Big Ideas... Small Spaces

Hi Christine,

 My name is Amanda and my boyfriend and I live in the upstairs of my parents house... it's about 420 sq feet.

The room is almost smaller than the hallway...
There are no windows in that room and because it's an older house, the ceilings are slanted downward.

What my dilemma is-- I don't know how to make the room look bigger. I want to go with a
light, nature-inspired living space, something along the lines of "country modern," but my
boyfriend doesn't want light colors or anything "girly."

It is a small room with medium to dark paint, no windows, no paneling, everything is primer so far,
I don't know how to make this whole living space look bigger than what it really is.
Please help.


Thank you,

Amanda

Hi Amanda,

I know you wrote for interior design advice- but living with your boyfriend in your parent's home?  Girl- there are some better ways to go!  When did kids start moving back home? I'm only 40, and I swear people my age didn't try that one. Are my kids going to try that on me?  And with their boyfirends?  If I were your mom, I'd be telling that boyfriend ...  OK- I'd better get off that soap box and on to my interior design one before you decide to simply not read the post.

I have come up with 12 tips for you to make a small area look larger:

1.  Furniture is the trickiest part.  For the most part, you have to use small items, like a 36 inch round table instead of a 48, etc.  But sometimes I like to break this rule.  Sometimes a big old four poster bed or overstuffed sofa will really make the room look bigger.  Keep in mind, only a few larger pieces- not all of them.  If ALL of your furniture is small- it won't look great- and if it is all full size- it simply won't work.  Don't go too deep in your upholstered furniture, but don't shy away from taller pieces.  Without photos and floor plans I can't get very specific    Note to everyone: For the best advice, send good photos and floor plans.

2.  Eliminate unnecessary items.  Do you need two end tables? No.  Do you need an ottoman and a coffee table? No. This starts with your personal items.  If no one plays the guitar- it goes.  Have only one set of dishes, one set of glasses, are you going to read that book again?  Get rid of them...the cleaner the feel, the better it will look.

3.  Make sure your space is well lit. 

(photo from the letter red cottage)

4.  Use white on the walls.  It can have a tint of some sort, but anything darker- sounds to me like it would be too dark.  If you had a large amount of natural light, I might say something else, but with no windows at all...  go white.  I'd consider adding a window or a skylight.  Is that too much?  Sometimes the dark small room is really a fabulous look, but I think that's more the case with a powder bath than my entire living space.

The white furnishings above continue to open up the space.

5.  Use mirrors.  It is true that they reflect light and visually open up the space.  I am not saying, hang a mirror.  I am saying, hang a collection of mirrors.  Get a large oversized mirror.  Mirror an entire wall!  Really use mirrors and light in conjunction with one another.

6.  Use furniture with a light visual weight.  Items light in color, with "see through" qualities are lighter in visual weight than darker, more solid pieces.  For example, the "see through" cane back chair below and legged desk have lower visual weight than an upholstered chair and solid desk.  Even if the square footage of the floor they take up is the same, a lighter visual weight will visually enlarge the space.

For another example- the kitchen below has open shelves instead of upper cabinetry.  This is much lower in visual weight, making them area appear much larger than traditional cabinets would have done.  By the way, I am sick of people telling me they can't do this because they don't have nice clean cabinets.  Throw away your husband's free mugs that he has gotten from conferences and clients, buy a nice set of white dishes, spend $20 on some matching glass glasses and do it.  It's not that big of a deal.

7.  Have a minimalist color pallet.  I would use a maximum of three colors, one of them being white.  This will keep your space cohesive, and looks decorated rather than a mismatch.  Yes- that color pallet carries through to the bath and bedroom.

8.  Large open graphic patterns work better than small busy patterns.

9.  I love Murphy beds.  I wish I had them in all of my kids' rooms.  Murphy beds are terrific.

(photo from Barbara Purdy Designs)

10. Consider multipurpose furnishings, like a sofa table with fold out leaves that will double as a dining table. 

Above is the Normandie Manor Flip top Console table by Bernhardt.

