tucked under your sofa and suddenly you can accommodate a dinner party.
Follow Vicky for more brilliant tips like this.
Header image by Christopher Jolly.