Myth number one: walls must be white. Myth number two: scaled-down furniture. Myth number three: doing without.
Living in a condo doesn't have to mean compromising your taste and style. Not only can you create a space that's hip and beautiful, but a variety of storage options can open up a world of possibilities that actually expand the use of the room.
Urban condos can be intimate and cozy, yes, but they can also be bright and open with the right approach. They also can be an economic advantage when it comes to design. Expensive materials like hardwood flooring and silk wall treatments become much more affordable in a small space. You also get more living space in a way--think of all those underutilized dining rooms in large homes. In a smaller home, a dining nook gets far more use, and can even do double duty as a home office.
Debunking the Myths
Let's talk color. If you like white walls, more power to you. Paint them and enjoy. But don't opt for white only because you think that's what will make the room feel larger. White can actually make a room seem smaller, depending on what else is in the room.
In a bedroom, white walls just point to the bed, while color gives an illusion of depth. But be careful with the intensity of the wall color you choose, making sure you match the color and shade in the space and in the light condition that's going to be in the room.
Now for myth number two: scaled-down furniture. Oversize pieces--those monster couches and beds that are designed for McMansions--aren't going to work in an intimate space. But that doesn't mean you have to settle for very small pieces. Instead, go for balance. In fact, it's actually better to have a few larger pieces than more pieces of smaller furniture. But, allow the larger size to play against the scale, which gives a sense of roominess. And if those pieces can do double duty, even better (an armoire that holds a desk, or a sofa bed or arm chair). The idea is to be imaginative. Have your comfortable sofa and coffee table, but perhaps the coffee table is two small tables pushed together when company is over and separated when you need them as end tables. Or, it's a large ottoman that can alternate as a coffee table and seating.
Finally, myth number three. Do you have to get rid of most of your possessions to live in a condo? Well, that depends on what you have and what size space you're moving into, of course, and clutter doesn't help the cause, but there are a lot of storage options out there that can allow you to keep many of your cherished and otherwise necessary things without you tripping over them.
Creating the Illusion of Space
It's amazing what some clever design tricks can do to make a cozy space seem larger. Everyone knows that mirrors can open up a space if placed in the right position--these would be opposite a window, opposite a work of art or a piece of furniture in a living room or bedroom.
Lighting will also change the appearance of a room's dimensions. Lighting can include window light, wall color, reflective surfaces and art on the walls, as well as lamps and light fixtures.
Even simple placement of furniture and even art can help visually enlarge a room. Having larger vertical items hung on walls can give the feeling of a larger, elongated place. A built-in cabinet and bookcase can offer a streamlined look and take your eye up to the ceiling. Add some doors to eliminate a sense of clutter. Placing your furniture in the room in a way that frees floor space and creates traffic areas can give a clean spacious look.
Finally, think about your flooring. Instead of breaking up a single level of a house with different kinds of flooring, installing flooring like tile or wood consistent throughout that level will create more of a sense of flow and unify the space. Warm it up with area rugs.
Where to Put the Stuff
Of course, you can only free up floor space if you're wise about where you store your belongings and if you work toward making as many pieces as you can serve double duty. These can be coffee tables with drawers or beautiful wood trunks that serve as coffee tables but can hold extra blankets or toys. Instead of traditional end tables, look for small chests with drawers that can hold items. Hall benches can have storage under the seat top. Even dining room tables these days can be found with drawers that can store office supplies.
There's nothing new these days about closet organizers, but it's always worth taking a second look at the new products that companies are making available to take greater advantage of space already designed for storage.
There are also an abundance of manufacturers and retailers selling furnishings that are geared toward saving space and creating storage--and at all price points. From Ikea's stackable stools for the kitchen to wall beds for guest rooms, there are any number of ways to get more of what you need out of your home.
You also have to think of the whole room. Think vertical as well as horizontal. Instead of putting coats in the coat closet, convert it to storage and put up hooks on the walls to hang coats, hats and umbrellas. Look for bookcase/cabinet combinations for the home office, especially from European furniture catalogues or Scandinavian furniture retailers. Better yet are built in cabinets that go up to the ceiling that combine open shelving for displaying items with closed cabinets that camouflage clutter.
Basically, the key thing to remember about designing a condo is to not have a lot of little objects taking up space here and there. The more fluid and integrated things are the better.
Storage Resources
All of these retailers are available online and many have both catalogues and brick-and-mortar stores. A few, like Ikea and California Closets, also have helpful tips and suggestions on their Web site.
Living in a condo doesn't have to mean compromising your taste and style. Not only can you create a space that's hip and beautiful, but a variety of storage options can open up a world of possibilities that actually expand the use of the room.
