Space usually represents a problem when talking about houses, but with the evolution of architecture a solution was found, namely narrow block home designs. They were not so popular before but they are becoming more and more known as the time passes because they represent a great alternative of houses for narrow spaces. Even if the space is not large, there are different ways to make your narrow block home look quite big. For example, when building this type of house people want a high ceiling so it looks like there is a lot of space.

Types of Narrow Block Home Designs and How to Maximize Space 

Novus Homes gives a short definition for narrow homes to understand the concept better ‘Narrow houses are a type of home that is designed to be narrow. They are typically built on a narrow lot, and they have a small footprint. The design of these homes is often characterised by the use of high ceilings and large windows.’

Therefore, narrow block home designs must be thought in such a way that the space seems large, even if it is not. Architects know how to create this illusion through a few tricks. The most commonly used ‘trick’ is the high ceilings, this gives the impression that the space is much bigger. When the length is not ideal, you can make it up through height. Specialists say that 2.7 meters is the golden number, but you can go higher if you want to. 

Another way to make your narrow house look bigger is with the help of natural light. In this case, light is your friend and the only way you can let as much light in your house is through big windows and glass doors. 

When you choose the colour palette for your narrow house make sure it has light and natural colours. It is essential to aim for palettes that use off-white tones and white with earthy elements for the decor. When you use a light colour palette your narrow block home will allow the natural light to reflect throughout this way creating the illusion of a bigger space. 

Aspects You Need to Consider When Designing a Narrow Block Home

When you have a narrow lot the design part is essential because there is much less room for error than for a normal sized house. But with the evolution of narrow houses the designs have come a long way and they are able to provide amazing comfort and liveability. So, the first thing when building a narrow house is to start with a design created especially for this type of house because a design created for a traditional house will not work out quite well and the result might not meet your expectations. Of course, it is perfectly fine to customize it as you want but it is important to use a narrow block design as your starting point. 

From the ‘tips and tricks’ list comes the idea of adding a second floor to gain additional space, if it is possible and if you want it. 

Looking at another essential aspect to consider, namely the decoration of the house. All of the interior designers recommend not overdoing interior decoration because in this case less really is more and you want to have as much space as possible. For example, for the bathroom you can use wall-mounted toilets combined with frameless shower screens, this way you will obtain the illusion of extra space. When talking about narrow houses a lot of things are about illusions. Another advice from the interior designers is to choose a core palette of approximately two or three base materials and use them all around the house to create an expansive feel. 

Advantages of Building a Narrow Block House 

Cities are in a continuous expansion, therefore the availability of land becomes more limited and this is where a narrow block house comes as the solution for it. Even though they were not so popular before, their request increased over time because people realized that even if it is a limited space, a narrow house is useful, innovative and stylish when designed correctly. So, here is a list of the main advantages of narrow block house designs. 

The aspect targeted by many people is the costs. Narrow block home designs will be more accessible than building a normal sized house on larger lots. If the space is smaller then automatically the construction costs will be reduced as well as the materials’ costs because there will be fewer materials needed.  But if the constructions and the materials are more affordable that means that you can invest the money in the quality of your home rather than in its size. You can buy premium materials and at the end of the construction you can enjoy a luxurious lifestyle in your new house without overspending. 

An advantage that also impacts your well-being is that the narrow house will be filled with natural light. As mentioned before, interior designers recommend using large windows and glass doors, therefore your little house will have an abundant source of natural light and everybody knows that natural light can positively influence both your physical and mental health. 

Conclusion

As a final point, narrow block home designs come with a lot of advantages and represent a smart way of using limited space. There are a lot of different ways of creating the illusion of expansion but the most common is using large windows and glass doors to fill your house with natural light and also to take advantage of wall-mounted furniture. The colour palette that you use for the interior design is also important because white walls give the illusion of expansion way much better than brown walls, for example. There are a few aspects that you have to consider when building a narrow block house, but mainly you just need to be creative and to not overdo the interior decor because less is more.