interior design ideas

In small living rooms overhead storage can be a life saver. The built in cabinetry enclosing the sofa in this house by Paolo Moschino creates a cozy, decorative nook.

The pi?ce de r?sistance of this tiny house, a former artists studio in Chelsea designed by Eve Mercier, is the original Perspex roof on the upper floor, which lends the small living room the feel of a conservatory and creates the illusion of space.

This clever tree like shelf on which you can also hang coats and bags is perfect for itty bitty entryways and can also be used in the kitchen. Stack plates, bowls and mugs underneath and hang utensils like sieves from the pegs.

Simplify your life pass on anything you havent used in 18 months to a charity shop or put it on Freecycle. Clothes, shoes, crockery, the works. The owners of this house, decorated by David Bentheim, disposed of much of what they had collected over the years to downsize and start again. If they can do it, so can you. A neutral colour scheme keeps things streamlined, while the bench, artwork, books and flowers add a punctuation of colour.

Designer Mark Gillette makes careful use of colour and lighting in his flat, proving that even small spaces can handle a dark, dramatic palette of jewel like amber offset with black and white. Im not afraid of colour, but I like to keep it contained, he says. The well positioned light above the bed is useful for reading but also spotlights the white bedding, bringing light and space to the centre of the room. The clothes storage is also a clever design feature, both practical and beautiful.

Emma Chapman of blog A Beautiful Mess created a wrap around desk in a corner in her home, leaving the centre of the room uncluttered. A couple of compact, stool height chairs means she and her husband, Trey, have the option of either sitting or standing while they work. See how to make your own version over on A Beautiful Mess.

In this wet room by Dublin firm Architecture Republic, the glazed ceiling floods the room with light, offering views of the sky while retaining privacy.

If your room is lacking space for both cupboards and seating, take a leaf out of the book of the late Helen Green of Helen Green Designs. In her sons bedroom, smart storage space, with a recess for a small sofa, solves the problem. Spotlights have been added to the underside of the middle shelf to create a cozy, well lit nook for reading. The tongue and grove effect on the walls, is echoed on the sturdy bunk beds to the left of the picture.

Even designers live in awkward spaces. Jane Taylor has created a number of devices for her Chelsea mansion flat, including the kitchen door which doubles as CD storage.

Glass and steel folding doors separate the drawing room from the study. Bunny Turner says she chose the bold David Hicks print to line the walls so that despite it being a diminutive space, you wouldnt pass by without noticing it.