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Wednesday, July 4th, 2018
Thomasville Bedroom Kristiania Daybed
Your big move from a house to a tiny apartment is a great way to have a new start. This change, of course, comes with some adjustments that may feel foreign or even overwhelming. Some might even be downright scary. But this does not have to happen to you. When you finally make this big leap, then you have to know what to expect.
These days, a lot of people have decided to downsize. Just go to the Internet and you will see hundreds of options. The news is that downsizing is just a small part of moving from a house to a smaller housing unit.
Smaller Space
This is probably the most obvious change that you will encounter. The reduced living space is needful for efficiency, meaning, every square footage is used even when the rooms are smaller. Since this is so, you need to rethink the furniture that you bring in. You will have to say goodbye to that oversized sofa and find a sleeker version.
Little Yard
Do you detest mowing the lawn? Busy working people and families with smaller children might view lawn mowing as a chore rather than a treat. A smaller yard means having a smaller landscaping to work on. Most apartment dwellers are contented with a container garden – maybe you would, too.
Limited Storage
It’s time to take a hard look into your cabinets, cupboards, and drawers. What do these storage units contain? This is the perfect time to declutter your life and keep your possessions in check.
Are all the things stored in your cabinets used on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Or have then been used at all in the last few years? It’s time to decide which things you would want to keep and which things need to go.
Here are some things that you might want to check again –
See if you can give away some items that you no longer use and be sure to create a list of the things that you do use every day.
Hooker Furniture Living Room Cheshire Drawer Ottoman is a seating and storage unit in one.
Safety and Security
Living in smaller quarters means you are within an earshot from your neighbors all of the time. It also becomes easier to make friends with your neighboring units so anyone who doesn’t look familiar would be easier to recognize.
Also, rental communities come with security guards or pass cards or even security codes when you need to enter the premises. Ask your landlord about the kind of security that is in place on your premises. Most homeowners are surprised with the added safety measures which they are able to get for zero cost.
TV and Internet
Apartment living may come with TV and Internet subscriptions. Do not immediately consider this as a downside. The advantage to this is that you no longer have to worry about an extra expense for these things that you regularly use anyway.
Be sure to check the internet situation before you decide to move in. Many complex owners are able to get better packages or deals for TV or internet packages.
Love the Daybed
Moving to a tiny apartment might mean using multipurpose furnishings. Instead of putting the bed in the middle of your living room, why not have a daybed which folds to a couch in the morning? Why not add an ottoman with storage when you’re thinking of adding another storage box?
Remember always that you have limited square footage so learn to use furnishings as functional pieces and also as aesthetic stuff. Instead of creating tiny rooms, why not have one room serve as a living room in the day and a bedroom at night?
Tags: living in a small house, living in a small space, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, small houses
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes | Comments Off on Downsizing to Apartment Living
Friday, December 29th, 2017
The Lexington Home Office Windsor Open Bookcase is vertically competent to make your tiny house appear more spacious.
Small spaces are just what they are – they’re small. But with the right creative mind and artistic set of hands, you can make even the smallest space seem larger. Do you want to know how it’s done?
Use Drop-leaf Tables
Visually elongating your small home and making it appear brighter can all begin with the correct furniture choices. There are now many furniture pieces that come with multiple functions. Such pieces include the drop-leaf table.
A drop-leaf table can offer eating space for one or two persons. They can also be expanded to accommodate additional people. When this table is not in use, there are certain models that can be completely tucked away or behind any door or you can just simply lean it against a wall.
If the drop-leaf is not your type of table, then you can also choose from the narrow dining table or the expandable dining table. Either way, you are going to use a multi-function furniture piece.
Find Sofa with Storage
Here we go again with the multi-functional furniture piece. A sofa or couch that offers storage is a double winner, especially when used in a small space. Smart storage is what this is all about. Don’t go for those DIY options if you’re looking for a sturdy option. Instead, find a sofa with a sturdy frame.
A shelf with cubbies and strong frames is the most ideal shelf stay by the side of this dual-purpose sofa.
Invest in a Fold-up Bed
This kind of bed is one that can give you a king-size bed while still giving you ample space when you’re not asleep. You also do not need to lose ceiling height or light as you would with a loft bed. Find a bed that comes with trimming so that it looks more finished.
More See-through Materials
If you have to invest in a new table, then have it come with a ghost setup. For what better way is there to visually open up space than to have no visible furniture there? Your transparent table can also be a multi-purpose furniture piece. This can be a desk, a console table, a dinner table, or that bedside table that disappears into the room.
Narrow is the way to do it with smaller spaces: Flexsteel Living Room Sofa Table
Use More Horizontal Lines
Find ways that you can repeat horizontal lines on your flooring, the ceiling boards, or the siding. These lines will visually make your room feel longer, thus, seemingly more spacious. This is also the best time to say no to owning a rug. Area rugs can visually limit the space on a floor so refrain from having them in your small home.
Go Up, Look Up
If your storage still isn’t enough, you can go on and continue your storage all the way up to the walls. You can have open shelving installed on the walls or have vertically expansive cabinets to go with the rest of your furniture.
