Maximizing Space: Creative Ideas for Circulation Zones in Your Home

LiviosA huge hallway, a spacious entrance hall, a wide landing, a large mezzanine… We often only use these circulation zones for what they are intended, while you can recuperate a lot of square meters by arranging them usefully. This way you immediately make the frequently used parts of your home a lot more pleasant and less busy – or even messy. What are your options? Bouwsite Livios gives an overview.

1. More storage space with wall cupboards

The first intervention is to create extra storage space, because you never have enough. Custom wall cabinets are the most practical solution to optimize space. Make sure you leave at least 80 cm free for circulation. And rather 90 cm to 1 m for more comfort. Do you choose revolving doors? Then you must provide extra space to open them without obstructing the passage. Be sure to keep about 120 cm free.

Is there a wide corridor or landing running past the bedrooms? Then maybe you can place a mini dressing there. Know that custom wall racks for folded laundry take up less space than if you hang everything up. For such racks, a depth of 30 cm is sufficient, while you need double that to hang clothes on a hanger.

In an entrance hall, the cloakroom is often a point of attention. Do you have enough space? Then don’t skimp on the dimensions of your cupboard there. Not only can you store jackets, but also shoes, umbrellas, handbags, gloves, scarves, hats, etc. And maybe even a (folding) bicycle or an (e-)step. You can opt for an open cloakroom with hooks for coats and scarves, and low racks for shoes. Or hide everything in built-in cupboards. Here too, take into account the depth you need for a hanging cupboard. After all, the entrance hall must remain wide enough to allow several people to pass at the same time.

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2. Desk or workplace

A mezzanine or a wide landing is ideal for an office. Maybe not directly for working from home, but for playing on the computer, or as a drawing or homework spot for the children. If you have to concentrate all day, it is better to work in a room that you can close off.

Depending on the function of the desk, an area of 5 m² may be sufficient to create a convenient work space. For some, a work surface is sufficient to set up a laptop. Others need larger furniture, where they can also store papers and other equipment, such as a printer. A desk measuring 1.20 to 1.80 m by 60 cm fits on an area of 5 m². That’s already quite comfortable. To be able to sit comfortably, you need 90 cm. You can classify files on racks with a depth of 40 cm.

You can set up an office corner not only on a landing or mezzanine, but also under a staircase or in a wide hallway. Many designers propose built-in solutions or tailor-made formulas. For example, the desktop can disappear behind doors in a larger cupboard, or you can pull it out and put it away again. You can also provide a place to store your office chair so that it is not in the way.

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3. Relaxation area

Even simpler than a desk, a relaxation area is provided on the mezzanine or wide landing. A reading corner, for example, with an easy chair and footstool. Just like for a desk, natural light is very useful here; otherwise you will have to look for suitable artificial lighting.

This zone can also serve as a play area for the children. In that case, organization and discipline are necessary to avoid chaos. Provide sufficient cupboards, baskets or stackable storage boxes. A carpet on the floor gives the children extra comfort.

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4. Library cupboard

You can store books in many places in your home. Do you like to display them? Then make sure there is enough variety in your library, with high and lower shelves and with deep and shallow racks: 17 cm is sufficient for paperback books and novels, while comics and art books need about 26 cm. You can place a bookcase in a hallway, on a landing, in a day or night hall, and even on a sufficiently wide staircase (at least 90 cm).

5. Guest room on demand

Some homes have few bedrooms, while in between there is a large open space that serves little purpose. You can place an extra bed here, in the form of a sofa bed or a pull-out bed that disappears into a piece of furniture. Depending on the available space, it can be a single, double or bunk bed. Customization makes just about anything possible. With these tips you can get the most out of every space, no matter how small it is.

Please note: in this case the condition is that the room is comfortable enough for sleeping. For example, provide blackout curtains, a few sockets and a bedside table.

6. A laundry room

Just like in a bathroom or toilet, a laundry room with a washing machine and dryer requires a connection to the water supply and a few electrical sockets. In addition, provide sufficient space for the devices and ensure that you can easily load and unload them.

You can place them in a separate room – on or next to each other – that you can close with a door or in a built-in cupboard. Such a space offers more user comfort, because you can immediately fold the linen and put away the laundry baskets there. In a built-in cupboard you can provide a pull-out table and wall racks with space for the laundry basket, washing products, ironing board and iron. The space under a staircase is ideal for this. This way no space is wasted.

7. Sanitary facilities

Although it is technically a lot more complex, your surplus space can – in some cases – be filled with an extra toilet or a small bathroom. Here too, everything depends on the space available. An extra toilet can be useful if there was only one in the house. According to the rules, this smallest room must measure at least 70 by 120 cm. You can sit comfortably on that surface without touching the wall with your knees. Do you want more comfort? Then count on about 90 cm by 140 cm. Then you can also place a sink in the toilet. A little more space (up to about 180 cm) is even better. Don’t have that space? Then you can still install the sink outside the toilet, for example in the hallway.

Another option is a shower room. As with the toilet, the door should open outwards so that you maximize the space inside. You would be surprised, but 2 m² is in principle sufficient for a shower (cabin) with sink. The shower then measures 80 by 80 cm or 90 by 90 cm. It is best to leave about 60 to 90 cm free in front of the shower, so that you can easily get in and out. You must provide a free space of at least 55 cm for a sink. Regardless of the available space, you must always take the location of the supply and discharge pipes into account. Here it may be useful to call in a professional.

Looking for more inspiration and tips for your ‘wettest room’? Order the free magazine ‘My Bathroom’ now here.