Small spaces, big style

We all love to make our small spaces appear larger. Sometimes the small size is fabulously cozy, has a great view, is in the right neighborhood, and is perfect for the budget.  Apartments are often created from larger spaces, and the rooms can have awkward nooks and crannies. My client purchased a small home where nothing was centered, making each room uncomfortable. Have a dilemma? Try one of my favorite small space solutions.

1.Problem: Lack of kitchen storage

Solution: Use the walls and ceilings,then try a rolling cart. Don't clutter cabinets with your pots. Hang them from a purchased or create pot rack. You can even use wire racks flush to the walls, and "S" hooks to dangle frying pans and small pots. The look can be technical and modern or rustic and traditional depending upon the rack, the pots and where they hang. No wall space? Create a rolling cart that you can use in another area as well....how about  dresser with wheels.

2.Problem: You have awkward corners and spaces.Solution: Consider an unconventional use for the odd space. Use alcoves for small desks,  narrow benches, and even built-in seating or storage.

3.Problem: The footprint is small.
Solution: Try dual duty pieces: a desk that doubles as a dining table, a bench that can become a sofa table, a bed platform with roll out drawers serves as a dresser. Be sure your arrangement of those pieces supports multiple activities.

4.Problem: The kitchen is tiny but you dislike open shelvesSolution: By removing cabinets and hanging shelves your space feels open; it also can appear cluttered. Compromise.  Take off solid doors and insert glass panels on some. Then, make the most strategically located cabinet - like the dark corner - the one that becomes shelves.

5.Problem: Your rooms are dark
Solution: Use glass and mirrors. Remove solid doors and use glass instead. Can't replace the whole door? Use glass or even mirrored inserts. Capture extra light by hanging mirrors opposite a window or behind a lamp.

6.Problem: The space is bland.Solution: Make a statement.  Create a focal point with a wall of art - family photos or posters are inexpensive and meaningful.   Adding molding to walls and doors creates architectural detail that adds depth and texture.

7. Problem: It's a tight space.Solution: Use acrylic and glass. Dine at a glass-topped table and you will physically open the space. With solid tables, add some acrylic chairs that don't add any visual weight. When you need color, chairs like these resolve several design problems.

8. Problem: You don't have wallsSolution: Make them with bookshelves, partition screens, and even fabric panels. The bonus is that they add less weight than walls and can be moved around. A unique wall can be created by stringing old Cd's and suspending from a ceiling. Too modern for you? Use beads, strips of fabric or canvas, and add color as well as a divider! 

Small Spaces

We all love to maximize our small spaces. A tiny room can serve many purposes, with the right layout, scale, the  function of the pieces you use, and a bit of creativity.

For example, a living room does not need a sofa against the wall. Try placing your seating in the center - maybe a chaise or two instead - and use furnishings that do many things.  A desk/dining table will serve a small space for computer work, bill pay and office functions, and for eating and gathering, as a serving and dining table.   Bookshelves can be configured to store as well as display, and even conceal a flat screen TV and audio equipment. 
In small living spaces, raising your furniture up, gives space underneath for storage. 
Bedrooms with bunk systems are great for children who need space for entertaining and homework. For teens, beds on platforms create a second level for sleeping, and a desk, toy storage and even a lounge area can be worked in underneath.  Dividing a small room without a closet with a book/shelf unit can create a headboard, walk-in closet, wall space for art, and niches for books or display.  Raising a mattress onto a platform with drawer storage can eliminate the need for dressers.

Small apartments with single wall kitchens can be transformed with a single unit that includes a tall standing cabinet, a flat surface for a table, and upper cabinets, all joined into a self-standing rectangle. The end result is a divider, cabinets, a table/desk, and a place under the table for seating, the garbage can and the cat bed!  Using wall-to-ceiling cabinets makes a small kitchen space look larger. Adding glass to cabinet doors makes them feel less imposing. 

Make your small space BIG!

There are many fabulous blogs about small space design. I'm not going out on a limb to suggest any of these ideas, just gathering what I've done for clients and collecting ideas I've seen. The room above has done it ALL  right.

1. Use mirrors on the wall opposite the window to double the reflected light. You can use clear mirrored squares, large scale rectangles, and even a collection of antique mirrors if that suits your style.

2. Create a monochromatic space.  When you use the same color - adding different shades to walls, fabrics and accessories - the room will appear larger.

3. Don't be afraid to use rich, deep color.  Black and white will make the space cozy and dramatic yet not at all oppressive and small.

4. Pull furniture off the walls. When sitting in a centered seating area, having space beyond it makes the room feel bigger.

5. Create a dramatic focal point. Use an architectural detail, a piece of furniture, and accent with color and light. 

6. When you use the entire height of a room, with wallpaper, bookcases, moldings and more, it gives the impression of spaciousness without taking up floor space.

7. Be bold with large scale wallpaper, a big comfy chair, a dramatic scale in the fabric on the sofa and in your art.

Maximize your small kitchen!

You have a small kitchen. What are the design elements that you can use to maximize the space?   Try one of these 5 for a big impact.

1) Light. If you have windows, then don't dress them up!  Keep window coverings simple so there is no blocking of light.  Without windows, you'll need to rely on fixtures. Choose LED under and in-cabinet lighting for clean, white light. Be sure that your fixture globes and shades are clean, light in color, and the bulb wattage is correct. Switching to compact florescent bulbs, which are lower wattage use, often means a brighter light.

2) Color. When there's little difference between the colors of the walls, the counters, the cabinetry, and the woodwork, your eye glides over the surfaces looking for a place to rest, and that movement tricks you into thinking the space is larger than it really is. Light colors are great in a small kitchen. They reflects light, which enhances the sense of space and makes the walls seem to recede. White is the most popular color and is traditional and right for many design styles.

3) Organize. Small kitchens can have storage challenges. Counters often become storage areas, but eliminating clutter can help any space feel larger. Clear off the counters, the windowsill, and the cabinet tops, and stash as much as you can behind closed doors.

4) Use Glass.  Making a small kitchen feel larger is a matter of fooling the eye and tricking the brain into thinking the space is bigger. One way to do that is to remove some cabinet doors or replace the solid fronts with glass.  Adding in-cabinet lighting showcases the depth and also adds a sense of space.

5) Carve Out Storage Space.  Shelves flush with the walls and recessed into space between the studs add storage without consuming valuable space in a small kitchen.  If you don't have space within your kitchen, instead look for a spot near your kitchen, such as a breakfast nook or passageway, to implement recessed shelves.