apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

No advice but I absolutely adore your home. I can feel the love! What a sweet little family. It's apparent you have good design taste. I know those AT readers will be a big help.

Here's a, I don't know, a crazy idea.... have them call an interior designer. GENIUS right?! I mean, yer just going to get a bunch of garbled nonsense from this board, when in reality you can actually get something done with a degree of professionalism from a member of the design community, not just a bunch of bitter desk bound bloggers with a penchant for midcentury modern nonsense and overworked pages of the Ikea catalogue.

If you haven't figured it out yet, designers can buy stuff at a DISCOUNTED cost because they are professionals that vendors actually trust. Therefore kind nuclear LA family, you won't have to DIY or do it over in 3 years when the novelty of the latest wallpaper or amazing lacquered bunny rabbit goes out of style.

Hiring an interior designer is not a luxury, its a necessity. You will get ONE point of view and that will make your home a success instead of having it ass-slapped together.

Happy decorating!

"Smallest Coolest in the Making"? Does that mean you're upping the size limit next year to 950 sq ft?

850 sq ft is already a ridiculously large size given that so many of the entries are from singles and couples.

It is a gorgeous house with fantastic fixtures and accessories. What else do you need. Less kids in the pictures maybe...

Well put randylandd, though I do see a need for a few glazed bunnies here.

I agree with randylandd. You can find a lot of designers out there who will work for a flat fee instead of hourly, and some will also just make "suggestions" on what you should buy so you can purchase pieces yourself when your time/budget allows. Some pros will also just do key staging and editing for a flat fee.

I also agree with robertcraig--you have excellent fixtures and accessories. Love the kitchen and bathroom!

I have a bit of advice from one 2 closet family to another. Make sure, before you settle on design, that there is function in all you transition to. Storage, storage, storage and Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. If there is an "official" place for everything, it's more likely to be put back, hence the clean and nice lines of your home will jump out much more. It will then be easier to "decorate" your home because you will have a sense of mental order that will hopefully help you transition into "design and creative" mode. Many times in fact, putting order to what you have go hand in hand with your new style.

For the other post who insists that an interior deisgner is a necessity, I respectfully disagree. From MANY of the homes that are shown on this site, no interior designer was used. Interior designers are GREAT and WONDERFUL, but for a family in Westchester (not cheap) who may be adding a 4th, it may not be feasible. It seems you ALREADY have a great deal of good looking items. You may just need another set of eys to help you pull it all together. No sense to toss out and add OTHER things, even if they can be purchsed at a discounted rate.

I wish you luck. I think you home looks like it already has a head start. Hopefully someone will be able to provide you a little more decorator insight that will help you pull together a home that already has a great deal of potential.

Maybe they can’t afford a decorator?? (Hence emailing AT.)
My advice would be to go through your favorite interior and design magazines and select a handful of ideas/elements that you instantly connect with and go from there.
Paint goes a long way in connecting rooms and making elements that are already present seem more cohesive. In terms of storage solutions, repetitive storage boxes (the Container Store or, yes, IKEA) are a quick fix for those exposed wire shelves.
If you or your husband is the DIY type, don’t be afraid to build floating cabinets along a couple of the walls – it doesn’t take up square footage but helps tackle the clutter.

What a great house! It looks like you've already done a lot. A few things that caught me eye:

- why are your upper kitchen cabinet almost empty? It looks odd like you don't own dishes.
- Your TV table isn't a great shape or size. I think two matching bookcases on either side of the fireplace, with closed lower shelved for storage would look good and hide a lot of the toys. Something like this: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=118&f=3053&viewall=1
The TV table could then be a great coffee table.
- Is there steel shelving in one of the bedrooms? That could maybe move to the garage for seasonal stuff like the fan? A general declutter and more hidden storage would be good. Maybe a wardrobe would be a better choice for that area.
- In general more wall art and less surface clutter (like empty vases) would be nice.

I love the outdoors though. The chartreuse and gray are so nice together.

