My Style

“How to Live in Small Spaces” (Firefly Books, 224 pages, $29.95)  has just been released. 

Sir Terence Conran, is one of the world’s leading designers, furniture-makers and retailers and in this wonderful book he shares detailed, practical information on how to get the most out of every inch of small space living.

The book is packed with tips on how small scale can still contain big style. His strategies include built-in storage, conversions of attics and basements, using under-stair areas, halls and landings, use of multifunctional furniture, small-scale appliances and much more.

There are also case studies from Paris, London, Tokyo, California and New York that shows you how to put the theory into practice.

Here are a few tips from the books to whet your appetite.

1. Keep the floor as clear as possible. This is one of the most important ways of maintaining a sense of spaciousness. While this obviously requires proper storage systems so that books and belongings are not sitting in heaps all over the place, it also means erring on the side of under-, rather than over-furnishing. Freestanding pieces of furniture devour floor space and may do so without providing sufficient practical benefits.

2. Do your homework before buying furniture. If you are intending to buy a large piece, particularly a sofa or a bed, make sure you make and consult scale drawings to ensure the item will fit in the allotted space, and equally important, fit through the door. If in doubt, take your drawings to the store and ask for advice.

3. Think about what you really need. One or two comfortable sofas may represent a better use of space than cluttering up the living room with armchairs, occasional chairs and side tables. Floor cushions and ottomans make good additional seating, he adds.

4. Opt for built-in storage as much as possible. Freestanding storage furniture is bulky, visually intrusive and creates dead space around it.

5. Less is more but smaller is not always the answer, he says. While some sofa designs are simply too big for a given space and appear too dominant as a consequence, small-scale pieces may not provide the comfort you require and can give your home the look of a doll’s house.

Recently I heard about a woman who brought a 187 square foot condo and wanted to decorate it in grand style.  While not everyone would share this homeowner’s tolerance for small spaces, smaller living can improve your financial health, disabuse you of the need to acquire things, and put you in the heart of a city. Living with less means using less and that’s an environmentally-sustainable way of living.

1.  Floored.  Recessed toe kicks under shelves and benches, as well as choosing furniture that has ‘feet’ or legs,  gives the illusion of more space.

2. Peek-a-boo.  Glass-table tops open-back chairs take up little visual space.

3. Two for the price of one. Choose furniture that has more than one use - sofa beds, a dining table that doubles as a desk, platform beds with storage beneach, a chest or flat topped trunk as a coffee table.

4. Lighten up.  Choose paint and main furniture pieces in light neutrals.  Dark or striking colours will remove the sense of space.

5. The size is right.  Keep in mind the dimensions and scale of furniture.   low sofa without arms won’t hinder the flow of energy or the visual impact of your small space. 

6.  The highs and lows.  Keep the height of furnishings, shelving and artwork consistent. Two or three levels will be about right.

7. Floating away. Paint wall-mounted shelves the same colour as the walls.  You instantly increase your storage without decreasing your floor space.

8. Zen Mind.  A clutterless, minimal look is best for a small space.  Store and rotate your decorator items instead of having everything out at once.

With space at a premium, many singles and couples live in studio apartments.  Also known as ‘efficiency apartments’, the studio dweller lives, works, sleeps and eats all in the same small space.  So how do you make a small space both functional and beautiful?

Multi-tasking.  Get a futon or sofa that serves as a sofa during the day and folds out into a bed at night.  A single (twin) bed can be transfored into a daybed with a pretty throw and some cushion.

Use your suitcases and bags to store out of season clothes and other items you use infrequently.  Store the suitcases under the futon or day bed.

Use a large, flat topped trunk as a coffee table or extra seating.  Use it to store things that you use regularly, but not every day like linen, towels and blankets.

A bookcase can be used as a room or space divider. A dressing area can be created by dividing off one corner of the room with the bookcase

Plants to add to the atmosphere and freshen the air.

A small table can double as a desk or a dining table.

Attractive, stackable baskets are great for storing all sorts of things and since they are stackable, you minimuse the use of floor space.