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Monday, April 2nd, 2018
The Wesley Allen Bedroom Daybed 4320 is a great solution for small spaces.
Okay, so you know that you can’t own one of those stuffy furniture pieces since you live in a small space and you also know that there are ways to design your tiny home, so what now?
Living in a tiny space such as a studio apartment has its downside, sure, but having a fresh perspective can also make a huge difference. This tiny spot which is now a mere small structure can become your home if you do things a certain way.
So, yes, there are rules to design this small habitat and here are some of the major ones –
Enclose the Bed
You should do everything in your power to keep the bed separate from the rest of the furnishings. Since you do not have a bedroom, then the best way to do this is to find a closet that the bed can fold into during the morning. If not, then have some curtains set up so there is, at least, a semblance of privacy for that spot.
Raise the Bed
Even the smallest beds can still take up a huge amount of space. You can easily double the square footage by just raising your bed. Add a riser so you can have under-bed storage space.
Hang Stuff
If there isn’t enough floor space, then look up. Now you have lots of space! Never let those ceiling and walls go to waste. Install pegs or hooks onto those walls for additional storage or display spaces. As for your kitchen space, use the ceiling to hang pot racks.
Use Aptly-Sized Furniture
Going back to that big furniture, it is not necessarily true that small apartments cannot be the home chunky furniture. See, having many small pieces sprinkled throughout the small space could make your apartment look cluttered. To avoid this, just add a few smart, bigger furniture pieces so your place can feel airier.
Make good use of glass furniture. Not only do they seemingly widen the space because of their clear surfaces but they can also help bounce light around the room.
Enough of Drama
Small and dark homes do tend to look dramatic but they could also look gloomy. Add more light to make your place appear more spacious. Lighting has the power to make spaces look bigger. Add to this luminance by cleaning your windows, too, and taking away any of the stuff that can obscure the natural light.
As for your wall colors, your options should be within the light color spectrum. Avoid dark, patterned, and textured pieces because these can just add to the visual bulk.
Use Mirrors
A leaning mirror on a wall could reflect a lot of natural light. You can add bouncing lights around the small space by also hanging some more mirrors. Just like glass furniture, mirrors are a great tool for brightening up space.
Use Dividers
But use these with caution. Too many dividers could also chop up the room instead of making it look visually divided. The wrong divider setup could also make the place claustrophobic.
The key here is to use dividers that are just high enough so that light could still go through.
Double It Up
Seek out furniture pieces with double purposes just like the Jessica Charles Living Room Dare Storage Ottoman. This seat doubles as a storage space standing at 21 inches and 48 inches wide. Just think of the many stuff that you can place inside this 24-inch deep storage unit.
As for the chairs, you can go for the stackable types which can double as living room and dining room seats. A daybed is also another piece that you can use.
Jessica Charles Living Room Dare Storage Ottoman 81-SO
Tags: designing a small apartment, designing a tiny home, interior design for tiny homes, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small apartment design, tiny home
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on What To Do With A One-Room Apartment
Tuesday, March 20th, 2018
Sleek is the way to go: Orient Express Furniture Dining Room Uptown Dining Chair (Set of 2).
Small apartments, without a doubt, are one of the trickiest spaces to design. First of all, you have to deal with limited space and you also have to consider choosing which pieces to include in the design or not. A lot of homeowners have already made the mistake of designing their small apartments without rules and they end up crying over the disaster that strikes after.
Admit it, a smaller space has more requirements since you have limited real estate to beautify. Function and comfort are also two elements that you should not forget about.
Here are some mistakes that others before you have done. It’s time to learn from them –
As Flexible As Your Furniture
Most homeowners and even a few designers would say that huge furniture has no space in a small apartment. The mistake here, though, is that you are locked into thinking that you should only shop for smaller furniture pieces.
Having a successfully designed small space means you have to have furniture that is flexible. Learn to arrange furniture in the best possible way. You might consider investing in multiple pieces when you can actually just have one huge piece with more than one function.
