Living in London often means making the most of the space you have. Whether you’re renting a small flat, sharing with housemates or simply don’t have room for everything you’d ideally like, the things you bring into your home need to work a little harder.
But that doesn’t mean everything has to be purely practical. I want my home to be useful, but I also want it to feel nice to be in, somewhere that feels like mine rather than simply somewhere I’m living.
So I’ve been looking through IKEA with that in mind and picked out 10 products I’d actually consider for a small London home. There are a few clever storage solutions, but also lighting, bedding, greenery and little things that can make the everyday feel more enjoyable.
KALLAX Shelving Unit
For flexible storage that can change with your space – buy here
KALLAX is one of those IKEA pieces that can be whatever you need it to be. Depending on the version you choose, it can be used standing up as shelving or placed horizontally as a sideboard, while inserts and boxes give you the option of adding more concealed storage. IKEA also suggests using it as a room divider, which could be particularly useful in an open-plan flat.
I like the idea of keeping some of the compartments open for the things you actually want to see such as books, plants, a lamp, an alarm clock or a few favourite objects, while using boxes for everything that doesn’t need to be on display.
It’s also the sort of piece that can change with you. What starts as living-room storage could eventually become bedroom storage, a home office unit or even a room divider if you move somewhere with a different layout. It’s quite versatile and I love it.
JUTTERSBO Trolley
For compact storage that doesn’t have to look utilitarian – buy here
I love the muted grey-green colour of this JUTTERSBO trolley. It’s compact enough to be useful in a smaller room, but it doesn’t have the clinical look that some purely practical storage can have.
I’d be tempted to use it in the bathroom for toiletries, or in the bedroom for cosmetics, perfumes and all those miscellaneous items that never seem to have a home.
And because it’s a trolley, you can move it around when you need to, which is particularly useful when space is at a premium.
SOLKLINT Table Lamp
For soft lighting in the evenings – buy here
Good lighting can make a big difference to how a room feels, particularly in the evening. It’s something I recommended when talking about how to make a London rental feel like home.
I like the SOLKLINT table lamp because it feels more decorative than a purely functional desk lamp, with its brass-coloured base and clear glass shade. I’d use it on a bedside table, sideboard or shelving unit to create a softer pool of light once the main lights go off. Or just in the living room on a side table.
Sometimes you just want your flat to feel a little nicer at the end of the day. Soft lighting makes all the difference with that.
BLODLÖNN Mirror
For a mirror that can work around your space – buy here
A full-length mirror can be awkward to fit into a small home, so I like the idea behind BLODLÖNN.
Rather than being one large conventional mirror, it’s made up of individual square pieces, giving you more flexibility over how you arrange it and where you put it.
That’s particularly appealing if you have an awkward wall or don’t want to dedicate a huge amount of space to a mirror. Or you have limited wall space in general. And mirrors can help make a smaller room feel more open too.
SOLFIBBLA Duvet Cover and Pillowcases
For an easy bedroom refresh – buy here
You don’t necessarily need to redecorate a bedroom to make it feel different. Sometimes changing the bedding is enough.
I like the muted grey and white stripes of the SOLFIBBLA duvet cover. The pattern adds some interest without taking over the room, while the understated colours should work easily with other bedding and furniture. I actually own this set and it looks really chic in my room. There are other colours to choose from as well, all with muted hues. I like the classic blue as well.
It’s also made from cotton, making it the sort of everyday item that feels like a sensible investment rather than something that only works aesthetically.
For a rented home, this is exactly the kind of change I like: no decorating required, but the room can feel completely different.
TOLKNING Bedside Table
For hiding the things you don’t want on display – buy here
I’m always interested in furniture that gives you a little bit of hidden storage without looking like a storage solution.
The TOLKNING bedside table has a lower section with a lid, giving you somewhere to hide the less attractive bedside essentials.
Because bedrooms in London flats aren’t always particularly generous, I like furniture that can do two jobs at once: give you somewhere to put a lamp, book or glass of water while also providing a little extra storage.
IKEA 365+ Mandoline
For making cooking at home a little more satisfying – buy here
This might be a bit of an unusual choice for a list of things I’d buy for a London home, but I think there’s something about a kitchen that makes a place start to feel like home.
When you’ve just moved somewhere, there’s a good chance you’re surrounded by boxes, sitting on the floor and eating takeaway because you haven’t quite worked out where everything goes yet, haven’t bought any food supplies and can’t find where you packed your saucepan.
Then, eventually, you’re chopping vegetables for dinner and actually cooking a meal from scratch.
There’s something very satisfying about that transition — and a little kitchen tool like the IKEA 365+ mandoline can make food preparation easier. It’s not about filling your kitchen with gadgets; it’s about having a few useful things that make you want to use the space.
FICUS MICROCARPA Potted Plant
For bringing a little greenery indoors – buy here
A plant is one of the easiest ways to bring some colour and life into a room without taking up much visual space.
I’d use a little greenery to soften a shelf, side table or otherwise empty corner. In a small home, I think plants can be useful because they add decoration without being another thing to hang on the wall.
And if you’re trying to make a new place feel more settled, there is something about having a bit of greenery around that makes it feel like home.
ELSYSTEM Rug
For adding softness and colour – buy here
A rug can completely change the feeling of a room. It adds softness underfoot, helps define an area and gives you another opportunity to introduce some colour or pattern.
The ELSYSTEM rug particularly caught my eye because it can be configured in four different ways. That flexibility makes sense in a smaller home, where you might want to change how a room is arranged rather than committing to one fixed layout. I also love the mix of print and colour.
I’d use it to bring a little more personality to a living room or bedroom without making a permanent change to the space. And you can always move it from the living room to bedroom if you fancy a change.
SKÅDIS Pegboard
For making use of your walls – buy here
If you’re short on surface space, look upwards.
The SKÅDIS pegboard is one of those IKEA products that can have completely different uses depending on where you put it. Above a desk, it could hold stationery, notes and other things you need while working from home. In a bedroom, you could use it for photos, reminders and small accessories. In a kitchen, it could keep recipes, shopping lists and useful little bits within easy reach.
I like products like this because they don’t dictate exactly how you should use them. You can adapt the setup as your needs change, which is particularly useful when you’re trying to make a small home work harder.
Making a London Home Feel Like Yours
I think the best things for a small home aren’t necessarily the products that promise to solve all your storage problems. They’re the things that make the space work for your actual life.
A flexible shelving unit can change as your needs do. A trolley can give an otherwise homeless collection of things somewhere to live. A lamp can make the room feel cosier in the evening, while new bedding, a rug or a plant can make it feel more like yours.
And then there are the little things such as cooking a proper dinner, putting your favourite perfume somewhere you can see it, or arranging a few books and objects on a shelf – that make the difference between simply occupying a flat and actually settling into it.
That’s what I’d be looking for when furnishing a small London home: useful things, but with a bit of personality too.
