Stockland Residential Guides: Creating Space

Creating Space

How to make space inside and out with minimal but effective design.

McDonald Jones, QLD

Metricon Homes, National

SMALL OUTDOORS When it comes to your backyard, space constraints can feel like a hindrance on creativity. But with just a bit of planning, there are many ways you can create a beautiful space in a small area.

SCALE

GETTING INTO SHAPES

If you are limited on space try to avoid grand plans like a massive dining table, large brick barbecue or a tree that is going to take over the yard in a few years.

Instead, start small and really nut out what is going to fit in the space you have.

Consider bench seats that double as storage instead of a large outdoor setting.

If you’re thinking of plants, start with natives and different types of grasses to give a lush feel without engulfing the area.

Play with different shapes and ways to implement features. Rather than laying your pavers fence to fence, lay them in a geometric style pattern leaving a gap between the pavers and your boundaries, which you could then fill in with small stones. Or lay your pavers in strips or groups breaking them up with lush green grass. Creating interesting elements in your garden will command attention (and draw attention away from the small size of the space).

STOW AWAY Anything that is easily folded up and put away is perfect for a small space. Avoid heavy tables, large sculptures or pots and children’s toys, like trampolines, so you can move all outdoor items easily.

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ONWARD AND UPWARD

BREAK IT DOWN

NUMBERS GAME

A vertical garden is a modern way to have a fully established garden without taking up too much space. This is also a great way to get edible plants in your backyard and some beautiful climbing vines, like jasmine.

Think about zoning your backyard into different areas by utilising different textures. Break up grass areas with concrete pavers or decks and allocate space for gardens and patios. Make sure you keep the feel consistent by continuing a certain type of plant throughout the garden to create a nice flow. If you have a small square space, play around with different angles. For example, lay your pavers on a diagonal angle to elongate the yard. Another option is to use screens, and although blocking off areas may seem counterproductive, they can actually work to create a larger feel in the yard.

The more things you put in your backyard the smaller it will feel. Instead of having lots of little pots around the garden, have a few. large pots in the same colour. Similarly with furniture, try to limit it to just one table or one type of chair to avoid chaos and clutter.

SPENDING TIME COLOUR FLOW We all know that the backyard is the best room in the house, so use this principle when thinking of colours. If you have a beige and white colour scheme inside the house, don’t have a grey colour scheme outside.

This will ensure the continual feel from inside to outside and make the space feel much bigger than it is. Similarly, continue the same textures throughout the whole garden.

Avoid using two different types of timbers in the garden if you have multiple spaces that require decking. This will ensure flow.

Creating a beautifully designed space without spending a lot of money may seem impossible, but if you allow yourself more time you’ll achieve something stunning and very personal. Spend a few weekends trawling through op shops and waiting it out for the end of season sales will be worth it in the end.

Get Inspired Read our guide to creating an outdoor entertaining space to envy.

Creating Space

23 TIPS FOR

making space CREATING A FEELING OF SPACE IN SMALL ROOMS BEGINS WITH THE DESIGN BUT IS ENHANCED BY INTERIOR STYLING. AVOID FEELING CRAMPED WITH OUR LIST OF 23 TIPS AND TRICKS THAT ARE EASY ENOUGH TO DO YOURSELF.

1. LOOK UP Use a light wallpaper design on the roof to create height. If you draw the eye upwards by colour or pattern, you immediately create the illusion of high ceilings.

2. HIGH SHELVES Something to think about in the design stages is where your storage and shelving will be.

Another nifty idea is to draw the eye upwards by placing shelves near the ceiling. This also gives you an excuse to style your room with a repurposed wooden ladder!

3. BRIGHT & LIGHT Choose light paint and flooring instead of dark. Though dark colours are on trend right now, in a smaller room lighter colours will contribute much more to the feeling of spaciousness. Go for light coloured timber with white or pastels on the walls.

4. STATEMENTS

6. OFF THE WALL

Tiny rooms don’t have to mean small furniture, try one large couch instead that will fill the room (a stylish sectional couch should do the trick).

Don’t place furniture flush with the walls. Even adding a few centimetres between the wall and your furniture pieces can create the illusion of more space.

7. SNUG AS A BUG Go for a rug rather than wall-towall carpeting (nothing makes a room look small faster than a dark, heavy carpet). Choose a striped rug, with the stripes running parallel to the longest side of the room, to create length. Thick stripes running vertically up a feature wall can give the same effect.