Use an ottoman with storage instead of a coffee table, or if seating is more of an issue than storage, use a bench as a coffee table.

11.  Make good use of your vertical space.  Is there a place you can add wall shelves or wall mounted cabinets?

(photo from design sponge)

12.  Do something fabulous.  Find a fabulous painting, or amazing wallpaper, a stunning chair.  Draw the eye to something great rather than your too small architecture.  In the photo below, do you see that the dining area is less than ten feet wide?  No.  You see the fabulous pink chairs.  Oh yes, and that bit about your boyfriend not wanting anything girly?  Tell him what I learned in my environmental psychology class, if the female feels more feminine in her surroundings, she will...  how should I say it, be in the mood more often.  There.  That should get you some pink chairs.

(all other photos from House Beautiful)

Check out this video, for more small space decorating ideas.

Decorology meets DWC

Today's question came off of Decorology.  The gal that does Decorology is a web designer and is currently in the process of re-doing my site.  It is really going to look fantastic.

Anyway- back to her- this photo and request came from her site:

Help! I need to pick out a color for curtains in my new living room!

So, I moved into my apartment about a month ago - and there is still SO MUCH work to do. Coming up on the list is to make new curtain panels for the patio doors in my living room. My inclination is to go with white and airy - because that is probably my favorite look. However, I also feel like maybe I should explore some other possibilities.

Since I know many of you are super creative and have a great eye - I'm hoping I'll get some fab suggestions! Also, I'm not adverse to pattern if you have any ideas pattern-wise!

Can't wait to hear what you guys come up with!

Photoshopped "white" curtains...

Ashley,

First of all I want to say how super amazed I am at the photoshop job.  That is pretty cool!  I wish I could do that.  I had two semesters of photoshop in college- but it didn't stick.   However- the solid white curtains are not so cool.   Why?

1.  There is a disconnect between the rug, furnishings and curtains.  Nothing is bringing them together.  You need a unifier.

2.  You need more pattern in the room.  The strong pattern in the rug is off balance when it is the only pattern around. 

3.  You need more color in the room.  Add color in the curtains, and also some throw pillows.  There needs to be repetition of color here and there.

The good news?  You can be done by this afternoon.  I selected everything form West Elm. 

You can still have your drapes light and airy- but add pattern and color.

I would add to these a black canvas tape on the edge.  Keep in mind that when I say "color" beige is a color.  ;-)  Your window treatments should also be layered.  Add some black woven blinds to be the first layer.

Another exercise you can do is visually draw a horizontal line across the room.  Do you have balance?  Balance with color?  Balance with pattern?  Notice how in the room shot above, (and I know there are many angles we don't see)- there is a lack of balance.  All of the color and pattern are on the bottom of your horizontal line.  Another good reason to use patterned drapes.  The black woven shades will also bring more visual weight into the upper portion of the room, improving your currently bottom heavy lack of balance. 

Now- bring in more of your rug colors in some throw pillows.

Use one of these.  See the one on the right that is cut off that has the red and black in it?  I thought that would go great with your rug. 

You have white walls and that white needs to be brought into your room more.  (Except not in solid white drapes.  ;-)

Add a white pillow to the mix.

There you go-  Add a couple other random pillows- we don't need to go for matching, but there needs to be some matching for a unification.  See what I mean- an hour or less of shopping and you are done. 

I want to come over and move your furniture...

Hi everyone- sorry for the delay in blogging- I have had a computer virus this week- but- I am up and running- so thanks for tuning back in!

Hi Christine,

I ran across your blog while searching for photos of fireplaces with tv’s mounted over the mantle.

I wondered if you would mind to take a look at the attached photos and let me know what you think?

