Small House Design Ideas | How To Live Big In A Small Footprint — Zephyr + Stone (2024)

There’s a lot to be said for having a small house… especially when it’s designed well. Because well-designed small spaces and small homes, generally feel better to live in and keep families far more connected than larger homes…

And there are so many other BIG benefits to owning a small house: smaller footprint, it’s more affordable and cheaper to build, run and maintain, not to mention quicker and easier to clean. #yesplease

The secret to a great small house design is making the home FEEL BIG — so it’s super-functional and enjoyable to live in. Ready to maximise your small house plan? Here are some design features and ideas you’ll want to copy to create your own well-designed small domestic spaces!

1. Storage Is King

The secret to a small home that feels spacious is as much storage as possible... everywhere possible… and making any and all storage smart, functional and customised.

In a small kitchen, smart storage could include a pull-out pantry, slide-out corner carousel, drawers, cupboards and shelves, and the addition of internal customisation such as spice racks attached to the inside of cupboard doors. Integrating built-in storage with specialised storage solutions should be high on the agenda, as it is the key to keeping small spaces tidy, organised and decluttered.

In a bedroom, a well thought out wardrobe with dedicated drawers, shelves and rails for your clothes will store twice as much as a standard hanging rail and single shelf above.

If you’re looking to improve your small home’s aesthetic, these simple storage ideas will transform your space in no time!

2. Go High With Your Ceilings

When it comes to creating more spacious spaces in your small house, and the feeling of a bigger house — high ceilings are the winning ticket.

Raked or cathedral ceilings are a great way to make a space feel brighter and more spacious. Having 2.7 or 3.0m+ high ceilings and 2.4m high doors and windows, instantly makes any room, space and home feel a whole lot bigger. Bigger doors and windows also bring in a lot more natural light, can maximise views to the outside and ensure you see more sky. Cabinetry and storage can also be upsized and run taller — all the way up to the ceiling — to utilise every inch of available space.

This will provide the perfect ‘extra storage’ for items you don’t use often like suitcases, occasional kitchen appliances, Christmas decorations and everything in between. Taking cabinetry all the way up to the ceiling also creates clean vertical lines which make spaces appear visually taller and bigger.

3. Colour Palette

Dark colours make rooms feel smaller and moodier. When it comes to small spaces, a light colour scheme is the best way to go. Think whites, off whites and beiges, and select warmer colours to make rooms feel cosy and inviting.

The great thing about going for a neutral colour palette is that you can then personalise it with coloured soft furnishings and artwork that will bring your home to life. Check out these expert tips when it comes to choosing the right colour palette for your home before you commit to your small house design!

4. Layout + Style

An intricate floor plan with lots of angles and corners can make a house look busier and cramped. The secret to a well-designed small house that feels big is a simple layout. If you are designing from scratch, keep any spaces as open as possible. Make sure to align walls and create straight paths for easy flow and foot traffic in your home. You may have some constraints if you are renovating, but as a general rule: the simpler, the better.

Focus on clean lines and flat surfaces. The best styles for small houses are Minimalist, Contemporary, Scandi, Palm Springs and Coastal. Styles like Hamptons or rustic homes also work well, as long as ornamental features and mouldings are well-planned to ensure an overall that’s not too busy and cluttered.

5. Multi-Purpose/Compact Furniture

If you are very limited with your space, multi-purpose and compact furniture is perfect for further optimising a room. Contrary to what you might think, a few larger furniture pieces will actually make a room feel bigger, compared to lots of smaller pieces which can make a room feel full, messy and cluttered.

Some examples of compact, multi-purpose furniture are:

1. Dining table with extension or with benches or chairs that fit snuggly under

2. Nestled coffee tables that house little pouffes underneath or an extra smaller table

3. Bed with storage underneath

4. Raised bed with storage or desk under for kids

5. Integrated fold-down bed

6. Sofa bed

Compact furniture is designed to fit into smaller areas, effectively utilizing every inch of available space. Thus, it promotes a much better visual flow for your home. Wall-mounted or tall furniture pieces also draw the eye upward by making use of vertical space. Overall, maximising the benefits of compact or multi-purpose furniture is a great small house design idea to enhance functionality, and aesthetics and at the same time, create a sense of spaciousness.

6. Built-In Furniture

Freestanding furniture always takes up more space and real estate than built-in furniture. Built-in furniture has the advantage of being perfectly designed, customized and sized for your space — and looks a lot cleaner, purposeful and less busy in a room.

Here are some examples of built-in furniture to implement in your small house design:

1. Dining Banquette or Bench seat

2. Built-in TV unit and consoles

3. Built-in bedside tables or bedside shelves

4. Built-in seats or sofas

5. Built-in desks

6. Built-in bookshelves and storage

It’s also worth noting that built-in furniture seamlessly integrates with the limited space you already have, which creates a much more cohesive look and seamless design overall. This in turn helps to make your small house look bigger without breaking your bank!

7. Natural Light + Ventilation

There is nothing worse than being in a small space that is so dark it feels suffocating. Natural light instantly makes rooms feel bigger, and large windows draw the eye outward, expanding the feeling of space in a room.

When choosing windows for your smaller home or space, being able to open the windows for cross-ventilation and fresh air is paramount. When designing your small home, plan your windows considering where the sun rises and sets and consider neighbours and gardens to maximise any view. Views and outlooks aren’t just there to be pretty. Visual connection to nature has been proven to improve health and wellbeing, making it important for health and wellbeing, and essential to creating a calming home.