The past couple of years has seen a big shift in the way people live, with many opting for a conscious change in lifestyle. Some people have embraced the Sea and Tree Change, while others have decided on urban living, close by to cities.
Living close to a city offers many experiences including great dining, exhibitions, sporting events and entertainment every day and night of the week. And when it comes to building a home, you have the benefit of getting creative in a smaller space due to the limited land size. If you’re thinking about inner-city living, here’s five things to embrace in your urban oasis.
Maximising interior space
A great floorplan is your key to creating a spacious inner-city pad. With smart use of floor space, small areas can feel open and light. Minimise hallways and opt for slatted timber features rather than solid walls. Ceiling detail visually separates a room too, so opt for vaulted ceilings.
Similarly, flooring delineates different spaces. Use different materials such as timber and concrete to create the illusion of different rooms, and if possible, opt for sunken rooms in open scenarios to separate spaces.
Let the Light In
Windows allow light to flood in, and there are many clever options available. For example, if your neighbours are close by, one metre high floor level windows add visual interest – plus they’re fabulous for indoor plants.
Light wells are a clever way to bring the outdoors in, and can act as a clever separation between rooms. Additionally, sky lights open up interior rooms with no windows.
The Best Storage Ever
Keeping things decluttered is key to saving space in your inner-city home. Floor to ceiling built ins maximise storage space in every room of your home, be it the bedroom, living room or kitchen. Double cupboards above kitchen benchtops is practical and also draws the eye up, creating the illusion of high ceilings.
Another example that gives the illusion of space are free standing cupboards that extend almost to the ceiling. They act as clever room dividers and allow light to move above the rooms.
Alcove shelving in bathrooms offer streamlined spaces, and clever carpentry in laundry nooks is a game changer for washing and ironing.
Clever Doors and Walls
The space needed to open and close a door is surprisingly large but there are stylish options! French doors halve the space of a regular door. A pocket door goes further by disappearing into the wall, and sliding doors are a wonderful aesthetic and space saving way to transition between indoors and outdoors.
Sliding walls allow you to open spaces or close them off. Change up your open plan living and dining to allow for a cosy media room with a sliding floor to ceiling wall. And close off children’s playrooms with clever screening.
Texture
Choosing materials that juxtapose each other offers a clever and stylish way to maximise your space. Copper features on ceilings and walls, hi-gloss concrete on flooring and reflective mirroring on cabinetry play with light and attract the eye to areas of a room that would normally go unnoticed.
Natural timber is nature’s art, and open staircases with stunning timber steps become an art installation.
Stone can warm or cool a room, adding show stopping features wherever it’s used.
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Creating a spacious and stunning inner-city home invites you to experiment with materials and flex your creativity. If you’ve been dreaming of your perfect urban retreat, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today to start the conversation.
