Tips for Designing and Decorating Your Granny Flat

By Guest Blogger, Derek L.

Tips for Designing and Decorating Your Granny Flat

Name aside, granny flats are not just for the elderly. This is an excellent way to add extra living or storage space and even create a home away from home. These relatively small enclosures (depends how you build and design it) can serve as study rooms if you need to get away from the noise in the house, private area for your children, and you can even offer them for rent on websites like Airbnb.

However, the extent of your granny flat use depends solely on how you design and furnish it. Of course, you cannot rent a space without a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. and you cannot have a study room without a table, sofa, and so on.

But don’t worry; that is why we are here. Today, we will talk about the best design ideas and tips for setting up your granny flat. So, let’s begin.

Embrace minimalism

Out of all types of living spaces, granny flats would benefit the most out of taking the minimalistic approach. As you probably already know, granny flats are not spacious by default. In fact, most of their designs are centered around making the most out of the smallest spaces.

So, don’t overburden your granny flat with unnecessary cabinetry, furniture and decorations. Instead, focus on the things you absolutely need. This way, your flat will appear bigger and more spacious, even if it has 30 square meters only.

Think outside of the box

Next, when designing your granny flat, you need to think outside of the box. Some design solutions that work in regular-sized households may not be as effective in smaller living spaces as are granny flats. So, you will have to come up with clever storage solutions and smart uses of space to maximise the efficiency. But if you are not a thinker, you can always research some granny flat trends.

For example, sky domes are the biggest hit among Australians right now. According to professional granny flat builders in Sydney, this is one of the most sought-after features. If you opt-in for this solution, your granny flat will use less energy for lights, as well as be more environmentally friendly. This type unconventional and green design solutions are extremely popular with the granny flat builders from all over the world.

Bathroom essentials only

Designing a bathroom for a granny flat is one of the trickiest things you will have to do. Bathrooms are an essential part of every living space, but unfortunately, they are large and take a lot of space. Therefore, you will have to build it as barebones as possible.

That means installing a shower, toilet, sink, and a small cabinet, nothing more. People often try to build their granny flat bathrooms as the ones in their regular homes, but that is not their purpose. Bathtubs, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, massive wardrobes, etc. are not necessary. After all, the space you save from bathroom, you can add to the living room of your granny flat.

Build a small cooking station

Finally, you need to design a compact kitchen for your granny flat. The same principles that apply to bathrooms, apply to kitchens as well. So, keep it simple and install kitchen essentials only like a sink, small workstation, and a stove. If you need more inspiration for designing your cooking station, we recommend checking out some trends from the tiny house community. These people have mastered the use of space, and their kitchens are as beautiful as they are effective.

As you can see, designing a granny flat is not an impossible task. Sure, you will have to think unconventionally and abandon some commodities that come with regular houses, but luxury is not a part of their M.O. With that said, if you follow these tips, put in some effort, and get creative, you could create a fantastic living space from your granny flat.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
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