This is the only family/living are on our main level. Due to the doorways, windows, fireplace, etc. there isn’t much room for variation in the furniture layout and the only place I can see to put a TV is above the mantle. Do you think a tv above the mantle will look good? I feel like it is one of the best solutions in rooms with a fireplace and TV- it is a great way to NOT have a split focal point in your furniture arrangement. Also, can you think of a better furniture arrangement? Do you have a sofa/love- or two sofas? I am having a hard time telling... Ether way- I feel like the sofa on an angle is awkward. I would put it opposite the other sofa- and try moving the chair to face the fireplace on the far end of the sofas. Your chair is perhaps too large for that - you could move it to another room and use two smaller chairs- or none at all. We will soon be putting down hardwood in that room and will eventually buy new furniture so if you’d recommend different pieces, let me know. See how the coffee table is not centered with the fireplace- I would move it. Ideally it would be centered with the fireplace. You might find that it is too small for your room.

I took the photos with my phone so the quality isn’t the greatest.

And, please feel free to be brutally honest! :) It looks to me like you have arranged your furniture to make sure you have a direct traffic path through the room. This is not the goal. Everyone needs a little exercise. Have your traffic path go around the furniture. It will probably result in three more steps. But it will also result in people not walking in front of conversations and TV viewers. Plus- it will look better.

Enjoying reading your blog and looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Valerie

Below is an example of the two sofas look. This is where I would start with your current furniture.

You can also do a sofa and two chairs- but be careful to use two chairs that have enough visual weight to balance the sofa. I feel like in the photo below the chairs are not heavy enough to really balance the sofa. If this were my client- I would move the sofa to be opposite the fireplace- and then put the two chairs on an angle coming off the fireplace. Then you have the two chairs AND fireplace balancing the sofa- not just the two chairs trying to balance the sofa. Get it?

Here are a couple of sofas with a chair- you will want to ask yourself if you are OK with watching TV with the sofas not directly facing the TV. Some people like to lay down most of the time- and like it that way- other people would not like turning their heads.

You could also consider a sectional and chair - like below. If your L-shape is larger - you would need two chairs to balance it.

And here we see a sofa with two chairs in more of a U-shape. This same look can use four chairs if you have the space.

So there you are- remember your focal point is the fireplace. Frame the focal point with your furniture for the best looking and best functioning arrangement. You want a similar balance of furniture on either side.

Don't listen to your husband if he complains about having to walk around the furniture. This kind of thing only takes getting used to. Invite some friends over- and when they compliment your new arrangement- his pride will help him to like it as well. It would be a little too much of a low blow to draw attention to the fact that he needs more exercise- don't go there.

Photos from Elle Decor.

The Pioneer Woman

Hey Guys- did you notice that P-Dub looked at my blog the last time I gave her advice? I was so excited, I told my husband, "The Pioneer Woman looked at my blog!!!!!" He looked at me like, "huh?" "so?" "who's that?" etc. I couldn't get anyone to really care- but I cared. It made my week. :)

This new post of hers -- I just had to respond. My interjections will be in red. :)

PW said:

Aside from the bedrooms, the living room is by far the most UNDERdecorated space in the Lodge. While the much larger kitchen/dining space on the other side of the fireplace is pretty well taken care of, this side is looking pretty sparse. Pretty dull. Pretty blah.
Translation: Help me? Please

From the hallway looking out into the main part of the house, it’s looking pretty good. I’ll be moving that black/tiled piece of art to another location; it’s just parked there for the time being.

But take a few steps forward and turn to the left…and it’s a little bit (i.e. very) drab.
I knew this was an area we’d need to tackle soon, but I’ve been putting it off for a very good reason: I’m completely uninspired when I look at this space. Honestly, I’ve tried…but I couldn’t have fewer ideas for this space if my brain were missing from my skull. Look at this room- - the main problem- balance. The fireplace on the left is some serious visual weight. We need to balance it? When the room is in balance- it will feel "right."

The chair on the other side of the room is new, and up close, it’s really delicious: the leather is weathered and soft, and it’s as comfortable as it can be. I ordered a second one, so that’s coming. The piece of furniture closest to me is also new—Marlboro Man sat in it and instantly fell in love…but unfortunately, it smells like a cow’s bottom.
I’m just being honest. And Marlboro Man and I are pretty easygoing and non-picky when it comes to things like this. But when you sit in a chair and it smells like the inside of a cow’s intestinal tract…well, let’s just say the furniture store was very nice and said they’d be glad to exchange it for something else.

