5 Minimal tips how Rumah Afra decorate a small living room

- Colour palet:
Keep it very simple when it comes to choosing colors in you little space. As I mentioned it before on a previous blogpost, white brings you a lot of light. This doesn't mean that u need to paint your whole place white but the challenge is to be creative. The most important thing is to see the big picture. Because what you need to avoid is too much contrast between the walls, floors and furniture. So choose wisely and choose the right colour for your little space and think about the big picture.

- Function of the room:
Start your process by asking the most important question. 
What is the function of your living room?
By answering this question you will have more focus or vision of what the room will be. 

- Choice of furniture:
The most important thing to answer the question here above is from YOUR perspective. For example, The first thing that a lot of people do is choose a big corner seat because we think, when people come over they have more space to sit on. Wrong! Don't forget who is gonna live in your house. A corner seat only works in big spaces. 
Second thing that is a must in a small space (and this I already said a couple of times) you need to have flexibility in you furniture. That means choose furniture that you can use in 10 different ways. 

- Be creative with the stuff you allready have:
When you decorate a small living room you need to pay attention to the stuff you already have. Nothing makes a room more interesting then when there is a lot of DIY in it or a focus on one subject. For example I can hang up in the middle of the room a drawing from Aoki that she made. Or books I already have and I wrap it with white wrapping-paper for more unity. What I'm trying to say is "think out of the box and don't be afraid to be different."

- And the most important thing, Start to declutter and organise your stuff:
This chapter I find the most important subject in any kind of house. Start decluttering and organizing your stuff. When all of your stuff has a place, you will have an overview.

What I like to share when people choose to live small is, by doing the small space lifestyle you are going to have to make choices and you end up becoming really conscious what you will bring into your life. 

And take a moment to think about what you have and start thinking about how it's serving you and what it means to you and if there is something you can get rid off right away, Just do it! 

Be conscious and choose for small living but a bigger life, enjoy your weekend guys.

A floating rack made by Rumah Afra

 A couple of my good friends know that I have always been a collector of the Dutch Vogue magazine. Just to let you know that it is a pile of magazines of over a period of five years.  
I know it’s not thé minimalist behaviour but I really love my Vogue. You could say that I'm that old-fashioned girl who still gets excited to sit down on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea and have something tangible, and turn a page one by one and not always scroll through the internet.

The first edition of this hanging rack was actually hanging in Aoki’s room for her clothes. But in our home it’s like fashion, it moves. 
And now I’m using this floating rack to show off my favourite magazines at the moment, Vogue day 1 and Vogue 5 years later ;)

                    Enjoy your weekend guys!

/ For the ones who are interested, this floating rack will be available soon on my online shop.

Hidden work space

If you live in a small space you must be creative on so many levels. Along the way, you will learn what works and what doesn't.
This blogpost is about our "hidden" work space.

In our small little living room we entertain, watch movies, dine with the family, create and we work, actually a lot these couple of days. So I find it’s very important to keep it light and moveable. 
Tip: "Don't forget to choose furniture that you can use in 10 different ways, which is very important in a small space." 

This is a little DIY desk my boyfriend built when we purchased an iMac. We wanted to have a little work space but we didn't want a desk that used up all the space. So in our living room we have a little dead corner that we use to storage all our books, DVDs and CDs.  
So we have transformed that little dead corner to a little hidden work space.

What I like the most about this work space is that when people come over I just can close the curtains and the work space is not there in your face. And the room gives you a different kind of feeling by only closing the curtains.

ps: 'who spotted me on one of the pictures?' 

Enjoy the weekend guys ;) 

25 square meter apartment

A lot of people are being put off when they hear about a 25 square meter apartment. That's too small! Is that right? It depends on who is gonna live there but for my good friend Kelly this is more than enough.
Off course every girl dreams about that walk in closet or a separate home office, and a bigger bedroom or bathroom would be nice. But when you're looking for an apartment, ask your self is it a MUSTHAVE? 
Because as a freelance dancer she is always on the road but when she is at home she loves to make it cosy but at the same time also comfortable. 

The first time I stepped into this little cute apartment I was happy to see that there is so much white. Nothing makes me happier than to see a lot of white in a small space ;) 
Eventually white does make the room look bigger than it actually is.
In contrast of all the white Kelly uses a little bit of wood, copper, brown and orange elements to make it her own, which I think its a perfect match. 

Bedroom:

White combined with a mirror always works because the light will always reflect on the mirror. 

Kitchen / living room: 

Just imagine that she has only 12 square meter space to entertain, cook and relax. 

       

What I like to share when people choose to live small is, by embracing the small space life style you will have to make smart choices and you'll become really conscious of what you will bring into your life. 

Take a moment to think about what you have and start thinking about how it is serving your life and what it means to you. If you feel there is something you can get rid off right away, Just do it! 

Be conscious and choose for small living and a bigger life. 
Enjoy your weekend guys.

On the side

Just a little side table to display all your little belongings. This little modern glass side table I found once again on marktplaats. Maybe I should change the name of my blog because lately it's all about my second hand bargains. 

It was the modern, light and retro look that peaked my interest and made me bid on this item. When it comes to small places you really need to play with objects that you can move around the house.  

 The most challenging thing about living in small spaces is just controlling your possessions. I must say I'm getting better at that, because I'm allowing myself to enjoy empty spaces, but a table 'on the side' is always welcome.