Building smaller, compact homes is gaining momentum. People are realizing that living in smaller well-designed modern homes has many benefits, both quantitative and qualitative, over larger traditional houses. A smaller home costs less to build and operate. It’s also easier to clean and maintain. This ultimately leaves more time and money to spend on more important things, like family, friends, and hobbies. You can see how this can be a huge selling point for many people.
A smaller, more efficient home can be just as comfortable, beautiful, and inviting as a larger home and can be so without sacrificing style, amenities, or comfort. To design and build small and modern – AND to do so successfully – requires not only a buy-in on your part to the lifestyle of small living but also an efficient house design that is optimized to how you live your life.
At our firm, we’re very mindful of designing responsibly and cost effectively. Building small is inherent in designing responsibly – minimizing waste and unnecessary resources during construction and during the lifetime of the home. What follows are 3 effective design strategies for small modern homes. Bigger isn’t always better so check out our strategies to create a more enjoyable smaller home.
1. Create Smart Efficient Spaces
An Open Floor Plan
In smaller homes you want the house to still feel spacious and comfortable. An open floor plan makes a small footprint feel larger than it is. When designing small spaces, consider opening up rooms to one another. The volume of all the areas is perceived as one large space, feeling more spacious. Opening up the floor plan not only improves the flow between spaces, it also lets you enjoy borrowed light and views from other spaces and the outdoors. You might be able to see views to the outdoors or enjoy daylighting from multiple sides of the house through other spaces. You also save money on the cost of the labor and materials of building walls.
Ideas:
- Consider eliminating interior walls between the kitchen and dining or living spaces.
- Consider a mezzanine or double height space open to above.
[Loughloughan Barn by McGarry-Moon Architects. Photo courtesy of McGarry-Moon Architects.]
Multipurpose spaces, functions, and furniture
By eliminating interior walls, as is the case with an open floor plan, adjacencies between spaces become more fluid and blurred. This allows greater flexibility in space usage now and in the future. You can combine functions and even rooms to make spaces serve more than just one use. Similarly, furniture can be multi-purpose and act as space dividers. Successful small house designs have efficient floor plans, eliminating wasted space and costly circulation space.
[Texas Farmhouse by Royce Flournoy & Patrick Ousey. Photo by Ryann Ford.]Borrowed space
With a smaller house, you should look for any way possible to recoup wasted square footage. Be mindful of opportunities to borrow space from other areas and the exterior.
Ideas:
- Wasted space under enclosed stairs could be used for storage or have built-in shelving.
- If you have spaces where the roof cuts through a room creating a low ceiling, use this space for furniture or shelving.
- An awkward nook in the living room could be a perfect place for a small office desk.
[Island Bay House by WireDog Architecture. Photo ByPaul McCredie.]
Vaulted or high ceilings
One impactful idea to make a small room look and feel bigger is to raise the ceiling. High ceilings can make small spaces seem more spacious and light-filled. White or light colored walls and ceiling further help light illuminate the space. Higher ceilings also provide the opportunity to introduce a loft space to increase the amount of usable space.
Ideas:
- Consider a modern shed roof with clerestories to provide more light and ventilation in the space.
- Consider a vaulted cathedral ceiling to give a welcoming lift to the space.
[Kennel Copenagle House by Small House Lab. Photo by Aaron Leitz.]
[Berkshire House by Framework Architecture. Photo by Guillermo Cano.]
2. Connect With The Outdoors
Design for natural daylighting & views to the exterior
Spaces with ample natural daylight feel more spacious and inviting (and are oftentimes more energy efficient). Orienting the home, its spaces, and its windows while being mindful of the sun paths helps with this. Using windows, window walls, interior windows, skylights, and clerestories open up spaces and elicit the feeling of being more spacious. If the windows are well-placed, a small house doesn’t feel constrained because it connects with nature.
Ideas:
- Locate windows to capture views of the surrounding landscape – the field, the garden, the mountains, and the sky.
- Consider a skylight or small window in the bathroom to let light in while still maintaining privacy.
- Consider adding glass lites to interior doors or transom windows above them to channel daylight and views deeper into the small spaces.
- Add a ribbon window above or below kitchen cabinets to brighten up the space.
[Hut on Sleds by Crosson Clarke Carnachan. Photo by Jackie Meiring.]
Create Outdoor Spaces
One of the best ways to gain space in small homes is by extending the living space outside of the home’s footprint. Blurring the interior and exterior with habitable exterior spaces can make your house feel bigger. Large patio doors that enable you to flow effortlessly from indoors to an exterior deck, porch, or seating area significantly expand your living area.
Ideas:
- Consider a deck with seating, grilling, or a fire pit for entertaining and living.
- Consider creating an exterior contemplation area or relaxing private oasis area to recharge.
