Decorating a Tenement in Edinburgh: Innovative Ideas to Suit Any Style

Decorating your house to reflect your style and personality is essential to making it a home. In Edinburgh, many residents call tenements their home; however, these small spaces often require far more planning to avoid making them feel cramped and stuffy. Here are some innovative ideas and tips that should help you transform and elevate your small apartment.  

Light Your Way to Success

Lighting and light sources can make a significant impact on the look and feel of any home, but it is even more important when you are working in a confined space. Layering different types of lights can add depth to an area by keeping it well-lit and balanced, so consider using all your options to create the illusion of space. Use natural light as much as possible for your ambient lighting to create a feeling of warmth that still can’t be completely replicated by bulbs. 

Flush-mounted lights can be used to even out the natural ambient light and ensure no dark corners are lurking around. Upgrading your light fixtures will probably be a necessary step if you are in an older building. When looking into electricians, Edinburgh has several companies that can assist so be sure to look into electricians in the area to find a well-reviewed expert to help you with your makeover. 

Hide the Hardware When Possible

While items like heaters, radiators, dishwashers, and washing machines are all essential components of a house, they are not the most attractive pieces of hardware. Hiding these bulkier items can help make spaces feel tidier and more appealing, so get creative with your kitchen cupboards and other storage areas to find new homes for these appliances. Installing underfloor heating is an expensive, albeit elegant, solution to keeping radiators and heaters out of sight that has also been shown to help reduce homeowners’ electricity bills as it is more efficient than other forms of heating. Meanwhile, corner cupboards in kitchens make a wonderful spot to stash away a dishwasher. 

Choose Flexible Furniture

When we talk about flexible furniture we aren’t talking about futuristic furniture that can change its shape to fit your needs (although the concept is a great one). Flexible furniture can refer to small items of furniture that can fulfil a range of functions and is easy to move about the house. This could mean a fold-up table in your art room, a blank counter in your kitchen that can alternate as a drying area or chopping spot, depending on how far along dinner is, or a special piece of narrow Georgian furniture that can be used for multiple purposes, or moved from room to room, depending on your needs. 

Get Creative with Your Storage

One of your biggest woes when it comes to living in a small space is the amount of storage (or lack thereof) that you will have to contend with. This is where a little bit of creativity will go a long way. Shelves are a great tool that can help you create more space for decor and functional items alike but consider installing them higher than you normally would and make more space for other items. You could also consider staggering for even more space. The unused spaces above doorways also beg for use, and the right shelf could turn this area into the linen storage space you needed. Another simple tip that won’t break your budget is the right use of hooks. While traditionally you may think hooks are for hats and coats, they can make a great focal point in the kitchen if you install them in the space between your countertop and your overhead counter and use them for pots and pans storage. 

Embrace Your Vertical Spaces

In small spaces, making use of vertical space, such as behind-the-door storage, can help you make the most of the square meters you have available. This kind of storage is especially useful for keeping tiny goods that would otherwise clutter up spaces. If you want to want to double up those trinkets as decor, consider mounting a hook and using thin wire baskets arranged around the back of a door to hold the necessary supplies that may look nice but aren’t always in demand (like gift wrapping for Christmas time). Other hanging storage options are available, so take a look around at your options the next time you are out shopping.

Small spaces can feel cluttered and stuffy, and leave homeowners frustrated with a messy house and little they feel they can do about it. However, with a bit of prior planning and creativity, even the smallest house can be made to feel like a home fit for royalty. Making smart furniture decisions is a key part of taking the clutter out of a tenement, so make this your primary priority when looking at ways to upgrade your space.