Best in class: Space savers

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This is a great example of a galley kitchen that optimises every centimetre. In addition to cabinetry on both sides, above and below, designer Penny Drue Baird understands that you don’t need an expansive space to cook in but that you do need a dining table, however small, at which to eat. In this Park Avenue apartment she’s turned a nook into a dining area. The banquette seating matches the walls, painted in Farrow & Ball Apple Green. dessinsllc.com farrow-ball.com

In a small home it is essential to use all surfaces. Do this well and you create a very interesting dynamic, and can make a brand new space feel more lived in than it is. This shot, part of H&M’s new home campaign for spring, shows how you can use the different levels of the window sill as shelves for plant pots, a napkin basket, books and decorative items. The upright baton-fronted detailing in the foreground could be doors in front of a radiator, or a bookcase. hm.com

Wall-mounted or wall-hung furniture can open up a room. In a small hall it draws the eye in, giving the illusion of space. This Bema Pr02 coat rack is interesting enough to look good even without coats. The matte black design has space hooks for coats, scarves and bags. It is 59cm wide. In bigger households you could allocate one to each child, giving them room to store sports equiplent and footwear. It costs €185, ex delivery, from Made. made.com

These DPI Mogg modular wall units work really well in a small bedroom where there isn’t space for cabinets. Designed by Filipp Mambretti for Mogg, the open-sided, wall-mounted units come in four sizes so you can create your own arrangement. The design will also work well in a bathroom and will help create a clutter-free environment by concealing products and towels. Prices are from €510 per unit from London-based Go Modern. gomodern.co.uk mogg.it

Generations of first-time buyers have moved into their new home with hardly a stick of furniture and purchased each big-ticket item as money permits. Buying a sofa bed makes sense, but under a certain price point a sofa bed is usually either a good bed or a good sofa, but not both. This Madison style from Bo Concept with a 2.1 metre seat is pictured in a soft felt that costs €3,043; prices start at €2,349 at Bo Concept at Arnotts and in Beacon South Quarter. boconcept.ie

First homes are generally compact, so this cool cat hammock by Sebastian Frank Design is a slick space-saving idea. The felted bed, about €129, ex delivery, from Pet Boards in Germany means your puss has a place of their own without a bed or basket taking up floor space. While cosy, it probably isn’t sturdy enough to accommodate fat cats. Frank has a second, powder-coated steel design that does just that. Sebastianfrank.design crowdyhouse.com pet-boards.de

This Wave shelving system by Italian furniture brand Novamobil can be personalised. Its 21 colour options offer endless possibilities for people who are not afraid of colour. With some planning, it makes an efficient place to position your TV and associated tech, especially if you ask your builder to create a skim surface on newly plastered walls in order to hide wires and cables. It costs about €2,500, depending on finish. novamobili.it

This is more for an extension than a new build but it’s a really smart way to increase floorspace. This RIAI award-winning 40 sq m extension is the result of digging down half a metre to make the space feel bigger than it is, says Valerie Mulvin, director at Mc Cullough Mulvin Architects. The bench is about 45cm off the ground; the space underneath could house drawers or, as here, a 30cm-tall radiator. Photograph: Ros Kavanagh mcculloughmulvin.com

Sat Jan 28 2017 - 06:00

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