Small and cosy
SMALL is getting bigger for sure. The average American singlefamily house is 10% smaller today than eight years ago, according to the US National Association of Home Builders.
But there’s a growing percentage who live large in much smaller quarters – less than 100sq m, considered the benchmark for “small” by many, and closer to 18.5sq m to 38sq m to qualify as “tiny” or “micro”.
Design experts are busy bringing out an arsenal of strategies to make small-scaled life comfortable, even liberating. Many homeowners know about using dual-functioning furniture, enlarging windows, expanding space through white palettes, and having fewer possessions. But in doing so, many worry about giving up style. There’s no correlation.
“Less really can be more if you have around you what you love, and what works for you at whatever time of life you’re at,” says Sara Emslie, the author of Beautifully Small: Clever Ideas For Compact Spaces.
Here are some of Emslie’s tips on how to live stylishly on a small scale, which, she says, works well for small spaces in larger homes.
Play up architectural features Start by taking advantage of the framework – walls, ceiling, floor, and especially a building’s history, which can add interest and character. A partial wall or ceiling beams can minimally and visually divide a multiuse space rather than chop it into tiny rooms.
Changes can be made for better flow when there’s so little space to navigate, such as relocating a central staircase in a two-storey space. Always look at the space vertically, too, especially if it has high ceilings or unused roof space. You might build in a mezzanine or loft level for work or sleep.
Rethink traditional living
You don’t have to have every space a traditional home does – for example, a designated dining room or area, if parties aren’t your thing and you’re content eating at a breakfast bar, for instance.
Or if you’re not into cooking, devote less space to a working kitchen. Dual purpose rooms and areas also work well, such as a room with a bench for seating with storage underneath.
Go beyond white
White may be the go-to colour to expand space, and there certainly are many white spaces in Emslie’s book. But it’s not the only effective choice. Greys are enjoying the limelight as a neutral that works as well.
Emslie suggests painting floors darker than walls if rooms have compromised ceiling heights. For rooms with lots of natural sunlight, she says, go with brighter hues; for rooms that are very dark, she recommends going dark – not to expand space, but make it feel intimate and cosy.
Texture can also add colour by offering a layered effect with tactile touches in velvet, chenille or leather. Favour one style
Any style can work, and even clutter can be attractive if done with some restraint and organisation. Emslie’s one caveat is, don’t make the final result so busy that the brain feels overloaded.
How many is too many? It’s a subliminal feeling, she says, which requires practise. She also prefers objects grouped in an odd number, perhaps three, five, or seven. “Nine may be too many in a small space, but it depends on the objects grouped.”
Scale right
Small room proponents have all sorts of theories about small versus large furnishings; so does Emslie, who says it depends on the amount of other stuff in a room.
A large sofa can work in a small living room if it’s not filled with too many other furnishings and possessions; same goes for a big bed in a small bedroom, or you can go with a smaller bed with a high headboard. Vintage furnishings were typically scaled smaller than modern pieces, so consider those, too. Again, hone the eye for what looks right.
Bring in the outdoors
Views draw the eye out and expand interior space. Or bring in the outdoors through your choice of artworks; perhaps an image of a seascape by a window. And if you have windowsills for planters or window boxes then make the most of this – anything that links the inside with the outside will allow the eye to be drawn out and create a feeling of life beyond the room and the space outside. – Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service