Residential

Making small rooms work harder

Architect's desk with rolled building plans, a drawn floor plan and a scale ruler, with a South African house model besi

Holiday cottages and older homes along the coast often have small bedrooms, narrow kitchens and awkward corners. Interior architecture is about making those spaces work properly, not just decorating them. We start by looking at how the room is used, where people move and what needs to be stored, before drawing any joinery or choosing finishes.

Built-in cupboards that run to the ceiling, a bench seat with storage underneath or a sliding door instead of a swinging one can free up surprising amounts of space. Light colours and layered lighting help too. The aim is a room that feels calm and uncluttered, with a place for everything you actually own.