Live Ribble Valley Issue 136 October 2022

OPTIMISING SPACE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

Integral to making the room in our homes work as hard as possible, is the need to maximise all the space available and making it ultimately functional

Whether you’re working from home, pursuing a hobby, exercising or simply relaxing with a good book, there may not be a suitable space to undertake the activity within your home’s existing layout. However, with a fresh pair of eyes and a little creativity, there could be an area in your home ripe for repurposing – you just haven’t spotted its potential as yet.

So, in this guide we’re pointing out some of the common blind spots we have when assessing our homes, and how, once identified, they can be converted into really useful spaces that will make our homes less cluttered, more organised and ultimately more stress-free.

THE CONSERVATORY

At some point conservatories became unfashionable, and together with their sometimes extremes of temperature, we didn’t hear much about them for years. However, over recent decades, with the advent of effective heating systems and modern building and roofing materials, orangeries, which are more enclosed, are in demand once more.

Conservatories and orangeries come in all shapes and sizes and are the ultimate in flexible spaces, ideal as a storage area, spare bedroom, home study, playroom, school room, snug, yoga room, or even as a multi-purpose space, allowing a combination of activities. With plenty of natural daylight, and located at one end of the house, hence enjoying a relatively peaceful situation, a conservatory makes for the perfect home-study. A fitted window seat with storage beneath is easy to install too, so you have a dedicated spot for relaxing and enjoying your garden to boot. A bespoke desk and shelves will make the optimum use of space on one side of the room and you can add a stylish sofa bed – ideal for when guests come to stay.

THE GUEST ROOM

Talking of guests, how is your guest bedroom looking? By definition, your guest bedroom will not be in use the whole time, so make the most of it by adding functionality to ensure you and your family benefit from the extra space all year round. If the room is located next to your bedroom, and you’ve always dreamed of a walk-in wardrobe or dressing area, then hey presto!

Fitted wardrobes with interior and exterior mirrors, and a bespoke configuration of rails, shelves and racks for all your clothes, will keep them tidy and in perfect condition.

A second, and popular, multi-purpose idea for a guest bedroom is to turn it into a home-study with a wall bed. For the majority of the time the bed can stay in position against the wall to give extra space. On the occasions the bed is needed, it is quickly and easily moved into position. The latest wall beds are comfortable with a robust folding mechanism. The bedding can remain on the bed when it is not in use, folded smoothly to avoid excess creasing. A fitted furniture design will incorporate the desk, drawers and shelving as well as the bed and bedroom storage provision – a seamless layout, which is highly functional.

Traditionally used for storage due to their small size, box rooms and spare rooms are often overlooked and undervalued. Notorious for being the dumping ground for bits and bobs that you can’t find a home for, it’s sometimes hard to see the potential in these spaces.

As with a guest bedroom, a wall bed is a useful piece of furniture which will fully maximise the functionality of the space. If a sleep space is not required or the room is not of the right dimensions, this opens up alternatives such as working from home, hobbies, crafts, a library or simply as a space to unwind in and read, play music or enjoy the peace and quiet.

Another idea is to use the space as a TV room. A bespoke TV unit at one end of the room could take in the whole wall, with shelving and cupboards designed around it.

IRREGULAR SPACES

This is where a little ‘out of the box’ thinking is beneficial, along with a handy joiner or a fitted furniture designer. So, a narrow alcove will fit a made to measure slimline desk with storage above, a generous landing may suit a stylish shelving unit and a redundant under-the-stairs space could be just right as a cupboard for coats, bags and the vacuum cleaner.

Fitted furniture moulds itself around the contours of the space – it’s ideal for all kinds of quirky architectural features from beams and sloping ceilings to jutting windowsills and housing household fixtures such as boilers.

THE LOFT CONVERSION

A loft conversion is the ideal candidate for a fitted furniture design due to its common feature of sloping ceilings. If you’re converting your loft, you’ll want to ensure that the project is worthwhile, adding as much usable space to your property as possible, and particularly maximising those areas where conventional furniture is unlikely to fit. A bespoke wardrobe run will achieve this requirement, especially as the interiors are configured in exactly the way you want them, thus optimising your storage further.

THE GARAGE

The garage is the king of underused spaces. Your garage is likely to be a reasonable sized space, as well as a conventionally shaped one. Its location and access points will determine its usage to a degree. If your kitchen leads into your garage space, your garage could make an ideal dining area or you could use the space as a utility room, with the option of a handy boot room. If your garage is not directly connected to your main living area but you intend to heat it, the space is ideal as a home-study.

A garage conversion is also perfect accommodation for returning university students who have got used to their own space or it could be a hobby workshop or home gym.

Whatever the shape or size of a room, we apply the same criteria to ensure a room is aesthetically pleasing and functional. •

You can visit our Skipton showroom to view our room-sets including bedroom, lounge, home-study and multi-purpose furniture, request a design visit to your home, or take an online 3D tour of our showroom. If you’d like some initial advice about your furniture plans, you can call us on 01756 700471.

hartleysbedrooms.co.uk