LIVING SPACES

 

A home with style

Every centimetre of this home has been transformed into an elegant living area with enough storage - and even display space!

 

Henry Joubert and his wife Christelle live in a pocket handkerchief-sized house in Northcliff, Johannesburg, that they renovated for about R20 000 in 2008.

This is our first home and we were able to change whatever we liked. We were forced to create more cupboards and storage space, but also wanted to turn the kitchen and living room into a single space so that we could enjoy the beautiful view that had been obscured by cupboards before.

There are various products on the market to create a natural cement plaster finish for both interior and exterior home improvement projects. Companies such as Coprox and Cemcrete are just two that offer a wide selection of products.

 

 

The Style
I'm not sure there is a specific style. We often visit small places and love buying unique homeware - a candelabra here and a heart there - and everything needs to find a place in our home. The style's our style: comfortable, neat, and somewhere that we truly feel completely at home.

How to make a small home work for you

  • Lower furniture makes a room seem bigger.
  • Avoid too many dark pieces.
  • Select functional furniture. The side tables in the living room provide extra storage: one holds CDs, DVDs and wine, while the other accommodates board games and cards.
  • You must be able to move freely among the furniture.
  • Carefully consider ornaments - use one striking piece instead of trying to display everything.
  • Use any alcove-like spaces - between a fireplace and a wall, for example - to install shelving, which is great for books, magazines, photo frames and CDs.
  • Use a sleeper couch in the living room to add an extra room for guests.
  • Use lidded boxes on open shelving to ensure an uncluttered look.
  • 'See-through' furniture, such as a table with a glass top, keeps a room light.
  • Glass doors add more light to a room and create a sense of space; use frosted glass for privacy, if required.
  • Buy furniture with multiple use in mind - for example, a table that can be used as a desk during the day and a dining table at night.