Apr 30 2009
Improving small spaces
Herlong & Associates staff designed this small space, which is about 200 square feet, excluding the bathroom and kitchenette.
Just because a space is small doesn’t mean it has to be cramped, crowded and cluttered. When designing a small space for a house – whether it’s a powder room or a den – simply spending some time thinking about the use of the room and its layout can make it functional and cozy.
Our firm’s interior designers can do wonders with small spaces, which they demonstrated in a small room in the Symphony Designer Showhouse, a fundraiser for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League Inc.
Interior designer Theresa Bishopp looked at that small space as a challenge. And she wasn’t afraid to break some of the conventional “rules” of designing in small areas, such as shying away from dark paint colors, even on the ceiling. In fact, Bishopp often paints the ceiling so the eye doesn’t stop at the wall-to-ceiling demarcation line, which adds more height to the room.
“It should be a color you love,” she says. “If you love a dark color, you can still make a room beautiful and comfortable. My first priority isn’t to make a room look bigger, but to make it look better.”
The arrangement of the furniture in a small room is also critical. The focus should be on maximizing traffic flow. “If you can move through the space comfortably, it doesn’t matter how small it is,” Bishopp says.
At times, we like to share ideas with other designers, such as Parker-Sims Interiors here in Charleston. The owners of the design firm, Ivie Parker and Adrian Truluck, recommend homeowners put some thought into how they plan to use a room, particularly a small one. Deciding on a room’s purpose will help determine how to make the room attractive and functional.
Some of their other tips include:
* Using built-in shelving to maximize storage space without taking up floor space. Use wallpaper or paint along the back wall of a built-in shelf to give it some dimension and flair.
* Get creative with storage containers, using baskets, boxes, cubes or ottomans that double as seating and storage. Add fabric, trim or piping to the item so it matches the room’s décor. Especially in small spaces, it’s important to hide those items that would make the room look cluttered and busy.
* Mount lamps to the wall, which can free up valuable space on a bedside table or end table.
