10 awesome ideas for smaller spaces

Posted on June 5th, 2014 by Toms Price Home.

We are happy to kick off a new blog series: Ask Our Designers with Robin Nilson’s awesome solutions for designing smaller spaces.

Q: I just purchased a condo in the city, but the space is limited. Is there anything that can be done with smaller spaces to make them both comfortable and stylish?

A: Congratulations, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new place – even if it is on the smaller size! Here are some ideas that will help you make the most of it.

Emma Chair and a Half

1. When you shop for furniture, be sure to write down your dimensions beforehand and bring them with you when you shop. Designing for smaller spaces is all about maximizing the space you have, but you also want to make sure what you buy will be the right scale.

2. Consider furnishings that have multiple purposes such as the Geary Storage Ottoman, the Grandover Desk, which can also function as a dining table, or the Collin Tete A-Tete Day Bed that can double as both a bed and a sofa. You can find  a variety of beautiful alternatives for smaller spaces at Toms-Price.

3. Screens can serve as room dividers in open floor plans. But so can sofas, sofa tables and paint changes.

Collin Tete-A-Tete Day Bed

4. Pick a paint color you love!  You don’t have to get hung up on “light walls make the space seem larger.” Using a really dark (and hi gloss!) color serves a similar purpose.

Geary Storage Ottoman

5. To give your place a larger feel, consider having all of your furniture in the same color tone. If you choose off-white, for example, pick varying shades. And to bring even more interest, use very different textures.  A great look would be a shaggy rug, a marble top coffee table, a sofa with a flat, clean texture on the sofa, a side chair with high/low striations on the fabric, and pillows with ruffles, leather banding, etc.

Bowen Settee

6. Don’t forget about the view.  If the view is fabulous, let that be your focal point, and see to it that paint color, fabrics, and finishes complement the colors (or shapes) outside, rather than compete with them.

7. Get rid of the clutter (see storage ideas under #2)! If you have too many accessories but just can’t part with some of them, you can rotate them so they all get their day in the sun. Or make the “clutter” useful. For example, a stack of similarly colored books might make a unique side table.

8. Make sure you have at least one spectacular piece in each room or space designated as a room—whether it’s the Bowen Settee, the Emma Chair and a Half, the Turtufo Chandelier, or a piece of artwork or a mirror. Just because your place is small, it doesn’t mean it can’t look fantastic!

Tartufo Chandelier

9. Oversized pieces can also give the feeling of space. Consider using one large piece of art on the wall—perhaps, even a floor-to-ceiling piece, rather than a group of many small pieces.

10. Use a design professional! Two heads are better than one–even if you do have some of your own great ideas. I would be happy to help you create an attractive, inviting space–as would any of my fellow Toms-Price design consultants!

Robin Nilson, Allied ASID, Toms-Price, Old Orchard

Questions which appear on ASK OUR DESIGNERS are answered by members of Toms-Price’s professional design staff. If you have a design question you’d like answered or a have a comment, please email: [email protected]. Be sure to put “ASK OUR DESIGNERS” in the subject line. Because of the volume of mail we receive, we may not be able to answer every question.

Tags: decorating, small spaces

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2014 at 5:49 pm and is filed under design tips, furniture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.