Keeping it Small

A lot of times you will hear people say that if you are working on a small space, you should paint everything white, or at least light. That it will make the room feel bigger, well I don't think making a space feel bigger should always be the goal. This is a room I did that used to be the closet under the stairs and is now a cool, fully functional home office. It is only about 6'-0 x 8'-0" but with the right attention to detail, and distilling out all the superfluous stuff, it actuall feels about right.

The chair is a personal favorite it is on a track and can actually recline waaaay back. The desk by Antoine Proulx is cool too, as it is very open and the white wood makes quite a chic statement.

Answer Day: A Small Entry Hall

I had an intriguing question sent to me during the week by Rebbecca, who says that since they moved into their house, traffic patterns have changed and they now greet most of their visitors at the tiny landing at the back door. She wants to know, short of Architectural changes, what can she do.

Well Rebbecca. there are a few things I can suggest:

• Take a look at your Garden, is there a way you can change that up a bit to encourage visitors to come to your front door? You can use lighting, plants, even a brighter color, can draw attention to the front door, which can help guide people there.


• A less subtle approach is a nice sign, directing people to the Front Entry.


• If these approaches don't work, embrace your new smaller entrance. There is s lot you can do to make it more warm and inviting.


• Try to make it feel larger, by using space outside, treat the garden area, almost like its own little room, so its almost an antechamber. Put in a small bench, light it well, some flowers too, this will start the Entry feeling even before they get to the door, creating a larger sense of space.


• Inside, you can make a space feel larger by using a deeper color. I think chocolate makes for a great Entry color, everything looks so dramatic against it.


• Use mirrors liberally too, this will help to make the space more vibrant.


• Cut the clutter, there is nothing worse in a small space than lots of "stuff", clear out all but the essentials.

I hope that these tips help.