Storage Tips for Small Spaces
When you live in a small space, fitting in everything you need is difficult. So trying to fit everything in and making it look cute is an even bigger challenge. But that's also what makes small space design so much fun. Whether you live in a studio apartment or want to get more out of a tiny room, these small space design ideas will make it feel so much larger.
Most think small spaces need small furniture, but that isn’t always the case. Smaller pieces can actually make the space look off balance and create an awkward feel in a room. Using large rugs where most of the furniture can be placed on the rug is a great way to make a small space feel more open.
Part of the fun of living in a small space is the creativity it requires. Got too many clothes stuffed into your closet? Go hunting for some cute roller racks and start using your clothes as decor! Make your rolling bar cart do double duty as a nightstand when you’re not entertaining. Build cubbies into the underside of your bed to hold shoes or books. Or, get a modern day Murphy bed that tucks away when not in use. Brilliant. And Be Selective! You don't have to display everything. After all, nothing makes a room feel smaller than clutter.
1. There are many storage solutions that can have multiple functions, such as the bed below from Design Within Reach, called the Nest Storage Bed. It not only functions as a bed frame, but it also is a great place for hidden storage. This way your space won’t look messy or cluttered, and only you will know what’s hiding under your bed.
2. Perhaps you love your bed, and don’t want to replace it? No problem! Consider using under bed storage solutions that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing such as these modern weave under bed storage baskets from West Elm.
3. There are even multi-functional furniture options such as this urban sleeper sectional sofa from West Elm which, as you might have guessed, converts from a sofa into a bed, saving you tons of space by having a bed that can fold into another piece of furniture, but it gets even better- the chaise that creates the sectional L shape, also has storage built-in, perfect for bedding!
4. Ottomans are also a great versatile piece of furniture- they can be used to sit on, put your feet up on, and this upholstered base storage ottoman from West Elm can even convert to a coffee table!
5. Coffee Tables are often one of the most underutilized pieces of furniture in a home as they are usually thought of as functional, however few are utilitarian like this Industrial Storage Pop-up Coffee Table from West Elm. Its converts from a coffee table into a dining table for two, AND it has storage! Now you’ll never lose that pesky remote again!
HEALTHY HOME TIP:
As part of my “Healthy Home” series, I wanted to address the furniture that you put in your home. Whether you are looking to remodel, new build, down size, up size, or just re-vamp your existing home, furniture can play a large part in the design and health of your home.
Often times furniture can contain formaldehydes or brominated fire retardants. Which, while the intention of using these chemicals is designed to preserve the furniture, they can also produce a toxic off-gas which can be hazardous to your health. In addition to this, wood finishes are often covered in veneers or other finishes that have toxic off-gasing. While someone with good health might not see any affect, someone who is unhealthy or more prone to becoming sick (due to illness, allergies, or older age, etc.) might see some affects on their everyday lives. For example; a lower immune system, coughing, sneezing, allergies, etc. This issue is exhausted even more when we add double pane windows (designed to combat noise) to our homes, which essentially seals in these toxic chemicals into our rooms where we sleep at night.
There isn’t a solution to every problem, but one small step towards a solution is to select materials for your furniture that are natural, which are far less likely to cause any irritations.
How to Organize & Declutter Your Home
Now that the holidays over, it’s time to focus on a new year and new beginnings, and what better way to start off the new year than with a clean slate- literally!
Check out my e-book HERE on Amazon for only 99 cents!
Here is what you will learn from this book:
How to Start
How to Make a Schedule
How to create a check-list
How, What and where to store important information
Ideas on how to start organizing and keep organized
How to clean up
How to create a command center (and even involve your kids- if you have any)
How to Decorate Your Home for the Holidays
Since the holiday are fast approaching us- check out my e-book How to Decorate Your Home for the Holidays” available for purchase on Amazon for only 99 cents! Here are a few key tips straight from my book to help jump start your holidays this season:
How to Decorate your Home for the Holidays
Decorating can be the most overwhelming part of design because there are so many options, and so many ways to go wrong. What you need to decide is what style do you really want? Sometimes even deciding what your style is can be the hardest part. Don’t worry, I am here to help guide you, no matter what holiday you celebrate.
Pick a Color Scheme
To start decorating your space for the holidays I suggest you pick a color scheme.
Below are a few of my favorite color schemes:
● Red and/or Green
● All Neutrals
● Blue and White
Here is a bonus tip:
Smells like Christmas!
Scents are one of the strongest memories we have, so if you want your Christmas memory to be a good one, I highly recommend buying a few candles (something mellow like vanilla, or something seasonal like “Christmas Wreath”), room spray, or even making your own room scent (boil water, cinnamon sticks, vanilla sticks, and sliced oranges) so your home smells like Christmas. Baking cookies also gives the aroma of the holiday cheer which will fill your home. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, having a home that smells nice is always a good idea!
Here is one happy readers review:
Why quality furniture takes (so long!) 8+ weeks!
