We often post design tips for maximizing a small space to its fullest form + function + design. In this case, we wanted to highlight some pitfalls or small mistakes often made so you can avoid them when creating the home that's right for you. After the jump, check out 7 design mistakes shared by designers who have seen it all.
7 Mistakes Sometimes Made In Small Spaces
And How To Avoid Them
1) Cramming the space with too much stuff.
A large piece of furniture can actually make the space feel larger, as long as it's selected carefully. -Laura Kirar
2) Not paying enough attention to the color of flooring and walls.
Lighter walls and lighter floors do automatically give the illusion of more space. -Mary McGee
3) Playing it safe.
[You can still have bold prints in your space without the full commitment of wallpaper and/or paint.] Instead, put a large-scale printed fabric or wallpaper on the walls and even the ceiling. It's easier, safer, and less expensive to be dramatic in a small space. You might get tired of a bold print in the main living area, but it can make a smaller, less-used room an exciting space to spend time. -Victoria Neale
4) Often, a small space is a missed opportunity.
Turn it into a jewel box. Find out how designer Philip did this to his space here. -Philip Gorrivan
5) White walls.
Paint the room a dark charcoal gray. This will actually really open up the space. -Paul Mathieu
6) Proportion and scale are vital.
You should have furniture made in the correct width, height, and depth for the scale of a room. -Todd Klein
7) Not strategizing.
Divide a room geometrically into task-oriented zones - working, sleeping, relaxing, dining. Think in halves, quarters, or even on the diagonal and assign a function to each section. -Elaine Griffin
Hopefully the ideas and thoughts offered by these established designers will help you in your own space. Of course whatever works for you is most important. Personally, we will be living and breathing Mistake #1 - that seems to be our pitfall. Click here to read more about the designers' advice featured in House Beautiful.
Check out more small space solutions here:
- Small Space Solution: Going Vertical
- 8 Best Small Space Shelving Solutions
- Blogging...Loving Living Small
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I've always liked the "jewel-box" idea-- something that would be too too expensive on a large scale can be affordable (and beautiful) on the small. Go for the best!
view Limonata's profile
Is that a cat rubbing out the stain with a piece of brie?
view CaseyB's profile
Well, one thing I consider a problem that comes up over and over again in the small space home tours here is too many small pieces of furniture. I think you are way better off having a few large pieces instead. Also, I think I have a different definition of "small" than someone who suggests zoning, which just doesn't work in a 350-square-foot studio like mine. Not enough room.
view JefferyK's profile
JefferyK, I find that "zoning" is the only way I can make my 300sq foot studio function as more than a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. It may not be all spacious and open, but it is functional and it keeps unnecessary clutter at bay.
Although I am guilty of the "cramming in too much stuff" mistake, as well as "proportion and scale."
I moved from a large 2 bedroom to a tiny studio and my furniture that I brought with me just doesn't work quite the same in this space.
view sparkle's profile
CaseyB -- i thought the same thing at first.
i think it's the tip of those newish white out brushs. instead of bristles they have a bit of foam on the end.
view Pistachio's profile
re: JefferyK vs. sparkle - I would modify comment 1 to read that furniture should be properly portioned to the room. Cramming a room with many tiny pieces will look like crap, but so will bringing in a large piece that overwhelms the room. (I got very cranky about the scale of furniture at one place where I went, where the coffee tables were bigger (or seemed bigger anyway) than most of the rooms in my place.)
Goldilocks obsessed about size... so should designers of small apartments. Find stuff that is just right.
Zoning vs. multipurposing is really a matter of working style, each of which takes a different discipline. Either you have to clean up after each task, or you have to divvy up a tiny space.
And the wrong large pattern *can* look bad in a small room.
They tell you not to do it because it can look horrendous done wrong. But the idea of hanging fabric is a good one... easier to be bold, but correct mistakes.
view whytephoenix's profile
the descriptions on 2 and 5 seem pretty contradictory...
view Linda @ thebargainlife.com's profile
"the descriptions on 2 and 5 seem pretty contradictory..."
definitely :-D
view maike's profile
The problem with the "jewel box" notion and turning the room into a small retreat (as the article suggests) is that it assumes that the room is not an essential part of the overall living space. The people who most need small space solutions are those who have to use every bit of space for actual living.
I've got 356 sq. feet to fit in living room, bedroom, kitchen, home office, bathroom, and flexible home teaching space for freelance private teaching. I can't treat any room as a "jewel box".
view Orchid64's profile
"Is that a cat rubbing out the stain with a piece of brie?" LOL.
view die_Maus's profile