The house is very cute, but I would love to see some paint on those walls! I think paint is the cheapest thing you can do to a house to make it feel warm and inviting. Pick out a color or two from your upholstery, rugs, pictures, etc... As for storage, you're guess is as good as mine as I am a similar predicament and having issues with that as well.

oops! Caught my eye, not me eye.. I'm no pirate.

Must. Have. Floorplan.

Great looking house! You have a wonderful eye for style.

What's with the garage? Is it used for the car, or for storage? If you need extra square footage, that's probably your easiest, cheapest way to get it. (I know someone who had an enclosed flyway built between the house and garage, then had the garage winterized. It's not the loveliest addition possible, but it was apparently cheap.

But maybe you don't even need to do that much. There's a family of 4 who entered Small Cool with half your space. You're gonna be just fine.

When we were designing our small space I looked a lot at "The Essential Home" by Terence Conran. It really gave me a lot of ideas on how to transform the space and utilize it to the max.

Purge anything Ikea, first of all. Then decide on a color palette and paint those walls. I agree that you need some art on the walls...everything seems to slump toward the floor, and you need something to draw the eye upward to that exposed ceiling.

Also, on hiring a designer: we did in our last place, and it was the best $1,000 we ever spent. She pointed us toward paint colors and helped us make furniture selections given our budget. Saved us a ton of time. You may find one through your network of friends who is willing to work inexpensively or by the room.

MamaChilanga: I wasn't intending to imply we're going to increase the sq. footage for future contest...I just meant that most three person homes aren't normally as moderate in size as their 920 sq. ft. house and that it is already small and cool. I personally think it's a perfect size for a family of three.

It's very difficult to give proper design advice with only a few family birthday photos and pictures of flowers to go by.

What interests do the family members have? Does someone work from home? How many rooms are there, what size are they and how do they relate to one another? (floorplan) What pieces must stay and what can go? What are the storage needs? Can interior alterations be made to improve space utilization?

IMO, This family needs the help of a professional space planner more than they need anyone telling them "Get a larger rug" or "Paint it Blue"

my first step would be to go through your house and do a major purge; get rid of anything you don't absolutely love or that doesn't make you smile. in your bedroom you have those wire shelves with bunch of stuff on them.. i wouldn't be able to sleep with all of that visual clutter... get some baskets to hide a lot of that stuff but before that.. purge some more. you have an adorable house and a really great start on things but right now all i see is clutter lying around (magazines on the floor in front of the fireplace) so once you tackle that... you'll find yourself with more space and more ways to redecorate the house.

"Must. Have. Floor plan." Agreed, an inventory list including dimensions would also help to keep the budget under control. Though I have to say, the first thing I'd do with a yard like that is build a playhouse/storage space. The last thing you want is for a home to scream "WE HAVE TWO KIDS AND NO PLACE TO PUT ANYTHING!"

Hi! I really do think that you have a lot to work with and for a hectic mom it is really hard to pull the time together to page through design mags yet at the same time having the money to afford any kind of designer is tough! So--here is my offer...I am a designer and I work for a very high end designer here in LA....of course I am a normal person on a normal budget so I understand the constraints and I would be HAPPY to come out and give you a consultation, some ideas and maybe even move forward and work with you through the project! Everybody needs a little help in life so I can trade you my know how for some pics for my own portfolio:) So...i am not sure how to let you know how to contact me but maybe Apartment Therapy can help.....? Whether or not you decide to contact me in whatever way Good Luck!

PS my briefest comment to the pictures is de-clutter, it is too small of a house to have any thing collecting on counters especially!

Cool! Something to do! A real project! YAY!

Your kitchen looks brand spanking new, and I don't see anything that needs being done there. At all. Looks swell.

Things you COULD do might be to replace the lights way up above the cabinets with something that is either on a dimmer or an Energy Star type light that just "glows", maybe like this...
http://www.lampsplus.com/Products/Bathroom-Lighting/Finish_White/02388/

It's more mood lighting, rather than task lighting, and is something that can be left on most of the time. I was looking for a round one. I don't even know what to call those lights. But it looks like you have halogen spotlights, that are HOT and more expensive to replace the bulbs as well as more expensive to operate. Penny saved...penny earned.

