The UK is a pretty crowded place, so it’s not common to hear people complaining about having too much space, is it?

Most of us are looking for ways to make our homes comfortable and practical, without surrounding ourselves with bulky furniture.

If you’ve got a home where doors won’t open fully because there’s furniture in the way, tables feel squashed in and sofas take up half the living room, then you need a furniture overhaul.

When we’re sourcing our furniture, we are constantly thinking about how each item will work in real people’s homes – because we know that real people usually live in flats and small houses, not the sprawling open-plan spaces that you see in interiors magazines.

So here are our tips for furnishing a small space, and a selection of Danetti products that we think will make all the difference:

Measure up

If you want to buy furniture that will fit and leave space for moving around your home, you need to know exactly how much space you have. make a note of your room dimensions in your diary (or better still, draw a little floor plan noting things like distances from doors to walls). This way, when you’re shopping for furniture you can make sure the dimensions are suitable. On the Danetti site we provide information about the dimensions of our items of furniture, so you’ll know what you’re buying.

Make clever use of space

If your home is small, then simply buying the furniture you love the most isn’t going to work. You need to think whether the furniture is smart.

Can you buy a coffee table that will double up as a stool when guests come over? Our Somen coffee table does the job nicely. Will your dining chairs all fit snugly under your dining table when not in use o they don’t get in the way? Will your dining table collapse down to a more manageable size when not needed?

Get storage sorted

Clutter is one of the biggest problems in small homes. Even a few old newspapers, CDs, shoes or games consoles hanging around can really make the place seem messy.

Invest in some efficient storage, which has compartments suitable for the kind of items you need to store, and your home will look instantly more spacious.

Consider the materials you’re choosing

That brightly coloured, patterned sofa, dark wooden table and fabric armchair may be your first choices, but they may simply make your home look dark and closed-in.

Opt for block colours on fabrics if possible – you can always create interest with patterned or textured cushions, rugs and wall-hangings. Light or bright colours, rather than blacks and browns can also be effective at increasing the appearance of size.

It also worth considering either glass or clear plastic for your tables and chairs – as they let the light through them, they give the optical illusion of taking up very little space.

Let the light in

A room with a view will seem much bigger than a room without one – it’s because the outside space merges into the room, making it feel spacious. So take advantage of this by having windows and blind wide open and letting in as much natural light as possible.

If a view isn’t available, you can trick the eye into thinking the room is bigger than it is with the use of mirrors.

If you’d like advice on furnishing your property, then just give us a call. We’re happy to help!