Small homes: Making the most of limited space

Small homes: Making the most of limited space

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Coming up with the interior design for small houses can be a
challenge: It's inevitable that house owners have a smaller
canvas to work on.

But if you already have a particular design concept, you can
realize your dream house that fully reflects your personal taste.

An associate with design consultant firm Grahacipta Hadiprana,
Sammy Hendramianto, said small houses were ones occupying about
100 square meters on an average 120 square meter plot. The
house's interior is usually left undivided with two entry points
of the front and back doors.

Many owners of small houses are young couples with one or two
children or young working people who do not have much time to
spend taking care of a large property.

To create an optimum spacious effect, owners may need to
enlarge the windows, which would also make the house more
welcoming for them and their visitors.

"Wide windows would not obstruct the view and would expose the
view of the garden. This is pleasing to view," he said.

He said the basic rule in designing the interior of a small
house is to keep it simple, meaning that details and the amount
of the interior elements, like furniture, carpets, partitions and
decorations, should concentrate on light designs with a focus on
functionality.

"People can still 'play' with interior elements but they have
to keep in mind that there is a space limitation and the priority
should be given to the functionality of these interior elements,"
he said.

With the space limitations, Sammy added, people should not
force themselves to have a room for every function, such as a
guest room, a living room, a dining room and pantry.

"Therefore the interior elements should be kept as flexible as
possible, enabling the owners to expand the function of a certain
room or part of the house," he said.

This purpose may require owners' creativity in mixing and
matching different designs for the interior of a room, like
buying a three-seated sofa for the guest room and matching it
with two single armchairs of different design, for example.

"Mixing different designs for the furniture is meant to create
space by optimizing the room's capacity," he said.

Although mix and match can be tricky, a successful combination
can help avoid creating a stuffy impression, which often results
from sticking to the belief that you have to have a complete
furniture set.

"Besides, the use of armchairs are recommended as they can be
easily moved from the guest room to the living room or vice versa
when house owners expect guests," he explained.

When the pantry and dining room areas are limited, it is
advisable to provide a console to help differentiate both areas.

"Food can also be served on this console table for a quick
breakfast. And if the dining table cannot accommodate guests,
they can enjoy the meal on that table," he said.

And although the internal part of small houses are usually
left undivided, a rigid partition is not a necessary because each
room can be differentiated by the placement of furniture and
other elements.

If you want to use a partition, it is advisable to choose
wooden-framed glass or other simple and light partitions.

Another item that can create a spacious effect is mirrors,
especially large ones, which can be hung as a wall decoration.

For color, it is better to choose light-toned colors for the
interior, but dark ones, when appropriately used, can create an
accent in order to avoid dullness.

"The wall can be painted with neutral tones but the colors of
various interior elements, like the furniture, drapes and
curtains can radiate the room's main nuances," he said.

Indoor plants can be added to give an artistic and a relaxing
effect in the interior. "I personally think that indoor plants
are among the must-have interior elements," he said.

Among suitable indoor plants are srigading, ferns, medium-
sized palm trees or other potted flowering plants.

Carpets are not necessary, but Sammy said house owners could
use a thin Persian rug, which are easy to clean and store.

"A family with children may need no carpets or those who have
carpets may need to clean them more often to remove the dust," he
said.

For an effective lighting arrangement, owners must determine
how many spots in one room need illumination. Instead of using
few high-watt, glaring lamps, it is better to install several
softer lights in different strategic areas.

"One lamp can be put on a small table by a chair for reading,
one in a corner of the room, one to illuminate artwork, like a
painting, for example," Sammy said.

"Such a lighting arrangement is easy on the eyes and at the
same time provides a more artistic effect as it will highlight
things that are worthy of being exposed."