SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

Originally I’d been playing around with something like ‘the best things come in small packages’ for the main cover line of this issue. But true to the subject’s form, I just couldn’t make it fit! Smaller spaces – be they rooms or corners, as on our cover image – always come with limitations, and often take a lot more thought to get right. When everything slots together, and is configured in a way that finally makes sense, that’s when the magic happens – like in super-stylist Colin King’s NYC apartment on page 44 (and on our cover). It’s home to so many of his treasured objets and is fully functional as a space to live, work and even entertain. He’s managed to include all this while still keeping the decor airy, even minimalist. A design feat we can all take ideas from, even for those blessed with endless square footage. Similarly, British designer Pandora Taylor’s project on page 54 is a masterclass in getting everything to fit. Her addition of the rust-coloured bar stools to punctuate and zone an open-plan area is genius.

Elsewhere, the partitioned kitchens on page 150, the moodenriching bedroom lighting on page 114 and the way to borrow from the tenets of open-plan for all areas of the home on page 164 are bringing me some much-needed joy. I’ve hit a bit of a stumbling block in my own renovation, which has all but slowed to a halt. We are meant to be soaking in our new tub in our new bathroom by the time you read this, but neither my husband or I can quite stomach the thought of getting the builders back in. Instead, I’m focusing on smaller things even I don’t need tradespeople to do – hanging pictures, painting door frames, organising. Little things can make a big difference, and ideas for little spaces can – as this issue proves – be great.