An Inviting, Comfortable, Eclectic Small/Cool Space
An Inviting, Comfortable, Eclectic Small/Cool Space
Name: Patrícia Dias de Sousa
Instagram: @tudooqueluz
Size: 818 sq ft
Home type: Apartment
Location: Oeiras, Portugal
Years lived in: 6 months, owned
Household: My husband, our son and two cats
Have any design professionals worked on this space: No
Describe your space:
Our previous house was rented, and therefore we were limited to what our landlord allowed us to do, and although we tried to make it our own, something was always missing. So, buying a house of our own was the most important step we did as a family. It's our most personal space. And although it is small in size it fulfills all the needs we have and is a perfect reflection of our passions. Besides the typical rooms, we manage to have a small home office, a tiny music studio, a laundry room, an indoor vegetable garden and a home for our two cats.
Did you DIY anything in your space? And, if so, what's your favorite DIY?
We did some small DIY and furniture adaptation for our house, but our favorite is the custom made desk/toy storage in our son's bedroom. All the ready-made solutions we found were either too big or too small, so we decided to make ourselves a custom one. We made it from pine wood and 3D printed pieces for the joints. The biggest advantage of this solution is that because all the pieces are modular and easy to disassemble, it's very easy to adapt it to when he gets older.
How do you make your small space work for you and feel bigger than it really is?
One thing we embraced in this house is open shelving. We did it in our living room, kitchen and home office. Having our items on display, and not enclosed behind doors, allows us to keep track of what we own, and have easy access to them. This was particularly important in the kitchen because it allowed our 6-year-old to help us with the daily chores like setting the table or helping us to take care of the cats.
How does your home reflect you?
The most important feature of this house is that it reflects our passions as a family. Once you step in you can see we are avid readers from our bookcase, music enthusiasts from our vinyl collection and nature lovers from the plants and small vegetables we grow.