5. EXPOSED LEGS Speaking of couches - be sure to choose one with exposed legs.

Choosing a boxy couch with a skirt is a fast way to cut in on your space.

8. TRANSPARENCY Glass is best for small bathroom showers in order to keep the space feeling open and larger than it is.

9. WINDOW COVER Make sure your curtains don’t cover any part of the window pane when they’re open, so they won’t cut off light.

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10. LIGHT SECTIONS Pendant lighting and lamps are an excellent way to beat the claustrophobic feeling that comes from harsh top-down lighting.

You can also use these different modes of lighting to section off the room, creating more spaces within your living areas.

Get inspired

Click here to find your nearest Stockland display village for more design ideas.

11. LOFTY THINKING

12. SLEEP SMALLER

Loft style beds are another great space-saver. It’s a go-to for kids’ bedrooms, providing space underneath for a craft corner and a study nook later in life. Plus you can have so much fun styling it to make bedtime fun for the little ones.

If you have a small bedroom, don’t go for the king size bed. It’s better to buy a queen or a double, so you can fill the rest of the space with other useful furniture items.

13. SNEAKY STORAGE Look for a bed with storage options underneath. There are a few creative designs around these days from the classic pull out drawers to hydraulic systems so you can lift your mattress with ease exposing storage underneath.

15. ILLUSIONISTS 14. SPACES WITHIN Along with using lighting, you can also create sections by using smaller rugs in various (but complementing) styles and patterns.

Glass desks, large mirrors, open shelving, transparent plastic chairs – styling your room with see-through or reflective items will limit clutter.

Try placing a large mirror on a wall facing a window; this will bounce light around the room and create the illusion of a second window on the opposing wall.

18. ONE PIECE 17. UNCLUTTERED Think about how you can use the vertical space in your kitchen.

Instead of creating clutter on the kitchen bench by having your herbs lined up, hang them from the ceiling in pots.

Limit your styling to one statement wall piece in a room, like a geometric mirror or one large, bright-coloured artwork.

19. SYMMETRY

16. THINK THIN Go for thin lamps, table legs and chair legs. Clean lines and minimal styling will add another element of space.

20. OPEN PLAN Instead of designing your floor plan with walls between the living, dining and kitchen spaces, plan to section these off using furniture instead to create larger spaces.

Symmetry is also a friend of spacious rooms, so arrange your furniture accordingly.

21. RETHINK DOORS

22. OUT & ABOUT

Talk to your builder about sliding doors or movable walls for bedrooms, so you can open up your whole house during the day and create flow. Keep it light and airy.

Make your outdoor space an extension of your home to create another living area for the family, and more space for everyone to spread out when they need to.

Creating Space

23. HARMONY Be subtle with your pattern choices. In small rooms, you want to achieve balance. So rather than going for a feature pattern, make sure everything harmonises. You don’t need a ‘hero’, just a collection of ‘sidekicks’.

Learn more Read our top tips on choosing the right block for you and your family

YOUR OUTDOOR HAVEN A SLOPING, UNEVEN OR ODDLY SHAPED BLOCK MAY SEEM DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH AT FIRST, BUT ONCE YOU START TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN DO TO CREATE AN ENTICING OUTDOOR AREA. HERE ARE JUST A FEW IDEAS TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD FOR CREATING...

WORKING WITH A SLOPE There are so many interesting things you can do with a sloping backyard. Okay, so you’re probably not going to create a backyard ideal for a game of cricket, but if you like gardening, this is the perfect shape for you. Try a graduated garden bed using timber or woven fibre frames to create different levels. If you’re looking for a low maintenance backyard, try filling the area with small stones instead of grass and use big granite stones to create a path to the back of your lot. Try planting a small garden along the back fence-line to frame the stone masterpiece. If you don’t have a lot of room to work with, why not create a flowing waterfall? This design will also be easy to maintain and will be ultra-relaxing!

ROCKY GROUND

POKY CORNERS

Finding a lot of rock underfoot?

Never fear. Think about using a mixture of materials above ground like pebbles and sand, then plant your greenery where you can.

It’s a low-maintenance style and an easy DIY option. Although, there’s nothing like the expert touch of a Landscape Architect.

Try turning that oddly shaped corner into a mini-retreat where you can sit down at the end of a long day with a cup of tea and a book or try adding a fold-away table and chairs to make it your Sunday breakfast spot. Pathways down the side of sheds or next to your house don’t have to go to waste either.

Here you could try another vertical garden; this time play with different styles of pots to create a mini art installation.

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