8 Inspirational Examples Of Small Space Design

While working on Amazing Spaces with George Clarke, as well as my own projects, I have seen a huge variety of small spaces. It never ceases to amaze me how inventive people are when designing and creating an amazing space, no matter what budget has been set.

One of the most important factors of small space design is taking time to plan it effectively, so it can be used in a multi-functional way to meet the needs of the user. Each space is different, depending on whether it is a caravan, campervan, kitchen or shed; so here are a few inspirational small room ideas and spaces I have witnessed being developed that have made every inch of space count.

Caravans

The Teardrop caravan is small by anyone’s standard - it’s only 4 foot wide, 4 foot high and 8 foot long. Inside there is enough room to sleep two with comfort. To make the most of the space and yet to have the most comfort as possible the design has made great use of outside space by building the cooking facilities in the rear kitchen. This gives as much living room space as possible in a tiny area.

Campervans

When designing and implementing small Living room ideas, this is the best time to make the most of collections, obsessions, interests and hobbies. They can lend a visual styling to an area as well as reflecting the owners unique personality and interests. Campervans are particularly good at this as they can be a happy extension of the creative’s everyday life as well as a place to camp or chill out.

Kitchens

If you only have a small space, exercise simplicity with a functional design built for your needs. Keeping colour pallets simple but bright and workspace multi-functional helps to open them up and make them flexible. One such space I visited was on the Isle of Wight; the ‘chert modernist kitchen’, built for two professional women as their retirement home.

SCADpads

The SCADpad is a micro house design developed in Atlanta over 10 months by a group of Savannah students, to fit in135 square feet of space - the same as a standard parking space. It was principally designed as a unique solution to the growing problem of urban housing.

These living areas and small bedroom ideas have a common green theme and visual identity, and are built on the foundations of the very latest technology. An organic garden is fed by a greywater filtration and delivery system, while a composting and recycling centre helps ensure minimal waste.

Mod Pods

Modular buildings, can give the space of a holiday home, but with the feel of a more permanent home. They do not have axles or a frame, so they are typically built in separate sections and then transported to their site by means of flat-bed trucks, where they are attached together to make a larger living area, allowing the space to be completely customisable.

HiveHaus

The Hivehaus is designed in the same ways as bees design their hexagon shaped wax cells to construct honeycombs. This shape occurs throughout nature, from fly’s eyes to rock formations, and it has geometric and practical qualities with the modular design of small living spaces. The basic idea is that each module can be fitted together to make a total living space as small or as large as the designer wishes it to be.

Sheds

Making a space fit your family is essential during the small space design stage. Think about if you want it as a place to create music, words or art, or if you need it as a retreat, as a workspace or simply a place to recharge. In fact, the shed can be converted into a creative hideaway or retreat to help fuel big ideas and lift our spirits.

Shipping Containers

In recent years the shipping container has featured highly in an ever-increasing number of small room ideas. They have been used as glamping abodes and retreats, to name a few. I had the pleasure of visiting one that had been designed as a library. Nestling in an idyllic pastoral landscape in the grounds of an elegant historic house, these industrial sized containers were converted specifically to house an extensive collection of books on architecture, antiques, gardening, photography and design.