Advice from Dragonville Interiors
Designing a smaller space is less about squeezing things in and more about getting the decisions right.
In a compact kitchen, fitted bedroom or living area, every choice has a bigger impact. Colours, finishes, lighting and layout all work together much more closely than they do in a larger room. If one thing feels off, you notice it straight away. When everything is considered correctly, the space can feel calm, practical and far more open than you would expect.
This is something we see a lot at Dragonville Interiors. Many of the homes we work in across Durham and the North East aren’t short on character, but they do need help working better for modern living.
One of the biggest improvements often comes from rethinking the layout. In smaller rooms, it is rarely about adding more. It is about making better use of what is already there. A well-planned small kitchen layout or fitted bedroom design can completely change how a space feels, improving flow and making everyday use much easier.
Colour then plays its part, and this is where small spaces are often either improved or made to feel more restricted.
Lighter tones are often used because they reflect more light and help a room feel more open, but it is not as simple as keeping everything light. What matters more is how colours work together across the whole space.
For example, using a soft neutral for cabinetry, paired with a similar tone on the walls, creates a continuous feel rather than breaking the room up visually. When everything sits within the same palette, the eye moves more easily around the space, which helps it feel larger.
Where people sometimes go wrong is introducing too many contrasts. Dark cabinets, light walls, bold worktops and different finishes can all work individually, but in a smaller room they can start to compete with each other. This is when a space begins to feel busy and slightly closed in.
That does not mean contrast should be avoided altogether. Used carefully, it can add depth. A darker worktop against lighter cabinetry, or subtle differences in tone between units, can give the space some character without overwhelming it.
The key is keeping the palette controlled. When colours and finishes are working together, rather than pulling in different directions, the whole room feels calmer, more balanced, and ultimately more spacious.
The same applies to materials. In smaller spaces, too many finishes can quickly become overwhelming. Keeping things simple, with a balance of textures such as smooth quartz worktops, matte cabinetry or natural elements, adds interest without overcomplicating the design.
Lighting is another area that often makes a bigger difference than people expect. A single overhead light rarely does a small space any favours. When lighting is layered properly, it softens the room and makes it feel more open. It also helps the space work better day to day, whether you are cooking, getting ready, or simply spending time in the room.
Cabinetry is where everything starts to come together. In smaller kitchens and bedrooms, standard options can leave gaps or waste space. Bespoke cabinetry and made to measure storage solutions allow everything to be designed around the room itself, making use of full heights, awkward corners and areas that would otherwise be lost. It also helps keep surfaces clear, which has a huge impact on how spacious a room feels.
We recently worked with a customer, Dorothy, whose kitchen is a good example of this. The space itself wasn’t large, but by rethinking the layout and carefully planning the design, it now works far better for everyday life.
“Great service and workmanship. Love the new kitchen which, although small, we totally changed the layout. Always pleasant, and always tidied up as well as they could. We were kept informed of the daily schedule and nothing was a problem. We would use them again without hesitation and would recommend, particularly the standard of workmanship.”
That kind of feedback reflects what good design should do. It is not about making a space bigger. It is about making it work.
With over 40 years of experience designing bespoke kitchens, fitted bedrooms and interior solutions in Durham, we understand how all of these elements come together. It is not just about choosing finishes. It is about knowing what will actually improve the way a space feels and functions once it is being used every day.
A smaller space should never feel like a compromise. When it is designed well, it can often feel more organised, and easier to live in than a larger room that hasn’t been planned well.
If you are thinking about improving a smaller space in your home, taking the time to get those decisions right from the start makes all the difference.
