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Awesome furniture and a tiny apartment don't usually go together. And if bachelor houses conjure up images of a Neelkamal chair (or more), a checkered mattress and footwear lopped on top of cardbord cartons in the living room, I don't blame you!
But to me, having great furniture in the house is 50% of what a great house should be all about. Rest is about decor, organisation, theme, etc.
When you live in a smaller house, each piece of furniture needs to thought through, every inch of your space needs to be measured, and the furniture visualised in the space before buying it. And that's when you get creative and stretch your imagination beyond just picking the "best piece" of furniture money can buy. You have to invest in furniture that doesn't only save space, but optimizes it, looks great, and make a small space come alive
Here's top 10 Pieces Of Furniture for small spaces I have bought over the last 2-3 years that I have added magic in my small house.
1) The Three Seater Felicity Sofa-bed - Urban Ladder
This sofa seats 3 adults or 5 kids (though that's never been tested), and has sharp, straight arm rests and a 3 inch elevation off the ground. It almost wastes no space with its bulk or unnecessary trims or patterns. What's more? It opens out into a queen-sized bed when needed with just a push from behind. Its no-nonsense aesthetic, and a melange grey allows me to play around with colors in the surroundings. I must say this Sofa from Urban Ladder was the best, if the most expensive, furniture buy i've made in the house.
Buy it here.
2) This "Bar Cabinet" - Housefull
Meant as a birthday gift for a friend who drinks (a lot), this piece ended up being mine! Originally positioned as a bookshelf on the site I bought it from, I have repurposed it as a bar shelf. It's just around 2 feet wide and 7 feet tall which means it uses the vertical, and not horizontal space - a must for a small space. It displays all my glassware in the glass-window section, and hides all the alco-bev bottles (and random pieces of crockery) in its closed cabinets.
3) This raw wood stool - Indie
I'm a big fan of tripod legs in wrought iron. Couple with a slice of raw tree trunk, this was a great way to marry a rustic yet chic look. I like to use this table as an entrance credenza instead of as a side or centre table and it hosts random piece of show pieces. At Rs. 2000, this was again a steal for the kinda look it lends to the room.
4) These Eames-Replica Tripod Chairs - Urban Ladder
I love any furniture that has diagonal legs. The famous Eames replica chairs are all the rage right now, but I got these way before this familiar tripod-leg was even a thing. These cushioned faux-leather chairs are super modern, comfortable, and add oodles of style to the house.
5) This Dual Seated Standing Study desk - Housefull
I needed an arrangement that divided my bedroom from the kitchen. (Yup there's no wall in between), and together this high-low table and a bamboo curtain did the job just so beautifully! I love how it's a normal study table, a storage shelf and a standing desk all rolled into one! This desk again has straight edges, no frills, and its black steel framing just needs so much character to my room.
6) This set of 2 nesting tables - Urban Ladder
Originally meant to facilitate eating on the bed (that a house mate used to do quite often much to my chagrin), these stools have become a space-adding saviour. Their legs slide under the sofa and their just big-enough table tops let me work or eat while sprawled in from of the TV on the sofa. The other table in the set serves as a table to keep my dishes tub and the trash bins underneath.
7) 3-tier tiled storage rack - From a relocation sale
Chancing randomly on this on a second-hand goods group on Facebook, this 3-tier storage rack is just what the doctor ordered for my small kitchen. I needed something that could hold onions and potatoes in the open, but without using those tacky plastic baskets in horrendous colours. This 2*2' storage rack has two slide-out baskets that are great for those potatoes and onions, and the best part has to be its tiled top which acts as an extension of my kitchen platform. Under is a small drawer that stores and hides away random kitchen knack-knack such as dish-scrubs, wipes and more.
8) This wing chair - Pepperfry
Is it possible to be in love with a piece of furniture? Cuz I'm in it with this chair. Again, a chance purchase from someone who was moving to the US and disposing this baby. (honestly, i wouldnt move anywhere just not to have to part with this beauty.) Not only is this chair exquisite to look at it with its tall back, sleek armrests and beautiful Ikat-like pattern, but it's the most comfortable seat in the house too. If there's a party in my house, grabbing a spot on this chair is considered seating privilege. :)
9) This corner shelf - Urban Ladder
Repeat with me. When you live in a small house, LEVERAGE those corners. Every room has 4. Make sure you have at least one piece of corner-furniture in one. I have 4!
But this is the one that I like the most. Its top is just one foot wide! It takes hardly 2 feet of space in the corner, but stores books, lamps, planters and hides a bunch-up of TV and cable wires all while framing the wall perfectly.
Buy it here: Engineered Wood shelf in wenge finish
10) This ladder style storage-rack - IKEA
Buy similar here:
The latest entrant in my furniture family, this is a "Hegg rack" that I bought from Ikea Hyderabad. This thing was on a sale and you'd be surprised if I tell you how much it actually cost!!! But it was worth every penny of the grand SIX HUNDRED rupees i bought it for. It's the perfect grey neighbour to the white bar cabinet, and its tapering shape holds the toaster, the sandwich maker, and the mixer-grinder in each of its racks, according to the width and height required. Somehow lugging it all the way across cities and spending a good couple of hours on assembling it feel worth every bit of the effort for what it gave back.
Let me know in the comments about which furniture you liked the best, and if you have any questions re: how to optimize a small space with the right furniture or ideas on furniture to buy.