The wood floors look fabulous, nothing needs be done there. You have a vast variety of area rugs to choose from anytime you want to change the look. Or pull them up when it's hot and you want to walk barefoot on a cool floor.

The fireplace wall is a toughy. It is not very deep, it looks like you have a vent on one side and the thermostat on the other. So, I'd consider shelving.

The usual solutions may not work, with the lack of depth. But bath cabinets aren't that deep! Here's IKEA, one idea, wall mount:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20049699

Browse all kinds of bathroom wall-mount cabinets, at all stores. Take your measurements. And what to use that for? CDs, DVDs, music and movie storage. Holds paperbacks, washclothes, dishsoap, bar soap, shampoo, toilet paper.

Anything that isn't deeper than 5 inches or so. It might seem odd, but it does free up space in all the other rooms. It becomes more of a "Central Supply" area. And if the shelves are sturdy enough, you could also use it to store canned and bottled goods. Soups, juices, waters, pet canned food.

You might be able to buy more things in BULK and actually have the space to store it all. Like those 200 packs of toilet paper. You can store it, right there. And if anyone peeks into those storage areas, they will be surprised and confused to find a wall of toilet paper. I say, confuse them more, and tell them you have insulated your entire home with toilet paper.

You have what I have and what a lot of people have, a shelf between the kitchen and the dining area. Mine usually has a pile of crap on it. It was useless to eat at. And I don't know if your cat does what my cat does, but he likes to jump up there and redistribute whatever I have piled up there onto the floor on either side.

I'd probably go ahead and remove that ledge. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way the wall in the kitchen wraps around the cabinets and then angles down to that ledge. Seen in this picture:
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/042808stevehoward/DSCN5143

Give yourself that extra few inches to maneuver around the dining table, and not take chunks out of children's heads when they bang into that ledge. That also thwarts any and all temptation to pile up stuff there.

Since I put bathroom stuff in the living room, let's put kitchen stuff in the bathroom. You have a lot of free space under that counter top. If the measurements allow this, check it out:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40016834

You not only gain TONS of storage space for the bathroom, you have MOBILE prep area. Yes, you could roll one or two into the kitchen if you needed to. They're on wheels.

If they ARE a little too tall, check them out at the store, as well as checking out alternative casters. There are many sizes of casters, and you could potentially drop the height of that drawer unit an inch to an inch and a half by changing casters.

Right now I'm not really sure what all you need. You mention storage. So that's what I'm starting with.

In the bedrooms, as most people aren't walking on the bed at the head, you CAN use kitchen cabinets mounted above the head of the bed. That can be used to store many things. Extra bedding, folded out-of-season clothing. Extra towels.

For your daughter, snag ideas from this year's Small, Cool contest. I'm think of Roxy's:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/small-cool-2008-east/east-9-roxys-room-to-grow-047182

Look under her bed. She uses LACK shelving to store things and hold up her bed!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40105627

You can use that idea too. Books. Shoes. Boxes of small things. And there are PLENTY of little boxes in colors for specific needs at IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/11496/

Mix and match with the colors of the LACK shelf. All your daughter's little toys can be stored neatly, and yet be instantly accessible for her.

Will any of this work for you? Perhaps you can tell us what KINDS of storage you need.

GREGORY: We've got three people in 640 sq ft ;-)

Cabinets under the bathroom sink could provide a lot of storage

MamaChilanga: Nearly every post you've made for weeks has been on this same point. It is growing tiresome. Enough!

As to the house - it's cute! I agree - it's the perfect size for three. The idea of putting the bed up a bit on a Lack-type storage system is a good one, if your girl isn't prone to falling out of bed.

"Hiring an interior designer is not a luxury, its a necessity"???

Spoken like an interior designer. And ridiculous, of course. Lots of people have lovely homes without hiring someone else to do it for them.

