Did you know that British homes are the smallest in Europe? Yep. The average new build these days comes with just 76 square metres of floor space. This is compared to somewhere like Denmark where new houses are afforded 137 square metres.
Of course, if you live in a city, you might dream of the day you have 76 square metres to yourself. This infographic from the mayor of London shows that actually, in many boroughs of London, the average floor space per flat is just 57 square metres. Which is fine, but chances are it's far from just one person occupying that space.
Anyway, the reality is, we're living in small spaces. Which means that a lot of furniture hasn't got a hope in hell of fitting. Yes, it would be lovely to have a huge L-shaped couch to lounge on, or a kingsize bed, but not if they leave little-to-no floor space for you to actually walk across.
Luckily, some home stores and interiors designers have caught onto the fact we're not all living in country piles and started designing and selling compact, agile and multifunctional furniture for your teeny pad. These stores may not always be cheap as chips (in fact some of them are downright expensive), but they're nevertheless good places for gleaning inspiration.
Here are our favourite places that sell stuff for small spaces.
Urban Size
It's outrageous that Urban Size isn't better known. Its on-trend designs are created to make life in a tiny flat easier. From floating bedside tables to furniture that fulfils a dual purpose, Urban Size's small collection is a masterful exercise in how to maximise floor space without sacrificing design.
This floating dressing table (£180) is one such example.
IKEA PS Collection
IKEA's been understanding you for years. Its PS range, first launched in 2014, is designed for people who move often and live in small spaces (sound familiar?). Offerings from the range are lightweight, easy to shift around and compact enough to fit through your front door. The designers make sure to use fun colours and modern designs, too.
This iconic table with storage has lasted from the original collection. It's just £50 and available from (duh) IKEA.
Orla Reynolds
Irish designer Orla Reynolds' famous bookcase-cum-dining table has become a feature of conversations about furniture for small houses. The cube-shaped bookcase cleverly conceals four chairs and two tables which can be pulled out easily whenever they're needed, without disturbing the bookcase's contents.
Orla also does a coffee table that secretly houses four stools and placemats that store drinks mats. Sadly that's it for the moment. More ingenious designs needed please, Orla!
Check out the coffee table (£721.50) over on Etsy.
My Small Space
This clever idea for a business is an online homeware finder that aggregates tiny house furniture from all over. Creator Sindy started it after a significant life change saw her move from a country house to a one-bed flat in London where she struggled to find small furniture. On My Small Space you can even search by dimensions.
Check out this desk from Made (£149), which folds down from the wall, found on MySmallSpace.
Heal's
It might not seem like it but some high street retailers are hearing your anguished cries for smaller furniture. One such place is Heal's, which has several pieces designed for small flats. Our favourite is this mirror, which revolves to reveal storage space (£389). It's also made out of sustainable bamboo. Score one for the environment.
West Elm
Existing both online and IRL, West Elm has a quite frankly ginormous selection of furniture and homeware, so theoretically there should be a bit more to choose from when it comes to small space offerings.
Nevertheless, this mini desk with marble top (£399) is perfect for people looking to create a workspace in their bedroom or teeny tiny living room.
Futon Company
Believe it or not, the Futon Company doesn't just do futons. They have expanded the futon concept across all furniture and sell everything from folding wardrobes to teeny sofas. The prices, unlike some of the stores on this list, are pretty darn reasonable too. All hail the humble futon.
This leaning dressing table is even on sale right now (£179).
MarMell
Despite a website that looks like its from 1995, MarMell is a great resource for all things tiny living-related. Designed with the really teeny spaces in mind are their beds, which fold into the wall, corner-fitting dining tables and coffee tables which turn into desks.
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