And Then There Was Light
When you choose glass French doors, you have literally opened up your home to more light. This is an effective way of opening up your home.
Allowing as much light as possible without having the walls cut into by adding windows is helpful when you are remodeling a small space. Find out how you can have these French doors in your home soon so that you will see more of Mother Nature outside.
Lighting is not all about natural light or installing the right kind of lighting fixtures. Sometimes, it is also about choosing the right color of paint. Lighter walls also visually open up any space. This is also the best setup for accessories with bold colors.
You can also paint the walls with the same color as your furniture. This way, your space will appear bigger. You can then accentuate your space with colorful textiles, plants, and accessories.
Tags: designing a small home, furniture for small home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, small home furniture options, small house design
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on Achieve a Spacious-looking Home Now
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
The Small Sofa 6002–2 is from FFDM’s Protege Collection.
Anyone who lives in a small house will surely agree that the way to be comfortable is to get rid of huge furniture pieces. This is just an option, of course, since you can also declutter and replace the bigger pieces with more efficient pieces.
The Small Living Room
Majority of family bonding moments are spent inside this room. The number of activities that can happen there could also lead to the amount of clutter that could accumulate there. So, it’s time to downsize and declutter.
Begin by buying smaller furniture and trade them off over the huge couches and overstuffed chairs. You can also buy furniture pieces that come with built-in storage space. These versatile pieces can be an ottoman during most hours of the day and an extra storage unit during those times when you need a room for your extra stuff.
Say goodbye to bulky entertainment systems and find a sleeker and more slender console table. Make use of shadow box shelves for that uncluttered look where you can also display your framed family photos, knickknacks and collectibles.
The Small Kitchen
A small kitchen can pose certain difficulties. First, it can be difficult to cook meals there since the space is limited. When this is the case, think vertically in terms of storage. You can vertically hang pots and pants on the walls and even up to the ceiling.
The secret here is to use every available inch of space. Have a pegboard installed so that you won’t make multiple holes onto the walls.
Say goodbye to appliances as well as cookware that are just too bulky. If you don’t even use them that often, then let those pieces go.
Organize the drawers using dividers that will optimize the storage in the kitchen.
The Small Bathroom
Make the most out of your tiny bathroom by cleaning up. Use baskets that hang over the shower head. This can store your shampoo, washcloths, body wash and conditioner. Make the storage units attractive by having a cabinet with open shelves become their room. You can also check out some racks here..
Never overlook those unused nooks such as the back side of your bathroom door or those corners. Install hooks onto the door then hang robes and towels there.
The Small Bedroom
The bedroom is also a wonderful space to place your multipurpose furniture. A great option for families is the trundle bed that pulls out from underneath the bed. These also come in various finishes.
The Small Tiered Table is from FFDM’s Harbor Springs Collection.
Make Organization a Reality
It’s time to switch out your winter clothing for the flimsier fabrics of spring. This is also the time to store those bulky blankets, pillows and comforters. Remove the air from each one of them by keeping them inside sealed vacuum bags.
You can also maximize closet space with a ventilated closet organizer that already includes a shoe rack. Make good use of your drawers; learn to fold blouses and undergarments in such a way that you have a clear view of each.
The Small Sunroom
Light-colored furniture is the way to go when it comes to decorating small sunrooms. The sunroom is an addition to a home so it serves as a porch as well as a second living room of sorts. The sunroom windows can make the room appear larger and open but if this room is just too narrow, then you can buy furniture that blends well to the floor and walls. Don’t go for the bulky types as these have a tendency to compromise what could have been available space.
A narrow sunroom could also appear bigger with the right kind of paint. Paint the ceiling and the walls with a single, light color. Dark accent color can only be used as an optical illusion, if you desire.
Tags: decorating a small home, designing a small home, furniture for small home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, small home furnishings, small home furniture, small living
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on Miniature Living
Tuesday, February 21st, 2017
Palm Island’s Mangrove Small Nightstand is just right for your cute bedroom.
Try taking a drive arrive some new neighborhoods and you are likely to see street after street of gigantic homes. The ironic thing is that these homes are often occupied by small households. What if you want to break away from the assembly line type of housing? What would it take to correctly design a small home?
Some crucial decorating decisions will help make a small home remain functional yet stylish. From the outdoors to indoors, a home can be filled with energy and personality – you just have to know how to achieve both.
Colorful Accents, Here and There
Colorful accents can add life to any neutral surroundings. For instance, a vintage-looking coffee table plus a room-size area rug are the perfect combo to your small living room.
Fundamentalism
White upholstery is the assurance that your living room chairs will always be in style. Be sure to outfit a neutral living room with the most colorful accent pillows, throws, as well as window treatments.
Storage and Display
Be sure to invest in cabinets which double as a display and storage unit. Your amazing collection of books can go to a bottom shelf while photographs and paintings can be added to add some color to any neutral ensemble.
Place a tray on the corner table and this can easily function as a side bar where you can entertain a few guests.
