Hi everyone. Welcome to another design lesson video! In each video I'm going to
review some key design principles that you should keep in mind when you're
thinking about renovating or decorating your space so if you have a design
dilemma and need some answers feel free to comment in the section below with
your questions or you can tweet me your questions on twitter @DESICHICKEE.
Your dilemma could become one of these design lesson videos right here in the
meantime let's get to today's topic so many of us live in small spaces and
there are so many challenges when space is lacking I always tell my clients that
I can't create space that doesn't exist but I can definitely make use of the
space you do have in a more creative and efficient way so that you're maximizing
every square inch so let's get to it these are my top 10 design tips for
living in a small space the golden rule of living in a small space is that you
really need to be diligent about stuff there just simply isn't enough room for
everything you've been holding on to or would like to hold on to so it's time to
purge it's time to ask yourself the tough questions like do I really need
this or is this item really important to me I try to keep things that I only
really need and or really bring me joy yes Marie Kondo is all that and more
once you've purged it's much easier to organize and being organized means
everything has its own place if you can't find a place for something like
your vacuum cleaner then maybe it's time to mop and Swiffer instead being
adaptable is also key in a small space
one major misconception when you're living in a small space is the need for
small scaled furniture hence the new phenomenon of the apartment sofa instead
of a standard 84 inch sofa apartment sized sofas are between 68 and 72 inches
in length because they're meant for smaller spaces they tend to be shallow
in seat depth and have slimmer arms and profile but there's no reason you need
to outfit your entire small faced with small furniture in fact
choose a few larger scaled pieces like an 84-inch sofa if it fits obviously and
add smaller scaled furniture to complement it like smaller sized side
tables instead mixing up the scale of the furniture is a great way to make
your small space feel like you're not sacrificing comfort for size in an
effort to mix up the scale and size of your furniture consider the visual
weight of your furniture look for pieces that are airy and light so that you can
see more space in and around them hairpin furniture legs do just that you
can find dining tables and dining chairs or even side tables another classic is
acrylic furniture the transparency of the coffee table allows your eye to
continue moving through the space uninterrupted also look for a sofa with
legs versus feet or a skirt for a lighter look in small space living every
little bit of open space is valuable space let's say your living room is
really small perhaps your living room doubles as your
bedroom to having a coffee table sit in the middle of the only real space you
have to move around in is perhaps not the best use of that space instead of
one coffee table in the middle look for small tables that can be easily moved
around with ease I love small cocktail tables like these or better yet invest
in nesting tables where one table becomes many when you need more surfaces
you can split them up and use them anywhere in your home lighting is key
for any interior but it is especially crucial for small space living table
lamps aren't always easy in small spaces because surfaces tend to be more
important for other uses so consider lights that can be attached
to the walls to free up table space place wall sconces strategically so they
can light up tasks as well as the walls I love adjustable lights for that reason
and floor lamps can take up very little space by tucking them into corners or
behind furniture we all need closet space but swinging closet doors tend to
get in the way of much-needed floor space a much more practical solution is
removing the closet doors altogether and using a simple
tension rod with a curtain to close off the closet the space where the door
would normally swing into can be used for other furniture or even larger
scaled furniture like a queen-size bed instead of a double or create a closet
where there is none don't let doors get in your way
color can make a space feel open and bright it can also make a space feel
closed and dark so you decide how you want your space to feel white interiors
always look more open and more spacious than they actually are
so consider light colors for that open airy feeling and be strategic about
color placement maximize natural light coming through your windows by keeping
drapery light as well on the other hand if you want cozy and dark then go all
out and pick a dark color maximize your small space by painting the walls and
ceiling this color go glossy for a little extra magic and you'll be living
in your very own beautiful jewel box the most important double duty furniture
usually comes in the form of storage having furniture that doubles as storage
is a great way to hide stuff while performing some other tasks for instance
beds with drawers underneath are a must a bench in your entryway is the perfect
spot to take your shoes off but can double for storage as well and cubed
Ottomans can play three roles here they are centered in the living room as
coffee tables and then they can be pulled away for additional seating all
the while full of storage inside your floor space might be full but your wall
space is valuable extra real estate look for ways to use your walls efficiently
and creatively open shells are great to display your stuff maximize your work
space by stacking them like this and a pegboard system can really add a cool
factor to your space like this
there's no smoke here mirrors reflect light that's all there is to it
placing a mirror in the right place can make your space feel larger and brighter
instead of artwork above a sofa why not add a series of mirrors to reflect light
coming in from the window it expands the space visually as well and I love a
large floor mirror leaning on the wall to create the illusion of more space
beyond so here's your take away small spaces don't have to be cramped and dark
start by decluttering and organizing making sure everything has its place
mix furniture scale and size taking into account their visual weight as well
consider multiples of smaller pieces instead of singular larger pieces play
with lighting color and mirrors to create the illusion of more space and
finally be creative with storage and how you access that storage and how it can
be a creative element to your home your small space is just waiting for a big
transformation thanks for watching my latest design lesson video if you like
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if you have any design questions let me know in the comments below and it could
be the topic of our next video again thanks for watching and I'll see you
next time