- Create an enclosed screened in porch that can be used more times during the year than just summer.
[Island Bay House by WireDog Architecture. Photo By Paul McCredie.]3. Design Simple, Minimalistic, & Uncluttered Spaces
Consistent Design Aesthetic
Ideas:
- If you have knick-knacks that you’re attached to, consider only displaying a few at a time and rotating them every so often.
- Consider using a few materials and stick to them throughout all the spaces, with a few accent materials where warranted.
[Casa LLP by Alventosa Morelle Architects. Photo courtesy of Alventosa Morelle Architects.]
[Leachachan Barn by Rural Design Architects. Photo by Nigel Rigden.]
Get Organized
Busy, cluttered spaces feel overwhelming and cramped. This feeling is exacerbated by small spaces so try to keep the spaces clutter and distraction-free. Living in a small space frees you from excess consumerism and clutter. It forces you to simplify your life and makes you really conscious of your purchases. Go through your things and decide if you actually use them. Remember: space is valuable and precious in your home. Donate, sell or get rid of items you don’t need. For the rest, organize and store them out of sight or make the storage look good. Look for strategies to carve out spaces in your rooms for storage or built-ins.
Ideas:
- To reduce closet space, only keep seasonal things in your closet and drawers. For the offseason items, store away in the attic or basement.
- Consider built-in casework with door fronts. This way you can store your stuff hidden away and maintain a clean look in the room.
[Innercity Downsize House by Steffen Welsch Architects. Photo courtesy of Steffen Welsch Architects.]
Lasting Thoughts
The key to designing a small modern house effectively is to keep the architecture and details simple and the spaces as open as possible, both in terms of natural light and clutter. It’s important to examine how much space you really need and use, and then, to optimize the design accordingly. A design professional can help make suggestions on how to better optimize spaces and functions within your home to help achieve the same goals with less square footage.
Living in a smaller home is a personal and lifestyle preference. It can afford you a simpler life – spending less time and money to build, to clean, and to maintain over the years and freeing you up to spend more time doing the things you love. Making the decision to build a smaller home takes careful consideration and must be weighed against your programmatic needs, wants, and goals for the project. if your goals don’t align with this lifestyle choice, you may regret it later.
But for those of you who enjoy the simpler lifestyle, you would very much appreciate the benefits of what a compact home affords you.
[Featured image: Loughloughan Barn by McGarry-Moon Architects. Photo courtesy of McGarry-Moon Architects.]
Get Organized
Busy, cluttered spaces feel overwhelming and cramped. This feeling is exacerbated by small spaces so try to keep the spaces clutter and distraction-free. Living in a small space frees you from excess consumerism and clutter. It forces you to simplify your life and makes you really conscious of your purchases. Go through your things and decide if you actually use them. Remember: space is valuable and precious in your home. Donate, sell or get rid of items you don’t need. For the rest, organize and store them out of sight or make the storage look good. Look for strategies to carve out spaces in your rooms for storage or built-ins.
Ideas:
- To reduce closet space, only keep seasonal things in your closet and drawers. For the offseason items, store away in the attic or basement.
- Consider built-in casework with door fronts. This way you can store your stuff hidden away and maintain a clean look in the room.
[Innercity Downsize House by Steffen Welsch Architects. Photo courtesy of Steffen Welsch Architects.]
Lasting Thoughts
The key to designing a small modern house effectively is to keep the architecture and details simple and the spaces as open as possible, both in terms of natural light and clutter. It’s important to examine how much space you really need and use, and then, to optimize the design accordingly. A design professional can help make suggestions on how to better optimize spaces and functions within your home to help achieve the same goals with less square footage.
Living in a smaller home is a personal and lifestyle preference. It can afford you a simpler life – spending less time and money to build, to clean, and to maintain over the years and freeing you up to spend more time doing the things you love. Making the decision to build a smaller home takes careful consideration and must be weighed against your programmatic needs, wants, and goals for the project. if your goals don’t align with this lifestyle choice, you may regret it later.
But for those of you who enjoy the simpler lifestyle, you would very much appreciate the benefits of what a compact home affords you.
[Featured image: Loughloughan Barn by McGarry-Moon Architects. Photo courtesy of McGarry-Moon Architects.]
It’s awesome that this article talked about how a smaller home is more cost-efficient and easier to maintain at the same time. We just moved into our new home, and we’re thankful that we got a smaller one. We had to move closer to my husband’s place of work, and the bigger houses are too expensive for our budget. A smaller house isn’t really that bad at all. My kids still have their own rooms, although we can only accommodate a limited number of guests in our living room now. I’m confident that with an effective interior design, I can transform this place into one that everybody will enjoy. Thanks for the fun read!