Unless you live a life akin to that of a Buddhist monk, own few possessions and therefore have little need for storage (or a comfy sofa for that matter), living in bijoux London accommodation poses several problems. First, there’s all your stuff. And then of course, you need furniture to put the stuff on/in. And then there’s getting the furniture up three flights of stairs (Ross barking ‘pivot!’ at Chandler in that episode of Friends, anyone?)
If you’re handy with the power drill and fancy crafting some in-built solutions, well, bully for you. For the rest of us living in, erm, cosy – oh all right, who are we kidding – shoeboxes, there’s not a huge amount out there that will realistically work well and look good. Thankfully, some of the furniture designers out there have spared a thought for small space dwellers…
The 'Hackney' sofa from Wrong for Hay may look like a regular sofa, but it has a secret. Its arms and back are all one piece that can be folded out and detached for easy transportation, so tight door angles and stairs won’t stand in its way. Possibly one of the only upholstered flat-pack sofas around, it comes in three or two-seater sizes and is as luxuriously comfortable as it is elegant to look at. No pivoting necessary.
£1,648.16, Clippings.
The saviour of small spaces, Ikea ’s PS corner cabinet makes use of wasted corners with its three-shelf interior and cute display shelf on top. The cabinet can also be wall-mounted without its legs so even more space is freed-up – stack a few units together to make the most of high-ceilinged rooms.
£65, Ikea.
An often-neglected zone of the home, hallways are the trickiest area to furnish at the best of times. Carve out an area in a narrow hall for essential coats, shoes and bags with West Elm ’s Pipeline hall tree and tripping over your boyf’s Doc Martins every time you walk through the door will be a thing of the past.
£329, West Elm.
Is it a shelf? Is it a desk? Well, it’s both. Part of Heal’s Ambrose range specifically created with small spaces in mind, the solid oak A-Frame desk was designed by emerging talent Matthew Elton. Although compact and versatile, its most impressive feature is that there are no screws or glue required for its assembly – the whole design relies on the angle of the legs, shelves and desk to hold it firmly together. Beat that Ikea.
£475, Heal’s.
Nobody has a spare room in London, fact. Made.com ’s Yoko sofa bed combines clean Scandi lines with practical dual function anyway, so who needs one? Flip the back down, and you’ve got a double bed – just the thing for studio flats, tiny bedrooms and friends that always end up dossing down in the living room. Although that might become more frequent with this baby at home…
£199, Made.com
For living spaces that have to be multi-functional, look to Habitat ’s Heath folding oak table. Created by the in-house design team, it can’t be beaten for style and simplicity. It folds out from a desk to a four-seater dining table in an instant, without faffing around with extension inserts. Hey-presto.
£295, Habitat
At just 25cm deep, you’d barely notice this narrow console was even there if it wasn’t for your amazing terrarium collection and artfully styled vintage knick-knacks. It makes a good choice for adding interest to bare walls where there isn’t space to put much else. Try it in your bedroom, living rooms or hallway.
£299, West Elm.
Remember La Redoute? Yep, the French equivalent of the Next catalogue is still going, but bet you didn’t know they do some half-decent furniture, such as this stylish Uyen oak clothes rack. Wardrobes can look cumbersome and overbearing in small bedrooms, so clothes rails are a great alternative to give the illusion of more space and light. Be warned – this look only works if you can streamline your apparel – time for a clothes audit, perhaps.
£62.30, La Redoute.
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