So far we have leather- more leather, and a seriously cool rug- but I feel like we need some more textural variety and pattern. Perhaps a patterned set of round ottomans rather than the coffee table. Some might think that throw pillows are a good idea- but I personally just removed mine from my leather sofa and have them stacked in my master closet. They always fall off the slick leather- they drove me crazy. If they weren't falling off- they were still not staying "in position"- sliding down and just "laying" on the sofa like a dead fish. Yes- they add softness, color, pattern, and texture- but who wants to be driven crazy? Who wants dead fish on their sofa? Maybe you could have some low bolster pillows on the chairs.

The lamp with the “X” is going away—it was just a spare from my house that I threw in there the night we watched the UFC fight.
The question mark on the walls signifies my utter cluelessness as to what to do there. The question mark needs to be something that has such visual weight that it balances the weight of the fireplace. That is what is needed to bring some balance into the room (oh yes- and we also need some plants. :)

So- what could bring balance to the room? Idea #1- A large rug hung on the wall. A really cool one- like this one Nourison's Calvin Klein collection: Shop around. NOTHING is more fun than rug shopping. (I mean that- there is nothing that I would rather do.) Find the perfect one that warms the place up, and gives more visual balance to the room.
Another option? Idea #2- Add visual weight to the opposing wall by changing the wall surface- put a grass cloth on it- (over the entire wall) then add four, 4' mirrors, (in a box shape- not horizontal) like the one below: (from Uttermost- 48" diameter)Another option? Idea #3- Have a custom piece made similar to Crate and Barrel's timber wall art (below is a somewhat lousy picture)- I say have it custom made, because you would need it on a much larger scale. Start with a large canvass, about 60 x 100- paint it a contrasting color to the timber wall art- (It could be brown, gray, green, black- whatever goes with your new ottomans)- hang the timber wall art on top of it. The contrasting canvas beneath will help to add the visual weight you need. Idea #4- I know that you are into photography, and initially mentioned hanging photographs. You could do this if you first- selected photographs that are full of color, (to add visual weight- I fear that sepia tones would be too subtle)- OR- have very heavy frames- with sepia tones in your photos. And second- have them large enough to really be a substantial force on the wall. (keep in mind that we are endeavoring to balance the visual weight of the fireplace). Use a company like Icandy- they can take a photograph, and produce it on a large canvas. You can have one very large one, or a set of 4 or 9. Use the portion of the wall that encompasses our furniture arrangement- just smaller than that area.

I’ve read a handful of suggestions from people who say, “Get the furniture away from the wall!” I’ve never heard of this concept. Please explain. Yes- "Get the furniture away from the wall" is generally good advice, although not always. Lining the walls with furniture gives you what my college professor would call boring negative space- (by boring I mean that it looks like a bowling alley :) and generally speaking is not good design. A better furniture arrangement for your room would be to have two sofas opposite one another. (Can you order one more sofa?) Then add your two chairs in between, as shown- Don't forget your two new upholstered ottomans that will take the place of your coffee table. Also add a couple of tables to the backs of the sofas- two different styles- perhaps one low bookcase style, and one with cool legs. (The one below is from Central Station.) The increased quantity of furniture will also help with our balance problem. Add some lamps to one of them. This is a long space, (awkwardly long) and the current furniture arrangement is accentuating that. You have room for this- I can tell- break it up more- like this: It will look fabulous!
And then…would all of you please decorate this space for me? What goes on the wall? Photographs? If so, how large? How many? What arrangement? I think you would have a hard time achieving a visual weight balance with a collection of photographs- unless done as stated above. Once the cow bottom chair is gone and the matching new chair arrives, what do we need to achieve a good looking/functional furniture arrangement? The leather furniture is more for durability (ranch=stains) than anything else, but how do you wake up leather furniture and add some color? Color is sorely missing from the equation.
This area is stumping me almost as much as the kitchen hood.
I need you.
I need you badly.
Love,

OK- readers- so which if my wall decor ideas do you like the best? (or do you have one of your own?)

