How big ideas transformed a small North Coast flat
A Durban North couple show how clever storage solutions and mindful buying transformed their 70-square-metre flat into a stylish, functional home for themselves and their two cats.
For Ashton Leaper and her husband, Bo, their one-bedroom flat in Virginia, Durban North, has been home for more than four years. And, as Ashton admits, the longer you live somewhere, the more you somehow manage to fill it.
With two cats, Maverick and Goose, sharing the space, the couple eventually decided it was time to make their small space work a little harder.
The result was a mini apartment makeover with three goals: More storage, less clutter and a home that feels like theirs.
Making every centimetre count
Because the flat is a rental, spending money on structural changes was not an option.
But eventually, they realised that just because they didn’t own the property didn’t mean they couldn’t make it more functional.
Once they agreed on a budget, storage became the obvious focus.
The biggest challenges were the bedroom and kitchen. The bedroom cupboard simply wasn’t big enough for all the essentials, including caps, shoes and handbags, while the kitchen was seriously lacking in pantry space.
The solution turned out to be surprisingly simple.
One of the biggest game changers was replacing their existing bed base with an eight-drawer storage base from The Bed Doctor.
“Wow, what a game changer!” says Ashton.
And suddenly, all that valuable space underneath the bed was earning its keep.
The couple also added a two-metre-long TV unit with plenty of storage, and a two-door pantry cabinet. Both were custom-made by Barbet Interiors in Pietermaritzburg.
The oak TV unit is Ashton’s favourite piece. “I’ve wanted one for such a long time! All the extra storage space is pretty much the cherry on top.”
Less stuff on display, more room to breathe
Ashton, a bed-and-breakfast manager and content creator, has also learnt that in a small home, not everything needs to be on show.
She describes herself as a minimalist when it comes to surfaces, preferring to keep things neat and tucked away rather than filling every available spot with decorative objects.
There is a practical reason for keeping things simple: Less stuff means less dusting.
And that’s a win in any size home.
The makeover has also changed the way Ashton shops. Instead of buying furniture simply because she likes it, she now thinks carefully about whether a piece will work in the space, and whether it is worth investing in for the long term.
Quality over quantity
Living in a small apartment has taught Ashton that buying less doesn’t necessarily mean buying cheaper.
In fact, she believes the opposite can be true.
“Rather spend more money on better-quality furniture, linen and décor than buying cheaper things that you’ll probably have to replace more frequently.”
This approach makes sense when renting, particularly if you choose classic pieces that can move with you when your circumstances change.
And while a small home might limit the furniture you can fit into it, Ashton sees a silver lining: Less furniture to buy in the first place.
Small can be surprisingly satisfying
Despite the limited space, Ashton says she and Bo are genuinely content in their little apartment.
A smaller home has its perks. It encourages them to be more thoughtful about what they buy, spend less on things they don’t really need and, perhaps best of all, leaves them with less space to clean.
But more than anything, it’s the life they’ve created there that makes the apartment feel like home.
“I love everything about our apartment because it’s our home,” Ashton says.
And perhaps that’s the sweetest part of their makeover. It isn’t really about creating more space. It’s about making the space they have work for the life they’re living.
For anyone feeling squeezed by a small home, Ashton’s advice is to look at the space differently. Think carefully about what you really need, make use of every cupboard and corner, and choose pieces that work hard without making the room feel cluttered.
Because sometimes, you don’t need more space, you just need to make the space you have work a little harder.
And if that means finding somewhere to hide the shoes, handbags and everything else that somehow seems to multiply when you’re not looking, even better.
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