6 inner city living tips

James Rippon James Rippon
Buckland Crescent, Living in Space Living in Space Bedroom
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Living in a large metropolis certainly has its ups and downs. Sure, there is always something to do, day or night, especially in cities such as London. The job opportunities are much higher, and everyday, you are given the chance to meet people from all walks of life. But this kind of living environment is undoubtedly a doubled-edged sword. It is often hard to get a fix of nature in the city, and the cost of living is much higher. Then there is the pollution, on the streets, in the air, and noise pollution, too. With the fight for available space comes higher rents and smaller homes. So, in order to get the most out of living in a built up environment, we have put together an ideabook with a few tips to help you find peace amongst all the hustle and bustle.

1. Invest in black out curtains

They may not be the first thing that come to mind when you think about decorating a home in the city, but once you make the switch, you will be wishing you found out about them the day you got your first inner city flat. There are three main benefits to black out curtains. The first is in the name. These curtains block out the light pollution that comes with living in cities. This helps us to sleep through the night, or even during the day if you are a shift worker, and can help babies sleep, too. Some curtain manufacturers even claim to block out 99% of light!

The second benefit of black out curtains is the reduction in noise. Cities are busy places, and with all the late night traffic and sirens, can often be a hard place to get a good nights rest if you are a light sleeper. Blackout curtains can block out up to 40% of noise, which is quite a feat.

Thirdly, they can reduce your power bills by roughly 25%, by keeping heat in during winter, and blocking heat during summer.

2. Get involved in urban gardening

One of the biggest downfalls of living in an urban environment is, for some, the inability to grow a garden. If you are lucky enough to have a small courtyard, balcony, or even access to a rooftop garden, then make the most of it! However, if this is not the case, many major cities now offer public urban garden spaces, where green thumbs can gather to grow fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

3. Decorate in white

One tried and tested way to give an illusion of space in your smaller, inner city dwelling is to decorate it in white. This gives a room an airy feel, and has been used by interior designers for a long time as an easy and cost effective way to open up rooms with limited space. 

4. Opt for bean bags instead of couches

Moving house is a drag no matter where you live. The nightmare that moving house can become, is only magnified by the annoyance of having to move all your furniture and belongings up and down flights of narrow stairs in an apartment block. If you're thinking of buying a new couch, why not go for bean bags instead? These genius pieces of furniture have come a long way since the dull and uncomfortable bean bags of the past. They are now comfortable, easy to wash, environmentally friendly, affordable, and much, much easier to move around!

5. Use curves when decorating

Inner city apartments are often a generic, boxy shape, and need some furnishing elements to give the rooms some texture. The best way to do this is with curves. The designer of this modern bedroom and ensuite has opted for a rounded edge tub, with a round mirror in the bedroom. These curvaceous elements, along with textured pebble floor add a splash of colour, help to break up the strength and sharpness created by the pitch of the roof and square doorway.

6. Personalise it as much as possible

Living in the city means constantly being surrounded by people, and some might find this hard. It is for this reason we think its important, even more so in the city, to personalise your home as much as possible. Hampstead Design Hub know all too well that wall hangings are a great way to personalise a home. As you can see, the often underused and forgotten about space that is the staircase, has been used to great effect.

If you've just moved, and need to keep your wallet in check, why not check out the following ideabook:

10 tips for decorating on a budget

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