#1- large rug hung on the wall

#2- grass cloth and large mirrors

#3- custom made three dimensional wall art

#4- collection of photographs printed on large canvases

Do you think P-Dub will somehow visit my blog again? Do you think she will be hurt that I said her room looked like a bowling alley??? I think she can take it. She is a Pioneer Woman! I can't imagine she will even get to my comment- Her comments were in the 900's when I read her post... She has 4 kids, a bunch of cattle, and a bunch of blogs to keep up with... We shall see. Did I mention that she said she would be my friend? OK- maybe that wasn't it- but she DID say that she would have lunch with me :) (I am comment #1369- my chances are not good :( )

1-24-09- OK- I just had one more thought while I was at the gym today. I really would like a larger area rug that encompassed the new larger seating area. The cool cow hide rug could go on the wall- add some cool hard wired sconces to either side- replace the rug with a much larger one. This will add more softness, pattern, variety, and color to the seating area also. There is something so luxurious about even an "oversized" area rug. My husband would say something like, "We spent $$$ all this $$$ on the hardwood floors, and you are just going to cover them up!" (That is an actual conversation that we had in our last house, and again in this one, except with stone...) Yes. "Yes" is my answer. Especially when the area is open and large. My favorite movie for interior design is "Something's Gotta Give." Go watch that movie, and look at the size of the rug in her great room. (picture below) Are her hardwood floors any less beautiful? Of course not. It is more like a curvy beautiful woman in a lovely high necked dress. You don't have to show it, to show it off.

Look below- I went throught the trouble of changing your yellow stickynote rug to two blue sticky note rugs. :) I'm just kidding- it was no trouble at all. :) But seeing the sticky notes- I like this even better.

Corrie's Challenging Room

Christine,

Michal sent me your way, and I have enjoyed reading through your blog, you have a lot of interesting ideas for tricky areas. I wonder what you might think of our tricky area. We have a family room that also acts as a pass-thru between the entry, bedrooms, and dining/kitchen. It is time for the carpet to come out in the family room and the wood floors to be redone in the kitchen/dining area so we figure now is the time to make any major changes.

We have a few things that make it especially challenging
1) We have son who uses a wheelchair (it is 2 feet wide and needs to be able to get from the bedroom side of the house to the kitchen side)
2) He also requires at least 6 feet of length to lay down on when he's fatigued from sitting in his chair
3) He also requires an ottoman that can push right up to the couch because he tends to hang his legs of the couch (not good for his hips)
4) The rest of us (2 adults and 4 additional children) need somewhere else to sit as well
5) The room is not very wide, roughly 16'9" x 15 (I've drawn out a floor plan that is very close to scale)
Thanks for helping me with this room. I'm sending a slew of pictures to give you a sense of the space, I hope that's okay. The first one is of his bed (in our family room right now while he recovers), the second is of a rug that has all the colors I really love in it (except for the creamy color), the third is an idea for what to do on my huge wall, the fourth is a close-up of the fireplace, the fifth is Ty on the couch we're thinking of purchasing, and the sixth is to show you the scale of that big, empty wall - please ignore the filthy carpet.

The wood floor has now been laid in the family room and hallway - it is much lighter now, but still rustic. One solution for my son's couch (he just had his 4th hip surgery and will always need a spot to lay down) is the Lancaster from Restoration Hardware - it is deep enough that he wouldn't need an ottoman in front of it. I had wanted it in the Brompton Cocoa leather (the same as the picture), but I think it would distress unevenly with him laying on it - what do you think?

I was thinking of ordering it in the Cafe Drywash Chenille, but am afraid to go ahead until I have the whole room figured out. I don't want to buy more pieces in the Lancaster, it's just too deep for anyone else to sit on, but I have no idea how to tie the rest of it together. We would need another sofa/love or sofa/chair for the rest of us to sit on since it's our main gathering space.

I suppose if I completely drop all aesthetics, we could just keep his bed in here - I'd much rather not do that. I've also just had someone to bid on a built-in above the fireplace and I think the TV will end up there or maybe on the big wall. Thanks again for helping me figure this out.
Corrie

Dear Corrie,

Your room is definitley a challenge!

