From the category archives:

Interior Ideas

Loft Bedroom - blog.mocha.uk.com

This small loft bedroom is filled with smart storage solutions; and a decorating scheme that adds bright touches of colour and makes the most of the beautiful natural light.

But when interior designer Kia Sunda first saw the loft space of this home in Highbury, North London, it was cluttered and cramped. Out of sight from the rest of the house, it had become a bit of a dumping ground for discarded furniture and other items that had no real place anywhere else in the house.

The owners – two professionals who had lived in the house for many years – wanted to maximise the loft area and make it into a real feature of the house. But the clutter made the room look very small and it was difficult for them to visualise how it could be turned into the space they wanted it to be.

Having previously designed a living room for them, Kia was given the task of transforming the loft into a bedroom that would also serve as a place of relaxation.

Under bed drawers - blog.mocha.uk.com

The first step was to de-clutter the room and create storage solutions, that would be both stylish and and creative. Making the most of the amazing vaulted ceiling, a platform area was built out which created a zone for the bed, and contained incredibly deep drawers underneath. As well as creating a focal point for the room, the platform helped to create both extra space and storage.

Back wall feature - blog.mocha.uk.com

In addition to this, the back wall was made into a feature, with a warm medium oak cladding, and yellow backing to create bright highlights. Like the platform area, the beautiful feature wall serves a dual-purpose: behind some of the panels hides built in units for storage.

Window panels in loft bedroom - blog.mocha.uk.com

The room is blessed with beautiful natural light. The designer thought a great deal about the light and worked with it to help transform the room into an oasis of calm and to banish the former feeling of clutter entirely. But with sunlight hitting the room early on summer mornings, she needed to find a modern way to shade the room, that wouldn’t take up too much light when not in use. The solution was of course sliding panels which take up very little space and are easy to open and close as they glide along the track attached to the ceiling.

One of the major challenges of the redesign was deciding what colours to insert into the room. The owners of the house love colour and warmth, so Kia was determined not to be too conventional. At the same time though, she wanted the room to be a sanctuary, so had to be aware of drowning the room with loud tones.

Colour scheme of loft bedroom - blog.mocha.uk.com

A colour scheme of vibrant greens and yellows was chosen. These colours do not allow themselves to be ignored, but were used in a very uniformed manner by way of stripes and boxes, to give the impression of order. In this way, the colours add vibrancy without trespassing on the idea that the room must also serve as a place of calm.

The result of the re-design is a loft bedroom that looks and feels spacious and is an oasis of relaxation.

Design Ideas to Take Away

  • Think about creating dual purpose storage and furniture pieces in your home to maximise space
  • You can use colour even in small spaces by using it in a structured way
  • Work with any natural light in a room to maximise the feeling of space

What elements do you like about this room?
Please tell me in the comments below …

(Images: Kia Designs )

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Living area of small apartment

Mike’s small New York apartment is an airy, calm and organised space with masses of clever storage solutions. It’s hard to believe that it is less than 500 square feet in size; but it shows just how much you can do with small spaces, with some clever design and planning.

But it wasn’t always this way …

Small apartment before

Before

“I was thinking maybe we could do something about my apartment,” the conversation began.

He was meeting with architects from Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture who had come over to his home for a consultation. Mike’s apartment serves as both his home and workspace, and he felt he had pushed it to the limits of what it could accommodate.

He had purchased the studio back in 1999 before the property boom, and didn’t want to move. But between his office needs, gadgets and home accessories, the apartment was cluttered and there was no place for anything.

Loft bed in Mike's apartment

Initially, Mike had been thinking in terms of some basic furniture pieces and a paint job. But after discussing how he’d like the space to work and feel, they agreed that a more comprehensive renovation might be worth the investment.

One of the main aims was to reduce the clutter. The solution to this would be to add plenty of storage. The next objective was to define and organise the functional areas for cooking, cleaning, dressing and sleeping. And simultaneously, to create a modern, minimalist interior that would help make the small home into an inviting retreat from the city below.

kitchen in the small apartment

An intricate wood-paneled central core area was constructed which combined a kitchen, bathroom and walk in wardrobe, with a sleeping loft above. Every opportunity for storage was exploited, including drawers built into the stair risers and cabinets that go to the ceiling. And a roller shade lowers to separate the cosy sleeping loft from the living and working space.

Storage drawers in stairs

Meticulous detail was also paid to the home office. Mike is always working on several projects at once and his reliance on ‘visual filing’ methods had resulted in piles of paper overtaking his floor. JPDA designed a bespoke desk with multiple desktops: sliding trays on which documents can remain spread out, but slide out of the way when switching between projects – or when it’s time to entertain.

Custom made desk

The result is an efficient and flexible home, with a stylish and modern interior that reorganizes the small space to accommodate all the requirements for living and working – with no moving required.

Design Ideas to Takeaway

  • Reducing clutter is the first step to creating more space.
  • Taking cupboards up the to ceiling greatly increases storage space.
  • Think about all the other unused spaces in your home that you might be able to use for storage solutions.
  • Using the same colours and materials throughout your home creates continuity and flow to make your home feel more spacious.

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(Images: Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture)

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Decorating With White

February 23, 2011

Bright and fresh, white is a perennial favourite for interiors and home accessories. But now, with the return of minimalism, white is re-emerging as one of the major interior design trends of 2011. Nothing reflects light better than white. It makes rooms feel more airy and gives them a feeling of space. An ideal choice [...]

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7 Ways to Make Your Hallway Feel Bigger

November 9, 2010

The hallway is often the most cramped and cluttered part of the home. Space is very limited, and its design given less thought than other rooms. But your hallway is possibly one of the most important spaces in your home. It is the first impression your guests receive of your home. More importantly, the entrance [...]

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Open House London

September 12, 2010

If you love architecture and interior design – and planning to be in London next weekend – then don’t miss Open House London which takes place from 18 – 19 September. Called the capital’s greatest architectural showcase, you’ll have the opportunity to visit some amazing public buildings and private residential homes of all types and [...]

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Interior Ideas:
A Modern Minimalist Bedroom

June 23, 2010

This striking minimalist bedroom, is part of a suite known as the Lioness Den, in the Hempel Hotel, London. Famous for its daring design feature – the bed is on a platform, suspended from the ceiling by metal bars.  Also situated on this mezzanine is an en-suite bathroom and storage space.  Below, there is a [...]