{"id":11406,"date":"2017-07-06T15:05:50","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T14:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benhams.com\/news\/?p=11406"},"modified":"2025-08-14T06:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T05:59:51","slug":"micro-homes-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.benhams.com\/news\/landlords\/micro-homes-trend\/","title":{"rendered":"Micro heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

London is following New York\u2019s lead \u2013 with space at a premium and many young professionals looking to live and work in the city, micro\u00a0homes are neatly filling the housing gap. Lettings Director Marc von Grundherr says: \u201cIt\u2019s unsurprising that micro\u00a0homes are becoming popular in London, smaller units means that tenants can enjoy prime central locations at lower costs.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In our latest\u00a0tenant survey<\/a>, 76% of respondents stated that location was the priority and 63% said they would be willing to sacrifice space in favour of location.\u201d<\/p>\n

These affordable apartments for singles or couples maximise the available space in ways that can be astonishing, offering a realistic city rental or first-time-buyer solution in the process. \u00a0Also known as micro apartments or compact homes, they are a one roomed, self-contained living space of between four to ten metres squared. That doesn\u2019t leave much space for sleeping, bathing, living, kitchen and dining areas \u2013 that doesn\u2019t even leave room for the basic furniture and utilities \u2013 so the magic of micro homes lies with clever interior design.<\/p>\n

Every inch of the floor, walls and ceiling is used; features include storage, mezzanine levels, foldaway\/hideaway furniture and optical illusions to make the most of the space. For example, this<\/span> former taxi office in North London<\/span><\/a> was reimagined by design duo <\/span>Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama. They began by thinking of the functionality of an apartment and what could be dispensed with, without losing any comfort. The results are surprising and though this is an extreme example, it does show what can be done with the tiniest space.<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be a designer however, to make the most of a small apartment. Here\u2019s the insider\u2019s guide to making a small space, great.<\/span><\/p>\n

Light and bright<\/h2>\n

Floor to ceiling windows bring in the maximum amount of light and increase feeling of space by borrowing the landscape from the outside. If the apartment doesn\u2019t have large windows, then use mirrors to bounce what light there is around the room. Mirrors also create an optical illusion that there is more to the apartment than there is.<\/span><\/p>\n

Martine Davis, owner of<\/span> Balcombe Street Window Box Company<\/span><\/a> agrees that bringing the natural world inside is a great way to borrow the landscape from outside. \u201cWith property sizes shrinking, you need to get your proportions right when decorating your home.<\/span> Adding some green to a property whether it\u2019s big or small makes a huge difference, especially in urban environments.\"Plants<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a Juliette balcony, it may not be the largest outside space but you can still hang a window box on the railing with a balcony bracket. Apart from saving ground space it also means\u00a0<\/span>the plants and flowers are at waist height so they will be viewed from the inside as well as out.\u00a0<\/span>If you are trying to save space on a balcony, again hang a window box on the railing. When using pots in small spaces use pots that are narrower at the bottom than the top which will save much needed ground space.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Light and neutral decor will also create an illusion of size and tranquility. The neutral tones will harmonise the different items of furniture and help make the apartment feel less cluttered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smart thinking<\/h2>\n

Even large apartments and homes suffer from the need for storage – and the more storage you have, the more you end up storing. Micro-homes then can be a blessing, forcing the dwellers to be ruthless in keeping only what they really need. But storage for the bare essentials still needs to fit into micro-apartment living. \"Stylish<\/span><\/p>\n

Bespoke storage units or modular systems will make use of the whole wall including any odd-sized spaces. The units themselves can become part of a feature wall especially if there are any open shelves where things can be displayed beautifully. Or they can serve as a screen to help section the apartment into areas creating different \u2018rooms\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes the things that need storing can become a feature in their own right \u2013 a collection of hats will make a striking feature wall or, perhaps even with the drive in London to get more people to use bicycles, a few wall-mounted bikes and spare parts could look uber stylish as a feature wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practical solutions<\/h2>\n

