compact living

Behind the Photo Shoot!

I love this post from one of my favorite bloggers, Julia from Hooked on Houses. She is my design kindred spirit. I have to reblog her latest posting on home that was featured in Better Homes and Gardens. Magazine readers haven’t clue how long and what it takes to do a photo shoot. I shoot can take hours to set up, but before the shoot you have to shop for accessories, furniture and fresh flowers. I love photo shoots but they are time consuming, but very fun.

You can find the article at:

http://www.hookedonhouses.net/2014/08/25/styling-a-colorful-ranch-for-better-homes-gardens

I hope this link works, I am technologically challenged at times.

 

Thinking Small

The August edition of House Beautiful arrived a while ago, I am behind on my reading. The cover story is about living in small spaces. Obviously I am not the only one thinking about living in reduced square footages. The articles prove you don’t have to give up style and function .

Customize - Bespoke built-ins, storage nooks, and furniture tailored to your exact needs can utilize every available sliver of space. Design by Brockschmidt & Coleman

Customize – Bespoke built-ins, storage nooks, and furniture tailored to your exact needs can utilize every available sliver of space.
Design by Brockschmidt & Coleman

Use bigger - fewer things. It may seem counterintuitive, but outfitting a small space with just a few large-scale pieces (rather than a mishmash of pint-size furniture) can actually make it feel grander. That said, don't be afraid of filling up the space. When a room is populated with furniture, it actually appears larger. Designed by Mona Hajj

Use bigger – fewer things.
It may seem counterintuitive, but outfitting a small space with just a few large-scale pieces (rather than a mishmash of pint-size furniture) can actually make it feel grander. That said, don’t be afraid of filling up the space. When a room is populated with furniture, it actually appears larger.
Designed by Mona Hajj

 

Choose furnishings and decorative elements that offer maximum functionality in minimal square footage. "Use two small round tables instead of one big coffee table," designer Ken Fulk says. "They're better for traffic flow than one of those huge knee knockers, and easier to move." Designed by Ken Fulk

Choose furnishings and decorative elements that offer maximum functionality in minimal square footage. “Use two small round tables instead of one big coffee table,” designer Ken Fulk says. “They’re better for traffic flow than one of those huge knee knockers, and easier to move.”
Designed by Ken Fulk

 

Think Vertically - Exploit the often under-utilized space between the tops of furniture and a room's ceiling with hanging or high-mounted elements. They'll draw the eye upward. Take bookcases and cabinets all the way up. Designed by Summer Thorton

Think Vertically – Exploit the often under-utilized space between the tops of furniture and a room’s ceiling with hanging or high-mounted elements. They’ll draw the eye upward. Take bookcases and cabinets all the way up.
Designed by Summer Thorton

 

 

The articles demonstrate how to live large in small spaces. Some where apartments and others where diminutive homes. I am posting some great ideas from House Beautiful’s website.

Itty Bitty in the City or Country

 

Example 2 - 1014 square foot home by Mr. Rowan

Example 2 – 1014 square foot home by Mr. Rowan

Example 2 - My redesign. I added a small vestibule with storage, created an open living, dining and kitchen wing, a study/bedroom with built in cabinets. I love builts in small spaces because it keeps the space visually organized. I expanded the deck to incorporate more living space.

Example 2 – My redesign. I added a small vestibule with storage, created an open living, dining and kitchen wing, a study/bedroom with built in cabinets. I love builts in small spaces because it keeps the space visually organized. I expanded the deck to incorporate more living space.

this is a 912 square foot cottage. The living area is open, however the furniture plan is terrible. tons of open space in the middle of the room. Furniture doesn't have to cling to the walls.

My re-design of example 1. The entry features a table for mail, keys etc. The living room can actually be used for entertaining or relaxing. Galley kitchen with long work island. Two bedrooms with buill

My re-design of example 1. The entry features a table for mail, keys etc. The living room can actually be used for entertaining or relaxing. Galley kitchen with long work island. Two bedrooms with built-in dee

I recently checked out Compact Living by Gerald Rowan. The book feature home designs 1400 square feet and under.  As interior designer I think you can live well in any size space. It takes planning and creativity to make a small space work. Storage, privacy and feeling cramped are issues or perceived issues in living in a small space.

Once I started reading the book I noticed how many design opportunities were missed in Mr. Rowan’s plans. Now I am going to plug the benefits of being an interior designer and NOT an architect.  Architects are not trained to think about the interiors and how they function which is a very important factor in homes and work spaces. People live and work in the interior space. I am amazed at how little planning goes into planning the interior.  I could go on for a while on the benefits of working with an interior designer, but I will save that for another posts. Annoyed with the designs found in the book Compact Living  I took it upon myself to redesign the interior space with in the same foot print.  I just hand sketched a few ideas.   The plans in the book are awkward, wrong proportions on furniture and rooms sizes. Clearly these plans were designed by someone not trained in interior spaces. I am thrilled that Mr. Rowan is championing smaller living spaces, however I think