Sophisticated Dining
The dining room – though small – can still appear chic with the right colorful accents. Use metallic accents elsewhere to add an instant glam and to offer an amusing surprise when guests sit all around the table.
Table runners in blue and white can easily spruce up a small dining area. Use white slipcovers on the dining chair duo to create a cozy area of relaxation. If you can’t find a table runner that describes who you are, then have a beach towel or even a throw blanket be the charming alternative.
A basic update such as this can make any small place come alive.
Home Office Nook
Who says you can’t have a home office in a small habitat? Don’t let any extra space – no matter how small – go unused. A nook between two cabinets, for instance, can easily be transformed to a home office. Just place a small desk and a chair and you’re good to go.
Add Kitchen Storage
The usual kitchen cupboards are there to be the appealing yet functional storage units. These organized shelves can become the element that divides the kitchen from the cozy dining area. Adding a small divider turns the kitchen to an airy yet appealing space.
Uttermost Living Room Chahna Small Bench 23605
Everything Is Light
Making a space appear larger means you have to veer away from dark hues. You can have a focal wall in gray but make sure that you use a punch of color to offset the dark color. Then make sure that the rest of the space remains crisp, open and light.
Bathroom Storage
Use narrow shelves to store your bathroom essentials, in doing so, though, you make sure that they are stored in a stylish manner. Invest also in canisters that will hold cotton balls, cotton swabs and your lotions. Keep toiletries under a lovely vanity so that there would be no unsightly items in your small bathroom.
What about those wicker baskets? These can be placed as additional storage on the shelves or hidden inside cabinets.
Well-considered Window Treatments
Making a small living room appear to be more spacious is as easy as using a floor to ceiling window treatment. This may be a simple addition but it will draw the eyes up to the wall, hence, the mind will think that the room is seemingly larger.
Tags: decorating a small home, designing a small home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, small home design, small house
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on When You Have a Cubicle for a Home
Thursday, April 7th, 2016
Hooker Furniture Living Room Lift Top Floral Cocktail Trunk can serve as a center table and a storage unit.
One of the latest interior design activities is the downsizing of homes. This is something huge as people tend to prefer smaller homes where maintenance is less expensive and there isn’t a black hole that is waiting to happen in the basement. But going from large home to a smaller one is not an easy move. So what are you supposed to do once you’ve really decided?
Getting Ready to Downsize
Before you decide what to bring with you or what to throw; and before you even sell any of your excess stuff, you need to find it in you to change your mindset. The downsizing could have been brought about by necessity or whim, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are ready to get down and start the whole process.
Going smaller is doable because there’s less upkeep, cheaper bills, and less pressure to host huge parties in a massive room. You can couple this downsizing project to relocation in an urban center which spells less reliance on your car. This is equal to walking when shopping or visiting restaurants. You can say goodbye to exorbitant gas prices.
Prioritize
Living in a smaller space means you have to let go of things that you no longer need or want. You should be honest with yourself when evaluating the stuff that you will keep. You can always stick with your top priorities (whatever these may be). An example is, having a private outdoor space – consider if this is really necessary for you. Do you also need a lot of light? When these are your necessities, then you have to find ways to meet them.
Lighting can be provided by natural sunlight during the morning. You can just resort to sheer curtains instead of the usual heavy drapes inside huge rooms.
One other way to know your priorities is to create an inspiration file. You can save images of the small yet beautiful spaces that you find inspiring. You can also save some ideas on how to declutter your home.
Should you ever feel discouraged, you can clip some ideas from interior design magazines or books. As soon as you are able to accomplish this list, you will be surprised that you can now easily answer what things you will get rid of.
Just picture this – should a fire happen, what things will you cry over? What stuff would you need an immediate replacement of? These are the things that you need to take with you as you move into a much smaller space.
Another thing that prioritizing can teach you is that you get rid of the obvious clutter first – broken appliances, outdated clothing, useless books, etc.
Orient Express Furniture Living Room Lyon Sofa Chair-Premium 7151-1.PRM is the right seating unit for smaller homes.
A huge house with lots of storage could have meant you keeping stock of duplicate items. In a small home, these duplicates should go. Let go of duplicate glassware or chinaware. How about having 20 steak knives? You won’t be needing that much if you will only be entertaining 5 to 9 guests from now on.
Getting rid of stuff means consulting your relatives about heirlooms. Family treasures can be passed on to other relatives which is an effective way of decluttering. If those relatives are too far away or are non-existent, then see if you can rent a storage unit. It’s either this or you can finally let go by selling these antique or vintage pieces. Craigslist and eBay are fantastic platforms for those who would want to sell some stuff.
Try your best to meet the top three stuff that you need; to do this, you will need to compromise on size, style, price, even the location. Shed more stuff as even the best plans can crack in the end. Avoid last minute hassles by learning to let go (some more) and to find ample storage if you can’t.
Tags: declutter, decluttering, decluttering advice, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, storage, storage advice
Posted in Apartment Living, Condo Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes, Tiny Homes | No Comments »
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