Designing around a small space
You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last among all of Toronto dwellers to be incumbent by small square footage and lack of space. As the city grows, our spaces get smaller. It’s fact, and hard to get around it unless you have an open budget, which most of us do not. There are a few ways InSTYLE can help you around that. Below are tips on getting yourself organized and some small space-saving solutions.
First off, take the guess work out. Everybody isn’t a designer, decorator, or know anything about furniture, so leave it to the professionals. They know. One of the ways you can do this is to hire an Interior Designer. They come with a ton of knowledge, have great creative skills and have a finger on what’s on-trend. Not quite in the budget to hire a Designer? Or don’t need a full remodel? Another option could be an Interior Decorator. A lot of them are independent, focus on more interior esthetics and also have a good pulse of what’s out there. Another option is to talk to the experienced team members at any of your local furniture shops. A lot of them have design experience, and are looking at furniture ALL day! I know, sometimes it can be unbearable the thought of a pushy salesperson, but when you are ready to move forward with making your space the best possible/organized way it can be, ask questions! An in-store sales rep can lead you to more options than just what you see on a sales floor. They have all the knowledge ready in their back pocket to meet all your needs.
Secondly, make a list of what you need. What are the problem areas in your home? These should be the talking points with your designer, decorator or sales person. Going in with the notion, ‘I don’t know what I want’ gets nobody anywhere. Be aware of WHAT, then you can figure out colours and style from there. An experienced designer can help come up with solutions for those problems, so therefore, take the guess work out for you.
Lastly, Optimism & Patience. Designing around a small space takes time, to find the right items that work for you and your space. Your space may not come together over night like an episode of ‘While you were Out’…does anybody even remember that show anymore? But it can look beautiful when you have taken the time and put the right items in place. You would be surprised on how much larger your place can feel with the right sized items…and how much you can fit. Less isn’t always more when it comes to small spaces. You do need lots. Lots of storage, lots of ways of hiding things you do not want shown, and getting multi-functioning items to create more usable space.
Here are some items we recommend for a small space:
Tables
Gotham Coffee Table: Glass can be your best friend when it comes to small spaces. You can really open up a space with glass as it’s translucent and doesn’t add any heaviness to a space. It also adds a nice texture element in design when you are dealing with wood floors and possibly concrete wall. Round coffee tables (depending on your layout) can actually provide you more space and a better overall flow of your space.
The Bachelor End Table. Multiple diversity comes with this table. It’s clean white look disappears into your space, it’s open concept not only takes away extra bulk, but it allows you to tuck this into your sofa to add more floor space, as well as doubles as an extra table for your coffee or laptop! The top portion also has a hidden drawer for hiding any extra charging cords, pens and paper…
The Explorer Nesting Tables. Get double duty out of these tables. Not only can they stack, you get 3 tables to use at your deposal. You can share them around the room so guests get their own table or you can change them up between side table and coffee table!
Eileen Shelf by BDI: When you have some open wall space and can’t decide between art and storage, the Kingston is the perfect resolution. With it’s artistic deign, get that extra design element, while having functionality. Keep all your memorabilia from your travels, as well as store important novels on this gorgeous bookshelf.
The Lavive bench. Benches can be a great way to double up your seating when you are entertaining. Keep this bench at the foot of your bed, or in a front entry way, and eaily maneuver it to the living room when you require additional seating. Its neutral look, allows for you to blend it in anywhere.
Bedroom
The Daphnie Storage bed & The Bristol Storage bed. When most condos don’t offer much in the way of closet space, or there just simply isn’t enough room for a dresser, storage beds are the way to go. With these styles you get looks and functionality, while all your clothes and what not are stored below your bed safely and out of your way.
The Metro Dresser. Serve up some double duty on this unit. It’s a dresser that has an additional side/top that can be placed any width. Use this extra space for your vanity, or an in home office. It comes in a beautifully rich walnut that adds class and sophistication to any bedroom.
Happy hunting!