Ideas
7 Ideas for multifunctional living spaces
Here are my 7 savvy ideas for rooms that are doing double duty to really help make the most of your multifunctional living space.
22nd August 2023
Over recent years, we’ve become much more demanding of our homes. It’s no longer the case that one room has only one use.
From somewhere to relax, eat, socialise, work and even work out, our homes have many different uses and have quickly become truly adaptable living spaces.
So, how do you master multipurpose living that works and looks good too?
With some carefully thought-out ideas, you can make your home work for you and your lifestyle.
Here, I share my top tips for creating a stylish and flexible living space.
1. Multi-use furniture
If you’re creating a multifunctional living room, choosing furniture that works double time is a great space-saver.
A storage footstool is a great piece of multi-use furniture that looks super stylish too!
Not only does it provide a place to put your feet up, it also serves as a place to hide items, such as blankets, toys and books.
Use it as an extra seat for guests or a coffee table with a tray placed on top to put drinks and remote controls.
Lou Sofa Range Storage Footstool
2. Create a cohesive scheme
If you’re creating an open plan living space, having a theme that runs throughout all the areas will bring the room together and create a streamlined look.
You could have the same paint colour on the walls. Choosing a pale palette will help the room feel lighter and airier and you can allow each part to have its own personality by adding artwork.
Add subtle shades and patterns that can easily be changed when you fancy a new look. Or, use the same flooring across the room and choose different but complimentary shades on the walls in different areas to define the spaces.
Matching furniture will also help the room look less busy.
Signature Brooklyn Furniture Range
3. Define dining spaces
Squeezing in somewhere to eat in a space that is trying to be many things can be tricky.
If you’re stuck for space, a circular dining table tucks well into a corner or, if you have a little more room to play with, an extendable dining table is perfect if you plan on hosting and can be folded down when you need the room and pulled out when dinnertime comes round.
Place it plush against a wall with a few chairs round if this will do for mid-week meals and then have it pride of place when company comes.
For particularly small spaces, a stylish bar table and some stools make a contemporary dining area.
Montero Bistro Dining Table
4. Create ‘zones’
As each part of your space will have it’s own function and entity, it’s a good idea to define each area.
Rugs, artwork and accent walls are great ways to separate spaces and give them their own individual style. Place a rug underneath your dining table to anchor the space and another one in a different colour or pattern under the sofa. Having oversized rugs under furniture is a good way of making a space feel bigger rather than letting it float in the middle of a room.
Hang a large piece of artwork above a sofa to draw the eye or have an eye-catching splash back in your kitchen to give it its own distinctive style.
Lighting can also be a great way to define areas. Create an intimate ambience in the dining space with some soft lighting or a bolder centrepiece in the sitting room, for example.
G Plan Greenwich 3 Seater Sofa
5. Use your sofa to enclose your living area
If you’re creating an open plan living room, try placing your sofa in the middle of the room to create a divide.
By having your sofa’s back to the rest of the room, whether it be a dining space or kitchen area, you create a partition, separating the spaces.
An L-shaped sofa or corner sofa works really well as it helps to enclose the space in front of it.
Arrange your living room furniture in front of the sofa, then place a console table or dining table and chairs behind your sofa to define the beginning of the next area.
Selena Corner sofa with Chaise
6. Curate a cute office space
With working from home now being a common way of life, there is an increasing demand for home offices. The key to incorporating a home office into a living space is to not let it dominate the space.
Opt for a slimline console table or desk that can easily blend into the rest of the décor and look almost as cosy as the rest of the home.
Add a shelf above the desk for added room for books or folders and add a potted plant and modern lamp to help it look homely yet inspiring.
We love @athomewithkirsty_'s home office featuring the Ideal Home Fraser sofa
Image credit: @athomewithkirsty_
7. Save space with a sofa bed
Whether placing it in a bedroom, home office, living room or the kids’ playroom, a sofa bed can be a space-saving saviour.
Offering practicality and comfort, a sofa bed can turn a living, playing or home working area into a sleep space with ease and one quick manoeuvre.
If you don’t have a designated guest room, a sofa bed or an even smaller chair bed could be the answer.
Pop it into a home office or in the toy room ready to fold out when you have overnight visitors.
Image credit: @the_homely_home
I hope you now have some helpful inspiration for making the most of your flexible living space.
For more ideas on making the most of your living space, read 8 living dining room ideas or kitchen dining room ideas.
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