Small Space Savvy

Here’s a collection of some small space and space-saving savvy solutions to small space living. Try saying that 5 times quickly!

House Beautiful’s July/August issue is all about “the Magic of Small Spaces!” These 12 strategies are listed “for making the most of any small space:”

1. Choose furniture that multitasks
2. Use fewer but bigger pieces
3. Maximize functionality
4. Go dark or go light
5. Visual continuity = calm
6. Control your clutter
7. Lift up, look up
8. Create zones
9. Manipulate sight lines
10. Create a jewel box
11. Trick your eye into seeing more space
12. Customize every inch

Here are some of the highlights of the ones that caught my eye:

Go monochrome  – uses many elements from the above list. Interior design by Mary Douglas Drysdale. You can see some of her bolder Signature Colors here.

Kelly Giesen creates a tiny monochromatic jewelery box with the use of exotic, yet soft colored textiles and hand-painted wallpaper panels.

Philip Gorrivan bedazzles you with his jewelery box approach & rich shiny textures as well as something to literally look up to. This surprising color combination works like a charm.

His glass mosaics in the kitchen can’t help but remind me or our reusable faux glass mosaic tile wallcovering in nearly the same colors.

Coincidentally, Traditional Home’s issue this month also puts into practice some of these 12 style elements as seen in the following.

Last year’s Hampton Designer Showhouse is profiled in this month’s issue. From the foyer by Lee W. Robinson with her large, bold playful stripes on the horizontal to Libby Langdon’s large scale schooner taking center stage, elements of using fewer but bigger, bolder pieces and patterns are at play. Luckily this year’s event is still going on until September 2nd. Be sure not to miss it! If you’re not in the area and you like patterns, check out more of Libby’s geometric designs here and you don’t have to leave your home.

Also, Melanie Turner uses aged mirrors  and I swear my parent’s high ball glasses in her highly reflective design for the Atlanta Symphony Designer Showhouse, where mirrors and metallics help deflect your eye around the room, creating a larger sense about the space than actually exists. Large scale artwork also helps to play up this Alice in polished-land. trompe l’oeil approach.

— Ashley