Take for instance a daybed. This can serve as a sofa during the day and a bed at night. Nesting tables such as the Hooker Furniture Living Room Nesting Tables are also a good investment since the extra table can be pulled out the moment more guests arrive.
Hooker Furniture Living Room Nesting Tables
Correct furniture arrangement for a small apartment also means moving pieces out of the way before the guests arrive. You would want to keep furniture pieces that are mobile, simple, and versatile.
While it does make sense that you buy smaller furniture in a small apartment, the truth is, this isn’t a hundred-percent applicable at all times. Buying smaller pieces does not automatically make the apartment look bigger, in fact, if the proportions don’t make sense, then the apartment could end up looking smaller than it actually is. This is what’s known as the dollhouse effect.
Making Do with Limited Storage
Another huge mistake that many homeowners have made is to make do with the storage that they have in their small apartment. The smarter move is to figure out what you need to store. These are the things that you use daily or regularly.
Oprah Winfrey once said that if you’re no longer using something for six months or over, then, chances are, you won’t use that anymore.
Add storage if you have to but learn also to let go of stuff that only becomes clutter.
Not Following the 2/3 Rule
Whether you like it or not, you have to buy the proper size of furniture. Again, this is dependent on correct measurements. You don’t just eyeball a piece prior to purchasing it, you have to have the numbers to follow.
Not Trusting Your Gut Feel
As soon as you have made all the measurements and have purchased the furniture pieces, the next step is to plan how you can use each one in your home. While many design experts are more than willing to impart their know-how regarding this, your perception will always be the best tool that you can rely on. This is no less than your sixth sense so trust it when you are arranging the pieces that you have bought.
Always pay close attention to how you feel the moment you place the pieces in the living room, the bedroom or any room in your home. If it does not feel right, then more often than not, there is something wrong with the design that you just concocted.
Tags: designing a small apartment, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, styling an apartment
Posted in Apartment Living, Condo Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on Big Mistakes, Small Apartment
Friday, July 22nd, 2016
The Fine Furniture Design Living Room Settee 0811-02 is great for small homes because it is compact yet it is visually enticing nonetheless.
Have you taken the time to notice, lately, that most neighborhoods are showing bigger and bigger houses? See also how a nice row of like-looking houses is still an ongoing trend? More often than not, though, these homes are owned by small families. This spells less interaction among family members. The building of these giant structures are breaking down what should have been a close relationship among family members.
Going Non-Palatial
The recession made a lot of people realize that homes can be built a little smaller. They are a lot easier to maintain (and even pay for). And with the living costs rising each year, it becomes more and more reasonable to live affordably. This can be done by starting with the structure of your home.
It may not be that appealing to live in a smaller home if the basis is the series of United States Census where the average American home size is at 2,400 square feet in 2010. Large homes may be dominant but there are benefits that these colossal structures won’t be able to give.
Here are some of the major benefits of living in smaller spaces –
Energy Eficiency
Smaller homes are known to be more energy efficient. There is less space to cool or heat which also means that a smaller home as a lower carbon footprint.
Having fewer rooms also means that you won’t have a pricier maintenance expense. This also means less time spent on cleaning a lot of rooms. The time that you used to spend cleaning your home can now be spent on quality activities with your family. You can now spend more time outdoors, doing the things that you all love.
Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Joli Nesting Ottomans: Find pieces that have dual functions.
Coziness
Gigantic rooms are often not cozy. Only smaller rooms can evoke this kind of feeling, and can even add a sense of intimacy which all larger homes lack.
Less Expense
Smaller homes are also less expensive to keep. These are designed to stay cool using cross-ventilation and shade. You can also enjoy the summer months by staying on the porch, keeping the windows open and using only fans. You will spend less with electricity when you use natural light and enjoy the natural breeze.
Compact homes are also well-built. They are less exposed to the natural elements. Just make sure that the construction materials used are sturdy.
