The problem: how to get the most out of a tiny (living) room
Every late-20 year old living in London is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth - I can’t keep renting forever. Pondering this predicament on a stroll down the canal in Hackney, I came up with a wonderfully naive solution - I should buy a houseboat! So that’s what I did.
I’m sure many of us have pictured the scene, bobbing along enjoying the slow life on the water, how romantic! The big sacrifice? Space.
With the end of a long renovation process in sight, I can finally turn my mind to design - the fun stuff, the stuff of dreams for anyone who has been too scared to paint a wall or drill a hole in a rental flat. The aim is to turn this barge into a comfortable home with heaps of character for myself and my partner to enjoy our new life on the canal.
The wheelhouse of the barge will act as the living room due to the generous ceiling height and the truly absurd number of windows for such a small room. Unlike a lot of places that claim to be ‘compact’ or ‘tiny’, this living room really qualifies. The room is three meters by five meters so you can trust any advice given here will definitely work in your smaller spaces.
Time to call in the expert and for this I turned to Tom Cox of HÁM Interiors. I sent over some pictures of the wheelhouse and a written brief with my hopes, concerns and a note to highlight how important sustainability is for this project. I’m a big HÁM fan so couldn’t wait to hear what Tom had come up with.
The solutions
We started by discussing colour using a moodboard that Tom had made for the consultation. I had already chosen to paint the ceiling panelling and floor in a light earthy green but was hesitant to paint the walls in case it would overwhelm the area. ‘In these small spaces you can have fun with colour. With sustainability in mind, look at using paint companies that use natural pigments,’ Tom advised. Some colours chosen for my board were Muddy Warren from Morris & co and Sang de Boeuf from Edward Bulmer, both promising low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). ‘I have a go-to palette. I recommend colours with an earthy mineral tone, so whether it’s a green, red or blue they will always go together - that’s a trick’. I can see any of these complimenting the colours I have already committed to, and learn the benefit of having a designer build off of your existing decisions rather than suggest a whole new scheme.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Although blessed with massive windows which afford both natural light and views of the water, what the boat lacks is wall space for art which would be my usual go-to for adding character. Tom had some crafty suggestions to fix this. ‘If you have a painted floor you could have fun with painted chequerboard or stripes or use a stencil and paint on the ceiling almost acting as an architrave. Making your storage a feature is also a win’, suggests Tom, and these HÁM baskets would certainly do the trick, while some stackable wire crates would add a welcome, more industrial edge to the space.
.png)
.png)
Another great way to bring art into a small space is through textiles. Having put a lot of thought into the window situation, including privacy concerns on the towpath, Tom picked out English Oakleaf by Bennison to use for the curtains with an idea to line them with a complimentary ticking fabric, which introduces an interesting decorative element and increases opacity to block out potential nosy neighbours.
.png)
I loved this idea and was drawn to the Aldridge & Supple Ramie fabric on the moodboard. Tom encouraged me to source some second hand Kilim rugs to bring texture and colour to the floor. ‘You can pick them up for cheap from vintage and second hand places’. I had a quick look and found some great ones on Vinterior.
.png)
.png)
.png)
In terms of layout for a tiny living room we were in agreement that a sofa would take up too much space. Tom recommended sourcing two very generous arm chairs such as the Saint Bernard chair from Howe that’s more of a ‘mini sofa’ - you could squeeze two people on one for a movie night. In order to keep the space feeling social, the chairs should face each other with a coffee table in the middle. Conscious of my budget, Tom made it clear that I could find more affordable chairs second hand. ‘I find a lot of stuff at fairs or reclamation yards. Online you can go to places like The Hoarde or Etsy, just trawl around’, he says.
.png)
I would like the option of hosting guests for drinks, especially as the weather gets colder so we can sit around the woodburning stove. Given the size of the space, this is a tricky brief to fulfil, since additional furniture could clutter the room. Tom offered some winning suggestions that I would not have come up with on my own, including using a vintage chest or galvanised vintage baskets with an upholstered lid on top. As Tom points out, ‘it’s storage but also extra seating for having your mates around’. Another idea was to bring some good quality outdoor furniture in, the major benefit being that these fold away to nothing when not in use. I am a Snowpeak fan so I was pleasantly surprised to see that their bench had a place on the moodboard as well as a very fancy folding stool from Melvill & Moon that is now firmly on my wishlist.
Would I recommend?
Certainly: at £600 for a 55 minute consultation the service is much more economical than hiring a fully-fledged interior design service. To wrap up our consultation call I asked Tom for his top tips for working with small spaces, having gathered by this point that he is quite the font of knowledge on the topic. This is what he came back with; ‘The cool thing about a small space is you get that hit with the design all at once when you enter the room. So be bold with your decisions’. I for one will lean into his advice, opting for deep, earthy colours and choosing pieces with interesting materials or qualities to build a space with impact.
Book a consultation with Tom through The Expert.