Urban condos can be intimate and cozy, yes, but they can also be bright and open with the right approach. They also can be an economic advantage when it comes to design. Expensive materials like hardwood flooring and silk wall treatments become much more affordable in a small space. You also get more living space in a way--think of all those underutilized dining rooms in large homes. In a smaller home, a dining nook gets far more use, and can even do double duty as a home office.
Debunking the Myths
Let's talk color. If you like white walls, more power to you. Paint them and enjoy. But don't opt for white only because you think that's what will make the room feel larger. White can actually make a room seem smaller, depending on what else is in the room.
In a bedroom, white walls just point to the bed, while color gives an illusion of depth. But be careful with the intensity of the wall color you choose, making sure you match the color and shade in the space and in the light condition that's going to be in the room.
Now for myth number two: scaled-down furniture. Oversize pieces--those monster couches and beds that are designed for McMansions--aren't going to work in an intimate space. But that doesn't mean you have to settle for very small pieces. Instead, go for balance. In fact, it's actually better to have a few larger pieces than more pieces of smaller furniture. But, allow the larger size to play against the scale, which gives a sense of roominess. And if those pieces can do double duty, even better (an armoire that holds a desk, or a sofa bed or arm chair). The idea is to be imaginative. Have your comfortable sofa and coffee table, but perhaps the coffee table is two small tables pushed together when company is over and separated when you need them as end tables. Or, it's a large ottoman that can alternate as a coffee table and seating.
Finally, myth number three. Do you have to get rid of most of your possessions to live in a condo? Well, that depends on what you have and what size space you're moving into, of course, and clutter doesn't help the cause, but there are a lot of storage options out there that can allow you to keep many of your cherished and otherwise necessary things without you tripping over them.
Creating the Illusion of Space
It's amazing what some clever design tricks can do to make a cozy space seem larger. Everyone knows that mirrors can open up a space if placed in the right position--these would be opposite a window, opposite a work of art or a piece of furniture in a living room or bedroom.
Lighting will also change the appearance of a room's dimensions. Lighting can include window light, wall color, reflective surfaces and art on the walls, as well as lamps and light fixtures.
Even simple placement of furniture and even art can help visually enlarge a room. Having larger vertical items hung on walls can give the feeling of a larger, elongated place. A built-in cabinet and bookcase can offer a streamlined look and take your eye up to the ceiling. Add some doors to eliminate a sense of clutter. Placing your furniture in the room in a way that frees floor space and creates traffic areas can give a clean spacious look.
Finally, think about your flooring. Instead of breaking up a single level of a house with different kinds of flooring, installing flooring like tile or wood consistent throughout that level will create more of a sense of flow and unify the space. Warm it up with area rugs.
Where to Put the Stuff
Of course, you can only free up floor space if you're wise about where you store your belongings and if you work toward making as many pieces as you can serve double duty. These can be coffee tables with drawers or beautiful wood trunks that serve as coffee tables but can hold extra blankets or toys. Instead of traditional end tables, look for small chests with drawers that can hold items. Hall benches can have storage under the seat top. Even dining room tables these days can be found with drawers that can store office supplies.
There's nothing new these days about closet organizers, but it's always worth taking a second look at the new products that companies are making available to take greater advantage of space already designed for storage.
There are also an abundance of manufacturers and retailers selling furnishings that are geared toward saving space and creating storage--and at all price points. From Ikea's stackable stools for the kitchen to wall beds for guest rooms, there are any number of ways to get more of what you need out of your home.
You also have to think of the whole room. Think vertical as well as horizontal. Instead of putting coats in the coat closet, convert it to storage and put up hooks on the walls to hang coats, hats and umbrellas. Look for bookcase/cabinet combinations for the home office, especially from European furniture catalogues or Scandinavian furniture retailers. Better yet are built in cabinets that go up to the ceiling that combine open shelving for displaying items with closed cabinets that camouflage clutter.
Basically, the key thing to remember about designing a condo is to not have a lot of little objects taking up space here and there. The more fluid and integrated things are the better.
Storage Resources
All of these retailers are available online and many have both catalogues and brick-and-mortar stores. A few, like Ikea and California Closets, also have helpful tips and suggestions on their Web site.
- Organize.com: www.organize.com
- Ikea: www.ikea.com
- California Closets: www.californiaclosets.com
- Space Savers: www.spacesavers.com
- The Container Store: www.containerstore.com
- Linens and Things: www.linensandthings.com
- Bed, Bath and Beyond: www.bedbathandbeyond.com
- Get Organized: www.shoptogetorganized.com
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