Small Cool 2009: Lillian's Austrian DownsizeInternational Division #10

Small Cool 2009: Lillian's Austrian Downsize
International Division #10

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Who Lives Here: Lillian, boyfriend, cats Marlene & Lulu
Location: Vienna, Austria
Size: 600 square feet

What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? My favorite element is the light — we have many windows for such a small space and most of the rooms face south. Besides, I like the floorplan and the fact that we have a separate (if small) kitchen and office. When we first moved in, I admit I had the urge to tear down walls, but as this is a rental this was out of the question. Now the floorplan has grown on me! We removed most of the doors in the house so the space is still somewhat "open". And with all the colors and light, the house feels very cozy and cheerful all year long.

Give Lillian a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? When we moved in, none of our furniture would fit in (we downgraded from 1200 square feet). So we got rid of most things and started from scratch. We were on a very tight budget so DIY was the way to go... for example, my boyfriend built our bed and our office desk so it would fit in the tiny rooms. We also made most of the shelves in the house. Plus, we really scaled down our "stuff" — there´s no way we can host dinner parties for more than four people in here, so no need to have loads of dishes. We also found that colors can really transform small spaces. You don´t always need expensive furniture — paint and creativity can make a house unique as well.

Give Lillian a THUMBS UP if you think this home belongs in the finals!
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Do you have a Small Cool Home? Enter Here by April 13th!

Comments (30)

I love the pendant lights!

posted by ftpansy on April 6th 2009 at 4:31pm
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Love it!

posted by boho on April 6th 2009 at 5:03pm
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love the low-slung shelf over the sofa!

posted by rara_rara on April 6th 2009 at 5:30pm
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I heart the cloud lamp in the bedroom - so adorable!

posted by Ohiogirl on April 6th 2009 at 5:41pm
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Like the light and air feel of your space, adorable kitchen and cat!

posted by LoriSF on April 6th 2009 at 6:33pm
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what color is the paint in the living room? it's the perfect gray... i love it!

posted by kaneeneenie on April 6th 2009 at 7:08pm
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That wallpaper is FANTASTIC! The kitchen gives off simultaneously delicate and sturdy vibes. Beautiful.

posted by Frugalista on April 6th 2009 at 7:21pm
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I love your space, it looks very cozy AND stylish at the same time.

Two thumbs, way up on this one!

posted by Candice on April 6th 2009 at 7:40pm
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Clean and uncluttered - but not too sparse or generic-looking. I love the use of color throughout.

posted by katlia on April 6th 2009 at 8:47pm
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Cat in photo = instant vote!

I kid, I kid. :D Beautiful, restful place. The kitchen is lovely.

posted by Kaete on April 6th 2009 at 9:45pm
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I love that cloud lamp shade and the green/white fabric on the dresser. Love the open shelving in the kitchen, too!

posted by robinette on April 6th 2009 at 10:26pm
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Lovely, clean and bright.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on April 6th 2009 at 11:10pm
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oooooooooooooh, the tree wallpaper in the office!

posted by mihaela on April 7th 2009 at 2:19am
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love it, viva Europe:)

posted by skarpetka on April 7th 2009 at 4:16am
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Totally love the wallpapers you chose and the artwork above the dresser. Your place seems to be very cosy and has a warm atmosphere.

posted by magee on April 7th 2009 at 4:18am
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Thanks everyone for your nice comments. The cloud lampshade and the stencil in the kitchen (it´s not wallpaper!) are both DIY from Lena Corwins´s book Printing By Hand, which I totally love and recommend.

The gray in the living room is a custom mix from our local home depot. I love it lots! :)

posted by Lillian on April 7th 2009 at 4:55am
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Lovely!! The color palette is very soothing.

I would like to know how did you manage to install those 2 Lack shelves in your living room so that they line up so perfectly? I want to do the same thing in my bedroom but I cannot figure out how to measure the drill holes to install the second Lack shelf... Thanks!! :)

posted by absolutmarie on April 7th 2009 at 4:57am
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I love it all. Could you please come around and do my flat? :)

posted by Mys on April 7th 2009 at 5:37am
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absolutmarie: Those are not Lack shelves but two customized MDF shelves which are floating above our radiator (we drilled holes in it to make sure we get some heat...). It was tricky to get them on the same level though. Trial and error really. Good luck!

posted by Lillian on April 7th 2009 at 6:23am
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this is so charming.

posted by abigailbelle on April 7th 2009 at 8:46am
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Wow, it seems so wonderfully cheery.

posted by happiness on April 7th 2009 at 1:23pm
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charming indeed. What I like is that each room has it's own "personality" but all the rooms reflect a common style.

The photo of the kitchen looks so cozy and cottage-esque. I want to be there sipping a cup of tea.

Well done and thanks for sharing your home with us!

posted by amazonikon on April 7th 2009 at 2:23pm
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Love the way your bedroom decor matched the tree outside the window. I also really appreciate the way you balanced out the color of the dishes on the kitchen shelf. A lot of times people fail to do this and the end result is a messy look.

This is a really pretty place.

posted by baileyb on April 7th 2009 at 3:22pm
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Hi Lillian,
just discovered your entry. Your place looks very special! I love the way you have positioned the lamp in your living room. Your kitchen looks very cosy - where did you get the clock over the door? Fantastic pictures - are you a Stylist? I would love to learn more about you. By the way I am Austrian and live in Graz.
Take care,
Anita

posted by Anita Dawoodi @ 1richtungsblog.com on April 7th 2009 at 4:30pm
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Lots of cool lamps! Love the tree wallpaper! I love this! :)

posted by Deidre88 on April 7th 2009 at 5:52pm
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Anita - yay, a fellow Austrian! (I´m German actually, but still). The clock is from Ebay. And no, I´m not a stylist. I´d love to be one though ;-)

posted by Lillian on April 8th 2009 at 3:53am
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Yay Europe! woot woot! ;)

posted by absolutmarie on April 8th 2009 at 8:34am
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Bedroom and kitchen very nice. Tell the cat to move over because I need a nap. (I'll bring my own pillow.)

posted by FilthyMcNasty on April 12th 2009 at 6:56pm
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Hi Lillian!
Ich möchte gerne einen Post über dich auf meinem 1richtungsblog schreiben. Wenn das o.k. ist, schicke mir doch bitte eine email an 1richtung(at)gmail(dot)com. Ich hätte gerne noch ein paar Infos von dir.
Lg! Anita

posted by Anita Dawoodi @ 1richtungsblog.com on April 15th 2009 at 2:31am
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Love ur place! Love how Ikea and DIY can make a place sooo cozy and beautiful while staying in the budget!

posted by jjibin on April 20th 2009 at 11:45am
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