Small Space, Big Design

I often hear friends and clients say they don't want to hire a designer for their small living room, or guest bath because of it's small size in comparison to the remaining rooms in the house. However, designing a small space is equally as challenging as designing a large open space.

Many homeowners don't know where to begin and find themselves buying the wrong furniture or artwork, or whatever it may be. And they are left scratching their head trying to figure out where they went wrong...the space either feels too cluttered or like the furniture just doesn't fit.

Trust me, it certainly takes practice, skill and a little leap of faith to design a small room. Just because it's small, doesn't mean that it can't be stylish, functional and serve a useful purpose!

+1 Kindesign posted 51 Inspiring small living rooms using available space. Be sure to check it out. The photos you will see will just about prove that everything you were doing to decorate your small room is all wrong! These beautifully designed rooms use all available space without making you feel claustrophobic!

Here are a few tips I like to keep in mind when designing a smaller room for my clients.

Embrace the space!
While your room may be small, it does have it's benefits too...I won't begin to mention the cost savings in heating, lighting etc. What I'm talking about is it's coziness. A room full of intimacy and charm.

Think about how you will use the space.
It's always best to plan ahead, especially in this case. Think about the functionality of the room before you begin your design. How are you going to use the space? Do you need seating areas, or is it a small bedroom? Do you need storage? If so, how much?

Furniture and Lighting.
You don't need to buy mini pieces because you are designing a mini space. But you do need to make sure your furniture is appropriately compact and that it 100% serves the function you need it to. Think of pieces that can perform double duty, like an ottoman that can also be storage. And clear furniture (i.e. coffee table) can work wonders! I used a clear table in this small cottage and I think it looks fabulous!



As for lighting....think lots of it! In a small room you really need to maximize the lighting because shadows and dark corners can work against you and make the space feel smaller. Think of multiple light sources and lots of lamps!

Paint and Color:
Don't be afraid to be "loud and proud"! Often times clients hesitate to use a bold color in a small space, but I say "Go for it!" As long as there is unity in your color scheme, a high impact color can work well. Use a glossy finish so that the light will reflect off the walls. Artwork is another way to add a statement. I tell clients that "bigger, is most often better when it comes to artwork" It will actually make the space feel bigger, where smaller pieces have the opposite effect and will tend to make your space feel smaller.

Wallpaper is another great way to make an impact and trick the eye into thinking the space is much larger than you think!

If you need more inspiration check out this post from +Style Motivation with great ideas for small bedrooms! Click here! They also did a great piece on functional and creative design for small apartments

You can also see some more of my design work for small spaces on Pinterest!

And remember small space CAN mean big design!

Until next week,

Renee

Add some splash to your bath!

We've all heard the advice by now, updated kitchens and baths are a great investment for your home. And it's true! No one wants a dated kitchen and you certainly don't want to start your day in an ugly bathroom!

 

I love to recreate bathrooms because you can really have some fun in this (usually) smaller space. I'm not afraid to mix old and new, or to utilize some spunky colors. Take this 1850's Farmhouse bathroom I designed. The last update this bathroom had seen was in the 50's. We pulled the old Formica counter and base and replaced it with one of the homeowners cabinets. We topped it with a remnant piece of black honed granite and then placed a wonderfully hefty marble vessel sink atop. The real splurge was a  chrome faucet from +Brizo Faucet to help bring a bit of contemporary to the space.

 

 

Photos by Jared Saulnier

The walls were in bad enough shape that it gave us license to throw a splash of wallpaper up to liven up the space. Classic dot tile round out the room and keep it feeling period.

 

 

Here again I mixed the old with the new in another bathroom in this family's farmhouse. It's likely that this bathroom started out as a large closet or perhaps a birthing room. We had several hutches that seemed the perfect solution for vanities. We plated the back of the upper hutch with mirror and replaced the old wood top with a honed absolute black granite remnant.

 

The splurge was on the +Brizo Faucet fixtures and was worth every penny. Combining modern with old, two mini pendants drop from the ceiling to add extra light. Classic subway tile fit perfectly with the river rock floor and zebra stripe accent. A wall niche offers extra storage place and keeps things tidy.

 

Photos by Jared Saulnier

For anyone looking to update their bath, the possibilities are endless. Consider the style of your house and the feeling you want to evoke as you start and end your day.

It doesn't have to be boring. Go ahead, make a splash!

Renee

What inspired me, may inspire you too

www.mandevillecanyondesigs.com

This week I get to pop down to NYC for the The Architectural Digest Home Show. 

I love this show because it combines trade with consumer and is chock full of interactive lectures that both inspire and inform participants from around the world. The Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids (DIFFA) Dining by Design showcases some of the top designers in the country and is truly a feast for the eyes.

I am especially excited this year because one of the panelists, Sarah Susanka, will be speaking on Standing Out in the One of a Kind Marketplace.  Sarah was instrumental to my entrance into this profession over a decade ago.

Sarah is a world-renowned architect, lecturer and author of the very popular series, The Not So Big House
 

 

From the beginning of my career I was inspired by Sarah’s philosophy of less can truly be so much more. “Comfort has almost nothing to do with how big a space is,” she had said.

She had asked us to be aware of not only how we live in our homes, but also how we live our days, our authenticity, and how we honor our planet.

I loved the concept of leaving our budget intact, but reducing our footprint by say, a third, and using those funds to create smart, functional design that was high on quality and respect for natural resources. In a time when bigger must mean better and bigger meant more successful, she pioneered a concept that flew in the face of cavernous, impersonal spaces and requested us to seek our comforts in a more meaningful way.  

When I started the small home projects I kept an eye on Sarah’s teachings.

How could we give a family everything they need, but nothing they don’t need?

 

 

Functional space, lightness, and a reflection of nature.  Comfort without compromise.
 
One of my favorite books by Sarah goes beyond the dwelling and looks at how we create comfort in the life we live…The Not So Big Life.  The book talks about “Being the change you wish to see in the world”, one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes.

Sarah reminds us that when the world’s problems, of which there are many, seem so large, we must look at pursuing our life’s passion, our real work, and allow that to be in our present every day life. Not tomorrow, or next year, but right in this moment.

It is then that we will see the change and be able to offer that to others.

She shares the story of how Gandhi came to this now famous quote~

A mother brought her son to Gandhi and pleaded with him to ask her son to stop eating sweets and candy.

Gandhi politely asked the woman to come back with her son in two weeks.

She did as she was told and returned to him two weeks later.

“You must stop eating sweets my son”, said Gandhi.

The mother asked why he could simply not tell the boy two weeks ago.

“My dear madam, before I could ask your son to give up sweets, I had to, in fact, make sure that I could do it myself”

 

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Click here to check out my "not so big" design projects at Mandeville Canyon Designs

For more Sarah Susanka inspiration, watch this wonderful YouTube video Possibilities - Life's invisible feast

In good health and present life,

Renee