Get more from a small space by fooling the eye, maximizing its use and taking advantage of space-saving furniture.
When I was 8 years old, I got my first bedroom. It wasn't much bigger than a walk-in closet — in fact, it's used as a closet today — but I loved it back then because it was mine. I'd while away the hours rearranging things to get maximum use out of every inch. (Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of friends.)
You'd think that experience would have instilled an aversion to small spaces in me, but the opposite is actually true. Even though I stand well over 6 feet tall, I've always preferred small houses. I find them cozier and more inviting. They're better for the environment. And let's face it: Sometimes small is all we can afford. But there are decorating tricks you can do to make a small space live large.
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When space is at a premium, rooms should serve double duty. And nothing wastes space more than a living room that's used only for company. So go ahead — put a TV in there. Here a prominent wall arrangement steals focus away from the TV, so it doesn't dominate the space.
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You can also hide the TV in a cabinet or piece of furniture. In this room the TV is sequestered behind a pair of doors over the fireplace — much nicer than looking at a big, black screen 24/7.
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The living room in this studio apartment doubles as a home office. It works because the desk is integrated into its surroundings and sports matching finishes, so you're not immediately aware that you're looking at a desk. (It helps that the top is neat.) The desk chair maintains the illusion, appearing more residential than commercial.
Note the use of storage cubes in lieu of a conventional coffee table; they can also double as seating when friends pay a visit. |
No room for a designated office? With laptops, almost any space can become a desk — even a sofa table. Just pull up a nearby chair.
When space is tight, always ask yourself: How can I use this room for two purposes instead of one? Here a dining room doubles as a library. It saves space, and nothing warms up a room like a wall of books.
An area feels bigger if there's nothing to stop the eye. In this example a pair of daybeds is used instead of sofas. Because the daybeds have no backs, the eye can see past them into adjoining spaces, making the room appear larger.
The same theory applies to coffee tables. Because the coffee table in this room is transparent, it takes up less visual space. And to make the room appear taller, curtains were mounted near the ceiling, drawing the eyes upward.
If a single space needs to serve several purposes, use area rugs to define the functions, rather than walls or dividers, which stop the eye and make a space appear smaller.
Built-ins, like this bed, take up a smaller footprint than freestanding pieces of furniture. And because the furniture is part of the surrounding architecture, it takes up less visual space as well. Plus, you can get the benefit of extra storage.
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No space for a guest room? Consider a Murphy bed. There are a lot of really sophisticated designs on the market now. And while a good one isn't cheap, it would still be cheaper than adding a guest room that would get used only a few times a year.
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When furnishing a small space, don't feel limited to small pieces of furniture. The pieces in this room all sit atop exposed legs, so they seem to float above the floor. And when you can see the suface underneath the furniture, the space feels larger.
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Mirrors dissolve a room's boundaries and reflect light, making any space appear bigger. And you don't have to limit yourself to just one: Consider placing mirrors on opposite sides of a room, or do an arrangement on a wall.
Forget the old adage that small rooms need to be painted a light color. When you paint a small room a really dark color, the corners seem to disappear, so you can't see the boundaries of the space anymore. Plus, dark rooms can be really cozy. And at the end of the day, is it more important that a space feel big or feel inviting?
By: Fred Albert
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