So anyway, back to the house: I love what you've done so far! It's a great space, and you have a gorgeous family. The kitchen is amazing, and I also really like your dining and living room spaces. The only area I see a big need for change is your bedroom -- the storage you have there is a bit messy. I'd ditch the metal bookshelf and the dressers, and fight something a bit sleeker to put there instead.

The good news is that there are tons of cool budget friendly dressers and bookshelves out there. I'd start hitting the thrift stores and watching Craigs List like a hawk.

But amazing job so far!

I meant FIND not FIGHT above.

Yeesh.

I LOVE your house! You've already created a warm space and it's obvious that there is a lot of love and fun in your house, which is more important than pretty pictures any day. You have some really neat features--the sinks are great! I would declutter some, and part with some of the things that you can live without, so that the neat features stand out more. And, I think that you could spend just a little bit of money on paint, and make it look like a whole new house!

I also disagree with the emphasis on hiring an interior designer. That seems a bit self-indulgent for a family on a tight budget with children.

I think your house has so much potential-- it is so bright and lovely. I'm in love with the wooden beamed ceiling!

My first thought was that you haven't utilized your backyard at all. Perhaps consider taking away some of that grass and planting a tree with your daughter's favorite fruit. It would bring a lot more visual interest, and make the house more welcoming.

I don't think the area rug in your living room is working to your advantage. It is so busy, and it brings attention to some of the gaps. The walls are quite bare, and are screaming for bookshelves. I propose moving the metal shelves cluttering up your bedroom to the garage, and moving those items to wooden shelves in the living room.

Organizing your clutter would definitely help-- the container store should provide some great storage bin options like this.

And I agree with the others in saying that you need to bring some paint in. Maybe not to every room, but to give some specific places more personality (the bedroom and kitchen, for example).

(Wow... Snarky posters today. Where's the community folks?)

Top 5 recommendations below.

*** Streamlining the counters will go a long way in opening up the kitchen. Consider wall-mounted stainless racks and organizers with a coordinated message board system to contain schedules, keys, mail, and even your daughter's artwork. (I know it's tough but I've yet to see a polished home that displays unframed kid's artwork throughout the house.) If not the message board, then maybe a rotating gallery wall for her artwork.

*** For the bedroom, ditch the shelf system for a closed armore (you could even repurpose a media cabinet). Stick with the blond wood from the kitchen to give your place a sense of continuity. If the furniture is too big of a purchase right now, work with the shelves by replacing the orphan (non-matching) baskets. Donate them, use them as gifts but get them out. Buy some matching baskets (w/out handles) of varying sizes. If the baskets are tall enough you can really load them up with things. Fill the shelves with the baskets and a few favorite items for "display" - vases, photos, etc.

*** Add built-in bookcases on each side of the fireplace. Incorporate open shelving above and closed shelving below. (You don't need custom - I saw one place with base kitchen cabinets.) For the closed shelving, opaque glass could give you the lightness you need while still hiding clutter (games, toys, etc.). Also, paint it white (or whatever color you decide for trim) so it blends. It's too heavy of a look to go with a punchy color.

*** It's expensive but invest in a flat screen to fit on the built-ins. Prices are coming down and you'll save a ton of room if you can get the tv on the built-ins.

*** Trust your instincts. I love your windows and the sense of space the light gives. You've also got a good eye for color with little pops of color throughout.

I also disagree with the people trying to push for a decorator.

But I do agree that a floorplan needs to be posted! And more photos without people to really the detail of the rooms.

I do have a comment or two in the absence of a floorplan; I really find that doing away with knick-knacks that don't have a function really helps tone down visual clutter, especially since you have a kid(s) and they don't know that all their toys on the living room floor are cramping your design style ;) The first thing I noticed in that first pic of the fireplace/TV area were those vases on the right on the mantle. I would take stuff like that away and use paint on the walls to show your taste rather than vases you're not using. The second thing I thought was that those vases are a really great inspiration for the wall color in that room.