An Improved Social Life
Being in a neighborhood with smaller homes means the structures are built closer to each other. Most gigantic homes are built with a large front and back lawns, plus more square feet of extra space. Add to that the fence, bushes and trees that cover these giant homes and socialization becomes virtually impossible.
City or city-like living means you have less space to sleep and walk around in but the great outdoors will serve as your grander home. With small space living, you have to learn to schedule your activities as a family outside of your home. If you live alone, then walk to and from work; enjoy biking rather than running in an elliptical trainer; or have dinner with someone at a fancy restaurant somewhere.
Front porches in neighboring small homes also have a welcoming feel to them. It’s like begging for you to pay your neighbor a visit. Big and grand areas are never within walking distance so if you want a lot of socialization, then it’s time to live in a smaller home.
Small Space Challenges
It would be wrong to think that small space living is sublime all the time. Smaller kitchen means less space for you to move around as you cook your food. It may also be awkward to live in a limited amount of space at first but you’d surely get used to it. Later on, you’ll realize that there are more benefits to living in smaller space than to keep a humongous place.
Tags: decorating a small home, decorating a small space, designing a small apartment, designing small homes, designing small space, energy efficient living, energy-efficiency, energy-efficient home, furnishing small apartments, furniture for small apartments, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small apartment furniture
Posted in Apartment Living, Condo Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes | No Comments »
Friday, June 24th, 2016
1586-90014-BLK1 Belle Semainier Chest is petite and vertically superb for any small apartment.
Small apartments may have their upside but they also come with some furnishing concerns. Sure, you love paying the lower rent and being close to your work, add the coziness and all, and what you get is a warm, easy-to-decorate place. But is it really that easy to furnish a tiny apartment?
One of the greatest misconceptions about decorating smaller apartments is that functionality should always come before design. While function is important, it is also just as crucial to create a design that describes who you are. An apartment might have limited space but this does not mean that you have to be short on style, too. You have to find the right balance between style and function or you won’t be comfortable in your apartment, eventually.
You Can Still Define Separate Areas
One advice that homeowners often get when it comes to style is to use an open space layout. This lack of definition on space could look cluttered if not given much attention.
As much as you can, try to define separate areas by giving each area a purpose. For instance, you can place a coat and shoe racks right by the entryway. Place the buffet between the kitchen and dining areas so serving and storage become easier. Back the sofa up to the foot of the bed so the beholder’s eyes are drawn to the living area.
If you have a hobby, go ahead and experiment in separating the area where you would display your collections and other living areas. Don’t be afraid to show who you are. If your hobby is biking, then install an indoor rack that will make your bike look like it’s been intentionally made into a décor. Plants may also be used to signify changes in space use.
Make Use of Dual-Purpose Furniture
Every inch counts when it comes to dealing with small space. Invest in smaller furniture that, preferably, can double into something else. Focus your energies on buying furniture pieces that work with your chosen theme.
Bedrooms are often the perfect rooms for dual-purpose furniture. It is best to buy furniture that has a dual purpose than to work the space around the furniture that you purchase.
Consider having a trundle bed that folds into a sofa when you want to watch the television. A hollow ottoman can also double as a storage case, or a dining table with built-in leaf to make guest entertainment a lot easier.
Whatever kind of dual-purpose piece you buy, just make sure that you buy the sizes that are appropriate to your available space. Overstuffed pieces will only make your space look a lot smaller than it already is. Now don’t worry too much about searching for sofas, there are many designs that will fit your micro-living space.
Assess Unused Spaces
Living in a small space means you also have to rethink unused areas now and then. If there are extra pots that lay around or candles that have not been used for so long, then what’s the point in keeping them around?
Now look around your apartment and find out if you have any dead spaces that serve very little to zero purpose. Find blank walls and unused corners then discover how you can make these spaces more useful. Use them to your advantage, create storage where there was none before.
