A Guide to Furniture Buying for Petite Spaces
A friend of mine recently bought an apartment in Auckland to live in and was struggling to work out what sizes and types of furniture to buy for it. He was finding it hard to work out what furniture would maximise the space, but still be a decent size for him to be able to relax in.
I realised this is probably a common issue, hence my new blog topic!
It's always difficult to talk about buying furniture across the board as each space is slightly different and has its own quirks, but generally apartments are relatively similar in proportions and shape.
Here are my tips for choosing furniture for petite sized spaces:
For an average apartment, a 2.5 seater couch works really well. It doesn't take up too much space (I find 3 seaters too large for most apartments until you get up near the 45 sqm mark), but you can still stretch out on it.
A 2.5 seater works well with an occasional chair to give you extra seating. Using a 2.5 seater with an occasional chair means you can move the configuration around to suit if you have guests or feel like a change.
If you have the space, an ottoman is another great option for flexibility. You can use it as an extra seat if you have guests, and it can double as a side table when required. You can also use it to stretch your feet out on the couch - giving you the comfort of having a chaise couch without the lack of flexibility.
Chaise couches tend to be reasonably limiting for apartments, as they can cut the space off. Having said this, some spaces lend themselves to having one nicely - and it is nice to be able to stretch out. If you haven't really had a chance to be in the space much, I wouldn't recommend buying a chaise couch until you have triple checked it will fit well. I have transformed a number of spaces which looked very small by removing the owner's chaise couch and replacing with a 2.5 seater and an occasional chair, it opens the space out so much more.
If the room is narrow a circular coffee table (unless it is very small), is often a bit awkward. You want to allow room to access sliding doors to the balcony without hindering where people will walk. I would recommend a slim rectangular coffee table for these kinds of spaces. If you are really short on space a table nest works well for flexibility as you can curve it around the arm of the couch and keep most of the space in front of the couch clear.
Plants, plants, plants! Apartments and small spaces need some greenery to transform them from concrete jungle to homely and inviting. A taller plant works well in areas where you need to add some interest. I often use tall but narrow plants in an area that already has pictures on the wall but needs something extra to fill a void. Rather than filling all the walls with pictures and "things", a plant keeps the space looking clean and uncluttered, but adds interest and texture.
A smaller sized square dining table is infinitely more flexible than a rectangular or medium sized round one. I use a 90cm x 90cm square style for a lot of apartments. This size is brilliant as you can use it as a 2 seater for everyday use, and also as a comfortable 4 seater if you have extra guests. You can have it right up against a wall to free up space in the living room.
Generally interior designers will tell you to buy a much larger rug than the furniture you have. This is normally correct, but with very small spaces a large rug can make the space feel a lot smaller. Shop around for medium and petite options - a medium sized hide rug (which is not a uniform shape) work better than a large and cumbersome rectangular rug. For even tinier places, things like a goat skin or sheepskin on the floor can be used in place of a large rug to add texture.
Shop around for petite options! Sometimes just when I start to feel like I am never going to find the perfect item, I will find it. Keep looking around, and don't settle on options which aren't right for the space. You will find it!