Also, I would kill for your windows. You can get really creative with different styles of roman shades with windows like that.

Ooh one more thing re: clutter... I am FAR from a packrat, but somehow I still have so much clutter. Even after my twice-annual purging sessions, I find that a lot the necessities just don't store and/or hide well. I have invested a lot of time and energy into hitting up every Marshalls/Home Goods/Pier 1/Cost Plus in my area getting coordinating storage boxes, almost all of them with lids (the dog's toys for example, are in a bin without a lid). For items that I access on a semi-regular basis or that otherwise need identification on the box, I skipped the label maker and made nicer, more permanent labels on the computer.

(...hit submit too soon)

...So, for example, if you can't replace that metal storage rack for whatever reason, having all of that stuff organized into pretty boxes will be a huge help.

I have something else for your family to browse.
http://www.ultimatebed.com

Smaller homes can rarely be seen as having TOO MUCH STORAGE. Even large homes don't always seem to have enough storage (depending on what people have or do).

It's not fancy or trendy. The bed doesn't have a first and last name. It comes in wood, pine or oak. You can get it unfinished or with one of two ready finished colors.

However, you will not need a dresser. You can have SIX DRAWERS on each side. And depending on the size you can deal with, you may have end drawers.

Yes, they have ones for kids too. With lots of drawers. This makes so much sense for a small space, and they are not high priced. You already have a mattress so you just need the bed. You don't need the headboard, you could do something far more creative or something that will utilize storage.

You've seen these, with the pull out tall area, for the kitchen:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09811868

What if you put one on each side of the bed, at the head, with the part that rolls out, pointing out to the sides of the bed?

So that you have a mini-closet at the head of your bed. That could hold tons of folded pants, sweaters, socks.

It's 24" deep, so it would be 24" wide on each side of your bed, leaving a big hole behind your bed. And it's 15" wide, which means it would push your bed 15" away from the wall, is there enough room to do that?

Shelving can fill that space.

Here's another practical idea that might be useful for various areas, as needed, Slat wall:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/room/home-office/thrifty-home-office-ideas/?page=3

As seen in every single store you go to, whether it's the hardware store, the grocery store, the fashion store. There are add-ons of every imaginable configuration.

Check it out here:
http://www.fixturedepot.com/Slatwall_Panels_s/1.htm

You can get it unfinished, with laminate, in wood, even mirrored. Different accent stripes to go in the indented areas. And then start browsing the accessories:
http://www.fixturedepot.com/Slatwall_Accessories_s/22.htm

Yes, you can display your shoes just like a shoe store. And it makes everything you have readily available and can be put up way high so they do not take up floor space.

There are shelves and baskets and pegs to hold clothing on hangers. You can pick up the ones that hold magazines and books. There are plexiglass mirrors. All those things are USEFUL for a space-challenged area.

They also have pegboard. And gridwall. You can use those in the garage too, to keep that area organized. Anything sound good?

I love your house....your colors have a great punch when in combination together. Your lemon yellow and dk. grey look awesome (garage)....i LOVE your planters (green) in the front. Could you please tell me where you got these?

Living in the Westchester neighborhood, you are practically sharing a backyard with Otis College, which has a well regarded interior design program. Call the department and ask if there is a way you can work with one of their faculty or even students in helping with designing your home's interior. It's definately worth a shot!

First off, you appear to have a happy, beautiful family. Congratulations, your 99% of the way there to having the perfect life! As for the last 1%: I feel that a good start for you would consist of 3 things. 1. Subscribe to every interior design magazine that you encounter and start marking the pages that interest you. You can translate many of the ideas you see to your own situation and budget. 2. A little paint will go a long way to personalizing your space. 3. If you can afford it, invest in a cleaning person. I know this may seem extravagant, but trust me, this will solve most of your issues. No space looks appealing obscured with clutter. Try it once or twice and then decide whether it is a necessity and/or worth it. Good luck!

