Smaller Contemporary Spaces

Getting a contemporary style in a smaller space.

Britain is full of stunning architecture and smaller, characterful homes, from Georgian cottages to slim Victorian terraces and bijou apartments to warehouse conversions. All with their own individual creative spaces and resourceful floor plans. Contemporary Italian style is often pictured in large open plan Villas with vast floor space and wall to ceiling windows, however this elegant, sleek and minimalist style can work amazing transformations in a smaller home. Maximising the use of space by using a few versatile, pieces with smooth silhouettes and slim design, will de clutter the room, take full advantage of light and create a highly contemporary style.

The first Italian Contemporary staple item is the extendable dining table, the heart of the house (well, possibly in close competition with the sofa!). A slim line table in simple colours will open up a room and slender legs will be less dominating to the space and block less light. With the table top in a tonal colour, to match or compliment the legs the look will be simple and stylish. An extending table is perfect for allowing extra seating without having that permanent unused size taking up the floor space. Chairs can be tricky too, a bulky chair will engulf a table space, block light and too many can clutter. A Chair with a slimmer leg, same principle as the table, will create the illusion of more light and space. A low back chair will not dominate the eye line and will look more sleek and elegant. Trouble can occur when an extendable table is at it's smaller size, however a stackable chair, can be stored elsewhere, or a particularly contemporary chair can look fantastic in elsewhere in the house.

To de-clutter a room a simple shelving unit is most effective and a contemporary design will stop it from looking like a practical necessity and more a design based feature. This also allows use of unique areas of the room and opens up the centre, for a more crisp, clean style. A tall, slim unit can make use of those narrow or smaller wall spaces and also alcoves, whereas low units can make use of spaces beneath windows which can be awkward to utilise. Contemporary shelving is also a great way to de-clutter and create a more contemporary feeling space. Some designs incorporate drawers within the shelves, or an extending top to allow the top of the shelf to double as a desk. 

Lastly, the large coffee table that seems to encompass the living room floor and collect the daily flotsam can be replaced with contemporary side tables. There are some fantastic and ingenious designs which allow for height adjustment, or have an integral magazine or book holder. Large surfaces can sometimes collect items without us noticing until it is too late! A larger amount of small surfaces are far less likely to collect extra items and also create a cleaner, more airy space. Small space contemporary is in the simplicity and bare elegance of the the clean lines, striking silhouettes and minimal fuss.