Small Spaces

The small-space dwellers in these six studio apartments are happily living a maximalist decor style despite their home's small square footage.

Modernist company KitHAUS recently debuted a new line of prefab homes.

Part of my motivation behind doing the Style Cure this year was to reclaim our main living space. It has been a whirlwind of a year for us and we pack a lot of living into not a lot of square footage. Unfinished projects, leftovers from our wedding and all of the (amazing) gifts from our guests left us with an apartment that felt like it was always almost there, but not quite.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a shared kids’ bedroom, my mind immediately goes to two twin beds side by side, or maybe bunk beds. (Or if you’re as unlucky as my sister and I were, a shared full bed. We often daydreamed about building a wall right down the middle of the bed!) If you let yourself start to think outside of the box, there are so many creative solutions to a shared kids’ situation. Here are a few of my favorites from our archives: Short on space?

Whether you’re sharing a studio or seriously small one-bedroom with a partner or making a tiny two bedroom work with a roommate, sharing a small space presents a whole set of stresses beyond just sharing a space. Here’s how to live a little more harmoniously with someone else in an extra small home. 1. Make a furniture plan What we mean to say is, don’t just meld two households full of stuff into one tiny space and just hope that it’ll work.

So, you’ve decided your kids are going to share a room which means you have two beds (or a bed + crib) to fit into the room. The size and shape of the room may guide or dictate where you place the beds, but it’s worth taking a look at some different bed layouts to see if they spark inspiration for you. Probably the most traditional layout, this formation has a nice visual symmetry and conveys a sense of each child’s claim to the space being equal.

You know how, when you have a new interest, it’s suddenly all you can see? Just as a newly-expecting couple might see babies everywhere they look, so it is with me and bikes. I’ve recently decided to buy one, and find myself checking out others’ wheels 24/7 these days.

Three or more kids in one room is no easy feat, but these parents rose to the task with panache. If you, too, have space constraints, or just desire a little extra bonding time for your children, get inspired by these real life rooms for three. Have you tried having more than two children share a room? How did it work, and would you recommend it? TOP ROW: 1. The Figgle Family’s Cozy First Home 2. Something for Everyone in Parker, Monty, and Elliott’s Room 3.

When it comes to design, sometimes you just have to go bold, and small spaces are perfect for giving your imagination free rein. Constraint breeds creativity, and corners, ceilings, closets, nooks, and crannies can all be converted easily into luxurious, dream-like spaces with a bit of verve and paper. Top Row: 1. Patterned hallway in Anna Spiro paper from Adore Home Blog. 2. Wallpapered ceiling in reading area from Caldwell Flake via House of Turquoise. 3.

Just because you can’t actually make a room bigger, doesn’t mean you can’t trick the eye into making it appear and feel bigger. One of the most effective ways to do this is to draw the eye upward toward the ceiling making the walls seem higher and giving the room an air of expansiveness. Here are eight real-room examples—not all of them are small—but you can apply the ideas to your own small room. Embellish the ceiling.

Our recent roundup of twin beds elicited many comments from readers convinced that twins don’t make much sense because kids might outgrow them. But what about shared rooms and space constraints? My twins share a room and are perilously close to climbing out of their cribs, so we are looking at big kid beds. For our home and needs, it makes sense to buy twin beds that can be converted to bunk beds in a few years. In the course of shopping around we have learned a few things.

We love small spaces. We love them for their lower energy and heating bills and because they force us to edit, organize, and reduce our accumulation of stuff. But most of all, we love them because there seems to be no end to what you can do with them given some creative planning! Here are 25 of the top small space living posts we wrote this year.

It’s no secret that we at Apartment Therapy love color, even (er, make that especially) in small spaces. While the rest of the internet might still be spewing the “paint it white to make it seem larger” line, we know that a bold shade can bring energy and a sense of expansion to a modest room. Have a small bedroom and want some paint ideas beyond white and gray? We’ve got you—and your walls—covered.

The space above a refrigerator is often overlooked and underused. It’s not particularly accessible for oft-used items, but it’s a shame to have the space go to waste, especially in a small kitchen. I looked at a selection of real homes to see how people were using this space. Some of these examples involve clever built-ins, but many will work for renters, too. Simple shelves were installed on the wall above the fridge to hold a few cookbooks and some barware.

Do you live in a small space? Do people sometimes confuse your bedroom for a closet? Can you reach your kitchen sink from your couch? If you’re looking for ways to make your space more livable without spending a ton, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three classic ways to make living little work for you: 1. Lighting Small is one thing, but small and dark is quite another. Almost nothing has the power to transform the a room like good lighting.

Maybe you’re making room for a new baby’s nursery or that cave of collectibles you’ve always wanted. Or maybe you just like living small. No matter what your motivation is for maximizing your space, the best way to do it is by combining two functions into one room. Here are five classic double-duty room combos we see all the time, proving that when it comes to a thoughtful layout, you can kill two birds with one stone. 1.

Name: Lex, Lynn and LucyLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: About 800 square feet including terraceYears lived in: 4.5 years — ownWhen Lex and Lynn moved into their one bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan, the view of the New York skyline took center stage. Their style was minimalistic — graphic black and white were favored over color for a look of grown up chic. But enter their daughter Lucy, and everything shifted.

Because it's all about getting creative.

Breaking the rules isn't just fun when it comes to design, it can actually pay off in the final product.

The oft-overlooked space could be a stunning place to rest your head.

The 10th Annual Small Cool contest has entered the free-for-all voting stage – every single one of our 189 entries are live and accepting thumbs up votes. Here’s a look at 10 fun-to-see homes from the past week to get you started but be sure to check out all the wonderful homes on our “All Entries” page to help send ALL of your favorites on to the next round!

Here we are, rounding the corner just before the home stretch. We’ve shared over 130 small cool homes with you so far and still have a few more days of new entries to come. Here are 10 entries that caught the eye of voters this past week; check them (and ALL of the competitors who are looking for votes) out and enjoy the supersized dose of small space inspiration and ideas.

Twelve years after our very first Small Cool contest and readers are still impressing us with sumptuous style, creative solutions and sage wisdom for living life to the fullest in a small home. Every year we are wowed with the display of small coolness and we are excited to host all this small space inspiration. Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest by sharing your home with our community, by commenting and voting for your favorites. And now, to congratulate our winners!

We’ve seen 25 homes so far in our 11th Annual (!) Small Cool contest and it’s already a memorable year. These homes all have square footage under 1000 square feet but miles of style to spare. Today, we’ve got a look back at some standouts from Week One, along with a link to ALL the entries so far. Dive in, peek inside these stylish small, cool homes and give all your favorites a vote to help them move on to the next round. (And if you haven’t entered yet, do that too!).

White paint isn't always the answer!

Max out your cook space with these savvy storage items.

Studio apartments are efficient, cost-effective options for living in the city of your dreams, whether it’s New York or L.A., but they don’t exactly offer much privacy. However, you can still create a soothing sanctuary that feels separate from the rest of your open-floor plan home without bringing in a contractor or spending a lot of money.

It looks way more spacious than its 80 square feet.