I think they are doing great on their own and did just as good a job as hiring a decorator! I have a feeling that this family on a budget isn't interested in the designer discount of ridiculously priced furniture (half off of a $10,000 coffee table is still ridiculously priced!)

The only thing is, 950 sf is tight with a family of 3 and 2 animals and will be tighter with another baby. I would suggest doing more built-ins. You only have 2 closets, so try to find space to build some more. Also, get some kind of Ikea wall unit/shelving system to make a place for everything (and everything in it's place!) that you can close so you don't have to look at clutter.

I am surprised at how uncluttered your house is with 950 sf and 3 people already! My apt is about that size and I am single and I have clutter coming out of my ying yang. I definitely think more built-in or wall unit storage is the way to go, with more storage space for the kitchen, bathroom, and living room.

Also, you can keep the house till the baby starts walking and then look for a bigger house. Your house is so cool that I bet you can sell it for a lot more than you paid and find a 3000 sf forclosure or a house that needs work and put your style imprint on that as well. Best of luck to you:)

Bolder, why purge everything IKEA? Sure, they don't make one of a kind, everlasting furniture, but make good basics to which you can easily add your own touches. Just seems a bit elitist to me when people slag IKEA. I think that it is often worth saving and waiting a bit and buying something more expensive, but on the other hand I have a lot of IKEA that I like and wouldn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on book shelves.
As for the project, I think to give and kind of advice of ideas we would need pictures of every room (where you can really see the room) and a floor plan and give advice for that specific room. The first thing I think that needs to be tackled it storage space and there it might be go to invest in a wardrobe.

Call me crazy, I thought that they were living in the garage! ;-)

Bolder: I respectfully disagree with getting rid of everything from IKEA. First of all, IKEA done right looks fantastic. Second, obviously that's not a choice since this family is on a budget. I agree that it's a little weird for me to see homes from all over the world here on AT and think, "Oh, they have my vase too," but budget-crunched decorators can't help but be drawn to some of the same great IKEA pieces. :-)

Floorplan! Let's see one for the house, yard and garage together.

If you live in Westchester does that mean that you have to park the car inside, away from the bad weather in the winter?

Look forward to seeing more info from this family! Cool project!

You have a gorgeous (!) and charming home, and just need some tweeking to get it to work for you... It is actually very European, in styling and concept (i.e., materials and size)

Here are some of my ideas for you:

Here in France, people live in very small spaces, and have many of the same issues (and a similar style). The home program, Question Maison, has a regular feature called "SOS Maison" where their architect helps people with their spaces... I think that the problem they dealt with this week is similar to yours, and should have the same solution. At issue was a family of 4 living in 860 sq ft. The Master bedroom had everything in it -- it was the storage of last resort -- including the hot water heater! However, the mother also needed a workspace, and the shelving was towering intimidatingly over their bed...

The solution for them, as for you, was custom made cabinetry. In a small space, it is the best way to use every precious millimeter. Check out the story, with the before and after videos (the brown window on the right side):

http://www.france5.fr/question-maison/index-fr.php?page=article&emission=008857/34&id=1178#

Individual pieces will only take up valuable space without optimizing storage and efficiency, what is already happening in your bedroom.

You most need custom units in the bedrooms as well as in the living room, around the fireplace. The former could be painted out white, but the latter would be more elegant in wood -- either to match your kitchen cupboards, or something more elegant, to match to your floors or in walnut perhaps.

We used an independent kitchen designer (one not affiliated with any cabinet company) who regularly works with small cabinet makers; she was an expert in ingenious space design, as well as very economical (she also does offices, etc., as spaces challenges are space challenges). Someone like that would be ideal for designing and overseeing the construction of all your custom-builts.

- You are in desperate need of a landing strip and need to articulate the entrance better. Unfortunately, I think the problem is that your sectional (while providing lots of great seating) may be too big for your space. Hard to say without a floor plan and some measurements. A solution would be to put some sort of cleverly designed elements in the cabinetry on the right side of the fireplace (where your tv is now). This will take pressure off your kitchen ledge (and that bar stool, which has to go, as there is no room for it, and it is just a clutter magnate). Check out AT's recent landing strip posts too.