Extend Vertically
Planning the best way to use space means you have to know how to use vertical storage. Narrow, tall storage systems work best in smaller spaces so shop for those kinds. An entertainment center that is narrower yet reaches from floor to ceiling is your perfect divider between the living and sleeping areas.
Decorating tiny apartments doesn’t need to be taxing. All you need is a little creativity and a tad of patience and you should be fine.
Flexsteel Living Room Love Seat 1139-20 is the right solution for small apartment seating needs.
Tags: decorating a small home, decorating a small space, designing a small apartment, designing an apartment, furnishing small apartments, furniture for small apartments, interior design for small spaces, living in a small space, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small apartment design, small apartment furniture, small space, small space organization, small space solutions, studio apartment living, styling an apartment
Posted in Apartment Living, Furniture, Interior Design 101, Tiny Homes | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 5th, 2016
Huntington House Living Room Loveseat 2053-40 is the best seating unit for smaller spaces.
One of the in things to do these days, the hottest bandwagon so to speak, is to live in an energy-efficient home. Founders of companies, couples, women, even college kids are now purchasing building plans for their new green homes. Some of these homes can be as small as 120 square feet (or even less).
There are challenges in living in a small space – this is certain. But there can also be benefits should you know what to do with the tiny space that you have.
Advantages of Small Home Living
The U.S. Census reported in 2010 that the average size of homes is about 2,400 square feet. Despite this large home dominance, many homeowners still recognize the advantages of living in a small place.
One of these advantages is energy efficiency. With a smaller place to cool or heat, this spells lower carbon footprint.
Flexsteel Home Office Bookcase W1201-701: Small space living means looking for effective ways to store stuff in your home.
Another advantage is not having to clean a large space. Fewer rooms means less maintenance or cleaning time. This can be a perk to your family since it would mean more time spent outdoors, doing all the stuff that the family loves.
A smaller home also means you have a cozier and more intimate space. These are the very things that bigger homes lack.
Smaller homes are also less expensive and less pricey to live in. You get smaller utility bills with your smaller place – that is also guaranteed. Small homes can spend as little as $180 in energy as compared to hundreds and thousands that large home dwellers need to pay for.
Flexsteel Home Office Bookcase W1201-701: Small space living means looking for effective ways to store stuff in your home.
Freedom in a Small Space
So how can you achieve freedom in a much smaller space?
Begin developing your cute green home at the main room. This can be a living room and an office space in one. You can install a tiny fireplace, two comfortable chairs, a desk, and some hidden storage.
You can then go to the sleeping space which can be just a tiny nook right upstairs. Your cute home must have good insulation to keep you and your family warm during the wintry months and cool during the summer season.
The front door can open to two rooms at the same time. This can be the dining area and your kitchen space. Install a sink, portable electric range, small refrigerator, and a prep surface for your kitchen/dining area. The dishes and other kitchen tools can be stored in smaller cabinets or shelves.
Accept also the fact that you will have a smaller bathroom. Install a small yet full bath containing the toilet, sink, shower and tub within 10 square feet. Water can be gathered from neighboring spigot. You could cook up something more elaborate but you will have to deal with local building codes if you do so.
Smaller homes are not just energy efficient, they are also sturdier. This means that you won’t have to worry as much when a quake suddenly ensues. This is because shorter distances spell a more expedient escape. Remember that the smaller the surface area, the smaller chances that the house would topple because of an earthquake.
Smaller homes have also been proven to be safer from fires.
The secret to achieving freedom in the midst of coziness is to use every inch efficiently. You may feel uneasy during the first few months. You could even spend time figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
Everything is also depending upon your perspective, the beauty of your home being the topmost priority. Whatever makes sense for you and your family’s needs is what should be built, invested upon or installed.
This tiny yet liveable green home is yours to own – be sure you’re ready to embrace simple living.
Tags: designing a small apartment, designing a small space, energy-efficiency, energy-efficient home, green home, green living, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, sustainable design, sustainable home, sustainable home design, sustainable interior design, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable materials
Posted in Green Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes, Tiny Homes | No Comments »
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