Western Mail Article - May 16th 2009

Space savers galore - tricks of the trade help expand your home.

Most of us would like more space in the home than we actually have.

Even if we move into a bigger home it seems that we soon expand to fill the extra space and wish we had even more.

One answer is to throw out unwanted clobber. But most of us aren’t natural born minimalists, so stuff will accumulate, despite our best intentions.

There’s often more space in our homes than we realise though - it’s just a case of reclaiming every nook and cranny.

Older homes in particular tend to have hidden sq. footage that’s under utilised.Hallways and staircases take up a disproportionate amount of space.

Consider expanding your sitting room into the hallway, doing away with the dividing wall, to create an open plan effect.Spiral staircases are a great space saver too, and also look spectacular.

Under stairs cupboards tend to become a dumping ground for all those things we don’t know what else to do with.

Clear the lot out and think again.It might be there’s just enough space there to make a downstairs cloakroom.

If you don’t have a utility room why not hide your appliances behind folding doors? These will create a deep cupboard that can be used for other storage as well.Also consider a wall-mounted dryer. Companies such as Brabantia make them, and they save a lot of floor space. Brabantia’s version will take an entire washing machine load, and packs away neatly when it’s not in use.

In a space starved kitchen always maximise the lighting, a gloomy work area is not only harder to function in, it makes the place look smaller. Install dimmer switches so that you can create a softer effect once you sit down to eat your meal.

Reflective surfaces such as glass and stainless steel help bounce light around as well, generating an illusion of space.

Knocking down walls to create one large room is a messy though rewarding method of creating space, moreover multifunctional rooms are very popular now, and will add saleability to your property.

We all have bulky items that are hard to store and add nothing aesthetically. Ironing boards, for instance.Storing them is a bind. If you put them away in a cupboard they tend to be in there with loads of other things and are a nightmare to get in and out.Save time and space with a nifty sliding board that slots in neatly under a work surface. Look up www.kitchen-storage.co.uk for further information.

Their pullout corner units are another great way of making use of space that would otherwise go to waste.Generally speaking the area under the bed does little more than collect dust. Places like Ikea produce storage boxes that can be slotted under the bed (or anywhere else for that matter). Make sure you label them so you know what’s inside otherwise you’ll have to trawl through the lot to find what you are looking for - and you can rest assured it’ll be in the last box you rifle through!

The average bathroom in the UK is not much bigger than a king size bed, so it pays to make use of every inch.Put pipework under the floor, and consider wall mounted loos to create a sense of greater floor space.For useful ideas for Lilliputian bathrooms look up Ideal Standard’s ‘space’ range - www.ideal-standard.co.uk/01482 346 461. Ideal Standard is worth a whirl if you have a wardrobe’s worth of space in which to create an en suite - their dinky bathroom fittings will fit the bill nicely.

Yvonne Jones is a Royal College of Art trained designer, and is the owner of Chameleon Interiors. Tel: 029 2037 1277. www.chameleoninteriors.co.uk