I don't agree with TrueBlue that you should get rid of the bar counter. Yes, it is a clutter magnate, but it is also useful as a serving surface when having a dinner or party, and serves to define the kitchen and dining areas.

-Your dining table does not suit your home, and the chairs are overpowering. A more suitable table would be an oval Saarinen table (marble-topped if you can) with Series 7 chairs from Fritz Hansen. As for colour, given the fresh and fun character of your home, why not make them each a different bright colour? See how much fun you can have with it: http://www.fritzhansen.com/composite-399.htm

-The rug in the dining room is far too small -- a rug should go 2 feet past the back edge of the chair when tucked into the table (that way the legs won't get caught on the rug). The colour matches your table, but is wrong for your home -- get rid of the table, get rid of the rug (brown does not go with the other things you are doing in your home).

-Your bathroom needs some custom cabinetry too... and investigate things such as hair dryer rings, etc.

-your kitchen has too much knick-knacky non-cooking dust accumulating "stuff" -- e.g., on the window ledges. Discipline yourself not to accumulate it -- don't even bring it into the home. Too much stuff on your counters, and not enough IN the upper cabinets. (is a coffee maker really necessary? Can you live with just a stove-top espresso maker?) Again, you have landing-strip stuff on your counter (in the corner) -- really not the appropriate place for photos.

-You need window coverings. (that drippy draggy tab curtain does nothing for your dining room). In such a small space, you should use the same treatment throughout -- my suggestion to you would be to use wicker (bamboo? straw?) roll-up blinds. They are light and fresh, consistent with the colours of your floors, and would help create the right atmosphere... the sort of effect I am talking about is like in the "after" living room here:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/blogging/before-after-julianne-mooredecoratordomino-0508-049198

-Back to your living room sectional.... it looks to be the wrong configuration for your room -- too close to the door (too long on that side), and yet too far from the fire place (too short on that side). You will probably need to find something that fits your living room better. And instead of covering your furniture to avoid (or hide?) damage, consider hard-wearing fabrics like alcantara, which are good for families with children. We have a Togo sectional from Ligne Roset (they have sales -- you can buy the floor model, etc. -- we didn't pay full price) -- our kids love it, it is very flexible (you can move the pieces around), and lots of bright colours (not great for people with bad backs tho...). There are lots of other possibilities around .. just show a better picture of the space, and add a floor plan with measurements... (and yes, get a flat screen tv!)

-you don't say whether you will have bedroom issues -- do you have 3 bedrooms? If you do, what does the third one currently accommodate -- will that function need to be preserved somewhere else (is it an office, guestroom?)? Do you have a bedroom large enough for your 2 children to share?

-the most useful book I have found for designing for families and for children are the books by Judith Wilson (especially the 2 kids books, and the family book) -- check them out for inspiration, they are right up your design alley:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Judith%20Wilson&page=1

-I think maybe your bed overwhelms your bedroom -- hard to say if it will continue to do so if you remove the drawer unit and go to custom units. You may think about just having the bed with small floating tables to the side to make the space feel less full, like this:

http://www.bobbyberkhome.com/show_product/3551/?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_term=3551

Good luck!

A very elegant landing strip/entry idea is Thout's UtiliTILE:

http://www.generaldesignassociates.com/furniture.php?selected_menu=0

And consider Martha Sturdy's resin tables as side and/or coffee tables -- the colours are fun and sizes are variable...

http://www.marthasturdy.com/furniture/resin_ushape.html

I think you guys have a good sense of style (though I agree with the paint/color comments), but in general need a better way to store your stuff and organize your lives.

Before contacting a decorator, try getting advice from IKEA. They have folks working for them who are there to help you with this kind of stuff. Their website also has interior decorating programs that you can play around with for free.

Also, I'd suggest you did a little landscaping. It's great you have a yard at all, but it seems that you could do with some tall leafy plants, like a pergola with a clematis or some nice fruit trees.

