A small area is a big opportunity to play with creativity, without compromising on comfort.
Small spaces can turn into “smart” areas with the right ideas and innovative designs.
A limited room area can open up and be spacious with a practical floor layout, infrastructure, lighting and the right furniture.
For design ideas to transform small spaces, theSun approached interior designer Shini Petrina Raman, the founder and creative mind behind VSQ Design and Decorate, who has been designing homes for almost a decade.
The naturally talented Shini has a great eye for furniture as well.
She has many tips, tricks and insights up her sleeve to transform limited spaces into a wonderful dwelling, catering to the resident’s lifestyle needs.
She designs stylish and yet functional small spaces and sometimes shares her brilliant ideas through posts on social media.
Shini started her journey into interior designing after receiving compliments for a nail spa she owned.
“I designed and built the nail spa without engaging an interior designer. Many of my clients gave positive feedback on my spa deco.
I figured I must have a knack for it,“ said Shini.
“I remodeled my parent’s home and shared the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos on social media.
“I was flooded with so many messages from people assuming that I was an interior designer. Today, I am the founder and principal designer for VSQ Design and Decorate,” she said.
“I often gravitate towards modernism, but by carefully injecting some timeless design elements in a space. I started my career by designing kitchens as that was my favourite space to build back then and it still is now.“
“Being an interior designer has taught me a lot about myself. From self-doubt to developing confidence, I have handled multiple jobs at the same time,” she added.
Here are five tips by Shini to transform your small space.
1. Natural light
I always emphasise how important natural light is in a small space and with proper planning, a small space can open up and make the space feel bigger and more pleasant to live in.
2. Get creative with storage
Make storage functional on the inside and maybe have mirror doors to hide storage. Mirrors will give a certain depth to space, but go with frameless mirror doors for a sleek look.
3. Go bold with one or two items
In a neutral colour (furnishing tone) set up, throw in an eccentric armchair or a large canvas painting on a wall that draws attention to detail and makes the space look cosy and welcoming.
Don’t be afraid of colours in a small space, just don’t go overboard with it.
4. Choose lighting that can be attached to the wall or hung above overhead to free up floor space
Swing arm sconces are a great choice for a small space because it brings dimension to the walls. This would be an ideal situation for small space living rooms.
5. Large rugs
This is one of my favourite tricks for small spaces. A large rug not only visually breaks up the floor, but it can also help anchor the space and give you a good staple piece to design the rest of the room.
