Small Space Interior Design: Tour Always Sunday Founder’s Luxury Shepherd’s Hut

 

Tucked down the bottom of Lexi's garden, in a miniature woodland of dappled trees, you'll find a luxury shepherd's hut kitted out with its own miniature marble kitchen, an electric stove against a marble wall, floor-to-ceiling Divine Savages wallpaper and Always Sunday homewares. At just a few metres wide and deep, this shepherd’s hut was purchased flat pack from Blackdown Shepherd's Huts and is the equivalent of a small kids room or a large bathroom - with so little space to work with, designer and Always Sunday founder Lexi Wareham-Dart had to work twice as hard as any other room while still retaining her signature style of luxurious and confident maximalism.

H2: Come with us as we tour this unique shepherd's hut and follow Lexi’s top interior hacks for how to design for small spaces.

1. Start with function in mind

Originally I had hoped to rent it out and share that same feeling of wilderness as how it felt to grow up at the lakes in Michigan. I loved the concept of a self contained escape in the middle of the city.

This meant the design had to include everything a guest might need for a weekend retreat - a working kitchen, a full size double bed, a way to keep warm. I prioritised these things first, and then designed around these core elements.

Decide the absolute must-haves, whether its a double bed in a small kids room so they have space to grow or centering your home office decor project around a desk large enough to spread out, these will dictate everything else.

Small Space Decorating Ideas from a Luxury Shepherd’s Hut: Decide the non-negotiables for your small space first

2. Think outside the box

You won’t get around the fact that the space you’re designing for is small, no amount of decorating or paint choices will change that. Instead lean into it and design vertically to change your perception of it.

I will always choose wallpaper in small spaces to draw the eye up and give the illusion of more space. This particular wallpaper has direction to it with the wide striped panels so it makes you think the space is taller than you expect but you can also use wall tapestries, mirrors or minimalist art prints if the wallpaper box effect is too much for you.

Small Space Decorating Ideas from a Luxury Shepherd’s Hut: Implement vertical design choices to change the perception of your tiny room

 

3. Work smarter not harder

A small space works twice as hard because you’re dramatically reducing the storage options. Multi-functional furniture is obviously a bonus.

Here the double bed also becomes a comfortable laid back seating option for watching movies but even small space-saving tips like the cleverly built cutlery drawer in the brass table means we’ve saved space in the tiny kitchen for the cooking essentials.

For a small nursery or kids room, underbed storage is a clear need but definitely include storage ottomans that give you comfy seating and a place to keep those extra nappies or clothing. If I were doing a kids room now, I would love to repurpose a window box for the flower-themed jellycats. It keeps toys off the ground and it’s a play activity!

Small Space Decorating Ideas from a Luxury Shepherd’s Hut: Design clever vertical storage options and choose multi-functional furniture to save space.

4. Don’t forgo quality in a small space

Design the same way you’d design a larger room - choose luxury materials and well designed pieces because they’re so much more obvious in a smaller space.

I wanted to juxtapose the formality of our Georgian townhouse with this rural retreat but have those details you wouldn’t expect in a cabin setting. So it’s got a lot of the same materials, Divine Savages wallpaper in Botanize Heritage and touches of brass in the switches and Felix Lighting swing lamp.

With the marble behind the Electric Everhot Stove and the custom brass table that matches our kitchen table (an heirloom from my grandmother), our shepherd’s hut begins to feel like a miniature version of our kitchen. We even added a real marble countertop and open shelving styled with vintage decor just like the house, so that it still feels like you’re in a functional space, just much smaller!

Small Space Decorating Ideas from a Luxury Shepherd’s Hut: Don’t forgo quality - the choice of materials and craftsmanship are especially evident in small space interior design

5. Make it cosy

It might feel counterintuitive and clutter-happy to fill a small room with cosy home decor but these small additions make it feel special.

Just be selective- Choose soft accessories like limited edition cushions with a metallic shimmer to them, silk lighting that provides an ambient glow and even light a candle - these details will make a small room feel inviting while subtly brightening it up.

Small Space Decorating Ideas from a Luxury Shepherd’s Hut

: Choose cosy home decor that also brightens up a space like metallic silk cushions, silk lighting and plenty of candlelight.