Wall space in a micro apartment can\u2019t be wasted on radiators so under-floor heating is a much better option. Or, if you don\u2019t mind sparing some wall space for mirrors, there are some<\/span> clever ones<\/span><\/a> that double-up as radiators.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"micro
Studio conversion, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Creating levels within the apartment is also a great way to enhance the space \u2013 if a ceiling height doesn\u2019t allow for a mezzanine level then a bed suspended from the ceiling or a bunk bed<\/span> will have a similar effect \u2013 though reminiscent of a child\u2019s bedroom, the adult versions are far from childish. Sleek lines and sophisticated materials will create a separate \u2018bedroom\u2019. Alternatively, the bed becoming something else such as a sofa bed or lifting and folding into a wall of shelves are space-saving solutions. This studio conversion in Knightsbridge shows\u00a0just how effective clever design can be in a smaller space. Read more space-saving tips in our blog ‘How to maximise space in your\u00a0rental property<\/a>‘.<\/span><\/p>\n

The one practical element that links all micro apartments is the need to keep them tidy and in good order. Everything should have its place, without a system the apartment will feel cramped and cluttered. Declutter coach Juliet Landau-Pope of JLP Coach<\/a> explains the challenges facing renters and buyers alike: \u2018You don\u2019t have to be a minimalist to appreciate the benefits of living with less clutter \u2013 it\u2019s a major source of stress and contributes to tensions within the household. The key to managing clutter is to develop systems and shift habits as well as surplus stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Design touches<\/h2>\n

Bespoke fold-away furniture to fit the area is a design staple for micro \u00a0homes\u00a0however, it is the touches of designer flair that give the space the \u2018wow\u2019 factor; such as use of pattern or well chosen, eye-catching pieces that move the eye around the room and hide its true size.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pattern isn\u2019t for everyone and can have the opposite effect, drawing the room in and making it feel busy. An easy solution is to use a monochrome colour scheme \u2013 white and black will help everything to feel as though it belongs there, it will blur the lines between different pieces of furniture or utility items and it will feel very sophisticated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"FoldingCompanies such as Viaduct<\/a> specialise in flexible or multi-functional furniture such as folding chairs,<\/span> dual-use storage<\/span>,<\/span> sofa beds<\/span>,<\/span> dual-use sofas<\/span> and items such as this<\/span> installation piece<\/span> by designer Muller Van Severen<\/span> are micro-living at its best.<\/span><\/p>\n

James Mair, founder of Viaduct, explains his fascination with micro living: “Anyone who lives in London knows the challenges facing a new generation of city dwellers, to make quality design accessible to all, and to fire up a debate on housing in this city. We don\u2019t want to lose a generation because they can\u2019t afford to live and work here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUrbanisation is predicted by the UN to grow at an ever increasing rate from 54% today to 66% by 2050. We already see the effect of this trend in inner city living, the housing market, the lack of space not just in London but globally. As space becomes more and more of a premium, we have to rethink how we live and how we organise our living space.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t just interiors that are being revolutionised either; <\/span>Dr Mike Page at the<\/span> University of Hertfordshire<\/span> set his mind to home energy efficiency solutions and ended up designing a micro home called the\u00a0<\/span>Cube Project<\/span>. \u201cThere were two trains of thought for energy efficiency: either you carefully control the energy efficiency of a big house, only lighting or heating the room you are using and so forth, or you only use a single room and make it adaptable for multiple living functions. That then became the design challenge, to make the space comfortable and ensure that none of the functions interrupted each other. It\u2019s been hugely enjoyable, finely adjusting the dimensions and functionality. The end product or rather products QB2 and QB3 have been featured on<\/span> Channel 4, <\/span>George Clarke\u2019s Amazing Spaces<\/span><\/i> and at the<\/span> Edinburgh Science Festival<\/span>. Many people have commented that they could happily live in one which is the ultimate testament to their success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n