Why are some people on here so hostile? This isn't a contest for having the most people live in the smallest space. If that's what you're interested in, go to London and stuff yourself into a phone booth with 20 people.

Certainly it is admirable to be an efficient user of space and a conscious citizen of the earth, but it doesn't make you better than everyone else. The amount of space people are comfortable living in is relative. If you grew up in a 400 sq. ft. apartment with your 6 siblings, then yes, a McMansion must seem quite wasteful. And if you grew up in a big farmhouse on 30 acres with just your mom and dad, a studio apartment in the city must seem positively claustrophobic.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the goal of AT is to commend those who make their homes healthy and beautiful and to inspire others to do the same. The Small Cool contest is just one great way AT accomplishes its goal, and is particularly relevant because so many of us live in small spaces in the city. So let's stop bickering about IKEA and who is the awesomest because they can reach their fridge while taking a shower.

The Howards have a lovely home and some of the suggestions on here are great. I agree with the addition of color on the walls and more vertical interest. Let's keep it going!

Here is one image of cabinets over the head of a bed:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/strategies/smart-decorating-ideas-for-small-spaces/?page=4

If you click through to the next page, you'll see they also use the drawers under the bed.

This is a potential option for the living room wall (no storage though)
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/home-accessories/accessories/decorating-with-mirrors-to-maximize-size-and-style/?page=9

This is what I was looking for in that slide show, for the opening in your fireplace:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/home-accessories/accessories/decorating-with-mirrors-to-maximize-size-and-style/?page=22

That is NOT a glass mirror. It is a plastic one, that you can get at plastics stores. It's sold by the square foot. They had some at Tap Plastics (locally) last time I checked.

So you don't have to worry about if it falls over or the animals or kids bang against it. It is a lot more resistant to breakage.

well put mistabelle

I think paint and more tall shelving like others have suggested is key to controling some of the clutter. Ditto for removing items from the counters.

p.s. in Europe, most homes, especially newer modern ones such as yours, have the walls painted white. At most, ther might be one or two accent walls, but usually, it is the furniture, rugs and art that introduce the colour. In your home, you have beautifully framed prints that set the tone for your home. If you get colourful chairs, change the dining room rug, put in some wooden built-ins, well, I doubt you will need to add colour. Re-evaluate it then. (and show us pictures!)

"This isn't a contest for having the most people live in the smallest space. If that's what you're interested in, go to London and stuff yourself into a phone booth with 20 people." -- best comment on AT... EVER!

first off, i love seeing how you live. you have a beautiful home and a beautiful family. everyone seems happy. you've made some very stylish choices (the concrete counters, the farm sink, the limited palette, limited above counter height storage) and you have good taste. i think your nest is plenty polished and would scrub up nicely for a photo shoot.

if you want to maximize "every nook and cranny", however, you'll need to revisit some of your choices. the built in soffit over your upper kitchen cabinet and the above soffit lights are great and dramatic, but not ideal given the loss of vertical storage. knock it out and you get 12 more feet of storage, by pulling in another row of low cabinets. if the new ones were closed front they'd have a similar look to your existing soffit. you certainly can get the same lighting effect by mounting lights atop that new cabinet row.

the dividing wall between kitchen and dining room is also quite nice....but....again....no storage on either side? if you love it consider making it at least 10-12 inches thick with storage on either side. or blow it out and extend the lower cabinets the length of the dining room wall but with a different function (home office/printer/art supplies).

love your dining table but do you really need the leave in and six chairs? if you removed the divider wall and rotated it 90 degrees, sans leave, and put two chairs elsewhere except when needed.....magic, six more square feet!

bathroom also great. but, if using every nook is the goal, curtain or build under the concrete and use that space.

i also think you could put storage on both sides of the fireplace. and consider going vertical above the frig and elsewhere.

if you include a floor plan i think alot of people will have good ideas for you.

i'm not going to get into color/paint. you have great taste, trust it.