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  1. Home
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7 ways to find more space in your living room

Take another look - by Sally Paterson
  • 05 Mar 2019
7 ways to find more space in your living room
Simon Whitbread

Seating, storage or an entirely new zone – it’s all on the cards for those unused spaces in your home. We show you how to find it and make it work for you.

1. Invest in built-in storage

Integrate custom-built joinery into open zones. This creates a lovely design feature, and books and special objects also add warmth and personality.

2. Adapt areas for more than one use

Double up with inclusions that can multi-task; the clever built-in corner by Minted Interiors below has retractable pocket doors that open to reveal an elegant bar area but could equally suit a home office.

7 ways to find more space in your living room
Minted Interiors

3. Divide the space with furniture

The centre of an open-plan zone can provide a display opportunity. Add a piece such as a narrow buffet or console and position it back-to-back with a sofa, which is also a neat look aesthetically.

4. Take the time to plan it out

Consider what you’re aiming to create – maybe you’re trying to put a study nook into a living space or turn a cupboard into a bar – and then think about whether the space has the right credentials, such as ventilation, lighting and positioning. “We take a lot into account – the flooring materials, the skirting and cornice heights, electrical requirements and the current positions,” says designer Louella Woodham of Spaceworks Design. “The height of the end user, potential wear and tear, and structural suitability are all important.”

7 ways to find more space in your living room
Cath Muscat

5. Task an open bookshelf as a zone divider

It’s an instant storage injection within open-plan layouts and provides a nice visual break while welcoming you into the living area.

6. Use the space around fixed architectural features

Chimney breasts, fireplaces and entrance halls all offer space to borrow from for storage and display. “Open shelving in unused space such as above and around doorways is a really practical and space-efficient way to add layers to a room,” says Kate Hardy of Cloth + Stone Designs

7 ways to find more space in your living room
Chris Warnes

7. Install open shelving

Make the most of your lounge room’s blank walls by adding open shelves and cupboards. Let your book collection take centre stage by colour coding your favourite titles.

You might also like:

Five tips for an organised and functional space

5 ways to more wardrobe space

7 simple home storage ideas to try this weekend

  • Renovate
  • Decorate
Sally Paterson
Sally Paterson
As an Interior Stylist, Writer and Co-founder of Sydney-based interiors studio, Heliconia, Sally’s workday is fuelled by caffeine and a fascination with how the space we’re in can enrich our lives. In her downtime, you’ll find her luxuriating in long lunches and lazy afternoons with friends and family, preferably seaside.

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