*Collaboration
Home remodelling is not an intimidating move. Majority of residents in London are scared of renovating because of all the horror stories that they hear — off the charts expenses, rude and unprofessional contractors, shoddy workmanship, poor aesthetics, and even construction-related injuries. This, however, is just a small statistic compared to the numerous successful home renovations in London.
London residents are all accustomed to living in small places. Even with a well-paying job, it would be hard to find a place in London that fits your budget while fulfilling all of your storage needs. When you live in London, one reality that you have to live with is the constant budget cuts that you have to make because of the steadily increasing cost of living.
The reality of living in London is that you have to live in small quarters. According to surveys, properties in the UK are steadily decreasing. With over 9 million residents, London is clearly overpopulated. To make up for this surplus of residents, rental fees have skyrocketed. Residents are left with three options: leave London, co-share or live in micro-flats.
With the majority of jobs still concentrated in London, many choose the second or third option. Co-sharing is when you decide to rent a regular-sized apartment and share it with other people so you won’t have to pay as much in rent. When you do this, bunk beds and curtain walls becomes your reality.
On the other hand, micro-flats are capsule rooms that you can rent, often just 14-30 square metres in size. If you’re part of this demographic, don’t feel too bad. You can still remodel and make your flat feel like home. Home renovations do not have to be big. You can start off little by little. Additionally, there’s a lot of small things that you can do that won’t actually cost you money.
Here we have listed down some of the best ideas on how you can improve the interior design of your flat without costing you too much money.
Rent A Storage Unit in London
First things first, you have to deal with the lack of space in your life. No. I don’t mean renting a bigger apartment. That would only cost you a ton of money. There is a more cost-efficient solution: self storage. When you live in a micro-flat, it can easily get cluttered up with your stuff, which doesn’t always look nice.
The best thing to do here is by renting a self storage unit in East London. You can store all of the non-essentials inside your storage unit so you can have more square footage and space to live in. When I say non-essentials, this includes items that you don’t use regularly, i.e. seasonal clothes, excess furniture and appliances, old books, power tools, and any other personal belongings that you can afford to keep at a separate location.
A cluttered and messy room is not exactly the poster room for the best interior design and aesthetics. Additionally, when you are doing a major renovation, it’s best to send all of your items to a storage unit. This way, none of your furnitures or items get damaged by falling debris, splattering paint, or careless contractors.
DIY Personalised Wall Art
Your friends will none be the wiser if your wall art was brought or DIY. When you install wall art with your own pictures, you turn your living space into a home that you can truly call yours. You create a place where you can relax and enjoy some much-needed downtime. The great thing about this is that it will barely cost you a thing! Check out our guide on how to make a woodland wall art picture hanger here.
Install Wall Mirrors
When you don’t have much space, create some! No we don’t mean for you to splice a continuum. What we mean is that you can add some visually-adding elements to your house like mirrors. Mirrors create some visual space that you will definitely need when you live in a small apartment. You can get a wall mirror for as low as £ 10. You can also hang around flea markets and garage sales to score some other great finds.
Space-Saving Furniture
When you’re in the market shopping for furniture, it’s important that you look for space-savers. Who says furniture only has to do one thing? Choose those that have both utility and aesthetics. For example, an ottoman will act as a chair, and also as a storage bin for your magazines and other bits and pieces. The same can be said with closets under beds and couches with drawers.
Speaking of space-savers, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t transform your dead space into a useful storage area. For instance, your stairs can have a little cupboard under or the space underneath the sink can be turned into a little cabinet for cleaning supplies. These small renovations may cost a bit, but the payback is more room for you to move in.
Personalised Silhouette Prints
Another great idea on how you can personalise your living space without spending a lot of cash is by creating a personalised silhouette print. Think about it. You’re literally hanging your image on your wall in a fun and modern way. Buying artwork for your walls is expensive and can seem impersonal. With a personalised silhouette print, you get your own artwork, almost for free. Additionally, it is also a great conversation starter. Check out how to make personalised silhouette prints here.
Admittedly, there isn’t much that you can do with such limited square footage. However, with the right ideas in mind, you can transform your micro-flat into a modern and chic living space with the interior design that comes right out of a magazine.