DESIGN IDEAS
Most designers agree that making the best use of limited space is one of the greatest challenges – but there are savvy solutions
FEATURE ARABELLA YOUENS
“ In townhouses, the under-stairs cavity is often turned into a cloakroom but in this Oxfordshire farmhouse we opted instead to convert the space into a useful boot room. Our clients love spending time outdoors and that means clambering in and out of coats and boots. The joinery is bespoke and we designed a mix of open shelves, hooks, baskets and drawers for hanging coats and hats and storing outdoor gear. To keep it light and fresh, it’s painted in the same warm white as the hall. GEMMA HOLSGROVE, studio director, Sims Hilditch ”
“ I like to embrace the smaller confines of the space with strong colour, wallpaper or a moodier vibe. It’s often the juxtaposition between these saturated, smaller spaces and larger, brighter rooms that adds a certain drama and energy to a home. Here, a few pops of pillar box red from the vintage pendant light and accessories add a little fun and balance to the scheme. In a small hallway, we always like to squeeze in some sort of console and mirror, and this wall-mounted bespoke solution worked well while taking up no floor space at all.
TIFFANY DUGGAN, creative director and founder, Studio Duggan ”
“Half glazed doors are a useful technique to use when space is limited. Opposite the cloakroom in my house in west London is a pantry and I used the same doors and colours for that. It means that anyone passing through on the way to the kitchen doesn’t feel enclosed in the space. The doors were designed by Plain English and painted in Chop on the outside and Nicotine on the inside – both part of its own colour collection.
SARAH BROWN, founder, Sarah Brown Interiors → ”
“The middle room of a Victorian terrace house is always a tricky one to get your head around and it was no different for our family home. Often dark and a bit unloved we added an internal window to let the natural light flood in from the hall and make it a more inviting space. With our main sitting room in the front of the house we wanted a space for TV – I love watching TV – so we dedicated this room to the full-on ‘square eyes’ experience.
POLLY ASHMAN, founder, Polly Ashman Design ”
“ This room had been a dumping ground for the musical-loving family when we first visited their home, with three French horns scattered across the floor and no cosy seating. We designed the joinery not only to accommodate the family piano and display their treasured items, but also as dedicated storage for those three French horns. Pai