This might surprise you, but often quality furniture can take 8 weeks or more to create and deliver. Some pieces can even take as much as 6 months! Shocking- I know, but let me explain. The main difference is in the quality of each element that goes into the manufacturing of all pieces used to make each furniture.
For instance the construction of a sofa seat consists of many parts, but one of the main elements in a quality seat made with tempered springs, on an eight way tie, with both foam and down as the seat cushion. This eight way tieing is done by hand, which can take some time to accomplish. There are some lower quality furniture Manufacturers who will do a 5 way tie- this is not as high of a quality furniture pieces as the eight way, though it will take a little less time.
If you are looking for a quality leather sofa, be sure you are looking at top grain leather. Genuine leather is a misleading label and often is the lowest quality of leather. Top grain leather is often dyed and usually by hand, so this also takes some time.
The frame of a quality furniture piece will be made with kiln dried wood. Why? Because if you build a piece of furniture that has been made with almost any other treated wood, it will most likely bow and change shape over time as moisture escapes the wood over time. when wood is kiln dried it is highly unlikely it will warp or change shape since all the moisture has been removed from the wood. This process can take several days or even weeks depending on the type of wood.
Drawers and corners of furniture that are made with a detail called dovetailing are only found in quality pieces of furniture. Often lower quality manufacturers will simply nail and glue the corners of their furniture together because it takes less time and costs them less to manufacturer. The only problem is, the furniture pieces don’t last as long.
There are several other elements that make a quality piece of furniture, but these are some of the easiest elements to be able to see when you are shopping for furniture. That being said, be aware that all of these quality elements are usually hand made, and take time. Because these elements take time and skilled personnel to make them, they will take a longer period of time to make.
Designer Tip: Don’t be mislead by labels! Simply because it has a higher price tag doesn’t mean the furniture is a quality piece. For instance Restoration Hardware, though is very good at advertising and has some amazing photographers, be aware that not all of their furniture is made with these quality manufacturing elements. that’s not to say that all of their furniture is crap either, but just keep an eye out for details like the ones I listed above to determine what is worth your time and money, and which is not.
Avoid Common Furniture Mistakes
Here is a list of common mistakes I see clients (before they hire me) make:
- window drapes are too short
- window drapes are mounted too low on the wall
- too short or too tall nightstands
- too short lamps
- Artwork is mounted too high on the wall
- artwork is too small or too large
- too many accessories
- under utilization of storage options
- ceiling lighting is too small
- too trendy
the list goes on, but these are some of the most common mistakes I see clients making. If you would like to better understand how to avoid these mistakes, check out my e-book "Everything You Need to Know About Interior Design" on Amazon and you will get every little "secret" I have on making your home mistake-free! Click HERE for my e-book.
What types of Artwork should you put in your Home
There are many different types of artwork available for purchase from many different vendors including the following:
- Painting: Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor
- Photography
- Drawings: Pencil, Charcoal, Colored Pencils
- Print: Block Printing, Screen Printing,
- Sculpture: Metal, Wood, Paper, - pretty much anything.
Be sure to check out my previous blog posts:
My favorite places to shop for artwork!
How to Organize and De-clutter your Home Part 3
How to De-clutter Your Home:
The best way that I have found is to clear a space- possibly in another room, on the floor and dump out all the pieces (maybe it’s just a few drawers? Maybe it’s the whole kitchen?).
Here is a starter list of things to get rid of:
Old or unread books and magazines
Expired Coupons
Outgrown Clothes
Expired Food
Mismatched or holey socks
Mismatched Storage Containers (having all the same type of storage containers makes it easier to stack on top of one another, creating more space)
Duplicate kitchen items
Expired Cleaning Supplies
Worn Towels
Worn Sheets
Broken Toys
Tools missing parts
Broken Jewelry
Old Mail
Expired Toiletries/Cosmetics
Unused Toiletries
Unused Toys/Sporting Equipment
Want to learn more? Get my e-book available on Amazon:
Part 2 Of The Guide To Organizing And De-cluttering Your Home
How to De-clutter Your Home
When you start to de-clutter a room, it can be very overwhelming. Don’t worry, we are going to take the and divide it into small sections. Start with one end of the room (Doesn’t matter where- Personally, I go left to right around the room from the entrance door, starting with the bottom section, then the middle section, and lastly the top section - I don’t know why, it’s just what I find easiest). Use the checklists in this step to decide what will stay and what will go.
Tip: Divide and Conquer: Shelf dividers will instantly begin to add order by providing “zones” for each set of items. You can improvise with these solutions as well. For instance I use desk organizers in my kitchen cabinets to help separate dishes. I also use over the door closet shoe organizers to hold cleaning supplies. Search Pinterest to find the solution that would best work for your situation.
There are thousands of solutions to help you organize your home, it’s just a matter of personal preference and if these systems will fit in your space.
To learn more, check out my e-book, available on Amazon:
My Favorite White Paint
Here is another little change I am making to my blog- every Friday I will share with you some of my favorite products!