To every rule there is an exception, (or two)- and your case is definitely that. Generally I say "pull your furniture away from your wall!" "Bring it out into the room!" "Don't line your walls with furniture"- but in your case, unless ABC is going to build you a larger home, I say the opposite- my plan for your room has you pushing your furniture into the corner, along the wall :)

I love the Lancaster sofa from RH- but I agree with you that distressed leather would not be a good solution- unless you always had a blanket under your son.- Otherwise I am sure that you will not like the distressing pattern on the leather. I would only use a synthetic material- for durability. It comes in a sectional- but it is too large, and the sofa is too large to add an additional piece of furniture to the room.

The other thing... to actually have a 60 inch clearance pathway in the room, (which is the "code"- although you may feel like you can get away with less) you do not have room for more than one piece of furniture- I am going to suggest one of two sectionals.

1. The Humphrey- see it by clicking here and here. Like the Lancaster, it is four feet deep. I have ordered it in for clients before and it is SUPER comfortable. After sitting on it, I wished that I had ordered it for myself, instead of my more expensive leather furniture. Oh- yes- and it comes in some great upholstery fabrics- I can send you some samples if you like. Although it is so deep, with pillow placement, it will fit any body. Adding the chase, it gives you a bed for your son, as well as additional seating. It is available in a myriad of combinations. You need to decide how much clearance you want for the wheelchair. Like I said, "code" is 5' (this allows for turning the wheelchair around)- you say that the chair is 2' wide, perhaps you can get away with less than 5- which gives you more options .
2. Seating the entire family- (Five kids, plus parents)- will be cozy :) Here is another idea- from the same manufacturer- the Super Nova Sectional- see it by clicking here. This sectional is only 43 inches deep- but has some great ottomans that are just asking you to lay on them. They could also be pulled out and used for additional seating for your little ones.

I would tuck the sectional into the corner- (opposite the fireplace) with the longer side on the side by the staircase. This will have you keeping your TV above the Fireplace. I would re-do the fireplace with stone all the way up- making it look like there is a chimney there, and put a flat screen TV above the mantle. Putting it on the long blank wall would only work if your room were a bit wider, and we could put the furniture the other direction.

Your large blank wall is asking for something... But if you are going to have a true 60 inch clearance- your something can't have any depth. ie- no shelves, no furniture, no bookcases, no built-ins. Make sure you do have something with the right scale to fit the large wall. The picture you e-mailed was above a sofa. Keep in mind- if your wall decor is above a sofa- it has a scale relationship with the sofa- if it is on a wall with no furniture- it needs to have a scale relationship with the wall itself. You could do exactly what you saw above the sofa, - a mirror- the wrought iron, the sconce shelf- and put it on your wall- and it will not look right. It certainly won't look professional. The scale will be off.- it will be "floating" on your wall, whereas in the photo you sent, it was nicely grounded by the sofa.

Ideas:

1. A large family picture- with a lot of smaller pictures of your family around it. When I am using family photos as wall art- especially outside of a hallway situation- I like to have them in sepia tones. Your frames can bring in some of the colors that you described in your rug.


2. Mount a large screen on the wall.
3. Hang a rug on the wall
4. Go to a company like " House in the Country"- where you have not only a good selection of art- but each piece is available in different sizes, so you can really get a collection of art that is the right scale for you wall. I would draw a "to scale" outline of your wall, (on graph paper) and then cut out little pieces of paper of different sizes, and create the perfect art wall collage. I like these- from their "zen floral" collection- (the one below and the one at the top of the post- the black background will help to add visual weight to the large wall.

Speaking of visual weight.. Add some long drapes to your window. You need to balance the visual weight on the large wall, with comparable visual weight on the window wall. Consider a dark background, patterned material- lined and weighted, of course. Two panels, one on either side.

Use all of the same colors, the black the gold, the green, the red- in your throw pillows on your sectional.

Good luck on your project! Feel free to ask additional questions on it- and send us some "sfter pics" :)

- Christine