#DecoratingSmallPlaces | Valentina Expressions

Don’t Worry About The Small Room | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

Are you challenged by a small room in your house? Don’t be! Consider a small room as the jewel box you will create, think of the fun you will have decorating and planning a functional space.
Small rooms teach us how to stay organized and how to save money as well, because you will only buy the necessary items. In a small space every inch counts and every piece of furniture must have a double function for storage and living tasks. Before starting a decorating fun, it is important to assess the room. Take out of the room all the items, edit them heavily, donate, sell or throw away the items not needed anymore and start fresh. There is a great feeling of freedom in doing a complete de-cluttering. You will see the actual size of the small space for the functionality and purpose you want to assign to it. You will know how much storage and shelving are needed. Yes, even small rooms can have a multiple purpose.

(Click on each photo to view it larger).

Furniture – must have many functionalities and be adaptable to any situation. Choose seating that have storage, cabinets that hide a retractable table or shelves, compartmentalized drawers to have everything in plain view. Use decorative boxes, trunks, luggage or ottomans as side tables and coffee table that can be used as extra storage. Choose a sofa for the daytime that easily turns into a bed at night. European furniture makers are masters of small spaces, they have created an array of items for small European homes. Heavy and dark furniture make a small space seem even smaller. One way to trick the eyes is to incorporate glass items and furniture with legs instead of boxy furniture. Seeing open spaces under the furniture will improve the room look bigger, at least visually.

Small Trunk Side Table with Storage – Wayfair

Convertible Love Seat – AllModern

Side Table with Storage – Ballard

Storage Bench – Grandinroad

Lighting – Layer heavily. It doesn’t matter if recessed lights are already in place inside the ceiling. To create an ambience and a sculpting atmosphere, scatter around the room, tall and small lamps with different colors and styles. Don’t try to match.

Scale – Trick the eyes with large pattern wallpaper design, large artwork and large decorative items.

Color – Bold colors go well with large scale items, together will make the room look expensive and, no, dark or bold colors don’t make the room smaller, it’s a myth! Have fun painting horizontal stripes if you want a room to look longer, or vertical stripes if you want a visually taller room.

Mirrors – Will open the space, especially if they are placed across or near a window. The bigger the better and if they have details is even more playful, will add interest to the décor.

Natural Light – It’s always welcome, along with the sun energy. If privacy or the view outside are not an issue, don’t cover windows with curtains, let the outside in. The room will benefit from natural light and everything will look more luminous. Otherwise, hang curtains as high as possible, and from wall to wall, outside the window frame to give the window wall a larger appearance.

Hidden Storages – People tend to use the space under the bed to store shoes and seasonal items. A positive energy must flow freely in the room to impact positively your sleep or your quiet hours, if boxes occupy the space under the bed, that positive energy and natural flow of air circulation will be blocked. This is where saving money comes into play. Buy only the necessary clothes, shoes and accessories to keep at a minimum the need for storage. You will win the clutter!

Rules are made to be broken, allow your fantasy to go where it wants to go.
I am happy to help you anytime, online design consultations are available. Ciao,
Valentina
http://www.valentinadesigns.com

It’s my hope that through my writing and my stories I am enriching your aesthetic sensibility towards design, style and inspiring you to live in beauty. I have loved my profession as an interior-fashion designer since 1990. I am here ready to offer consultations on-line if you need. Check out my latest book on the subject of colors ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors
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Small, Cute, Functional | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

Living in small spaces is challenging, but small spaces teach us how to stay organized and how to save money too. Due to so much market offer, I think it is very easy to clutter up small spaces that we use to live in and therefore buying everything we see in stores should be out of the question. Buying a lot, stuffing each space with unnecessary items, might results in an excuse to want to stay out as long as possible to avoid seeing the problem. Let me tell you I have seen a few stories in my design career!
(Sofa from Wayfair)

In a small space every little inch counts and every piece of furniture must have a double function for storage and living tasks. Sofas must turn into beds for visiting family and guests.

Coffee tables, ottomans and sofa tables must have a storage space inside. Just to give you an idea, these pieces are ideals to store a couple of tablecloths and napkins sets, or a few dinner mats as most of the time a small space will not have a formal dining room, still you want to eat on something pretty.

(Source: BH&G) In the kitchen, storage might be limited also. The best way to have everything handy is to hang most skillet and pots or pans in convenient, reachable areas. If you are not a renter, it would be wise to install a few deep drawers under the kitchen counter to keep plates and silverware all together, it will be money spent well for sure.

Consider the versatility of a baker’s rack. (Photo: baker’s rack – Wayfair) In the eating area it can function as a storing place for dishes, glasses and wine bottles. A baker’s rack also function as a bookshelf or media center in the living room. Place it in the bathroom to display in plain sight bath towels and a few bath supplies. However you want to use it, a baker’s rack is an open “showroom” sort of speaking, make sure to display pretty items.

In the bedroom it is not a good idea to store shoes and seasonal items in boxes under the bed, as positive energy must flow freely in the room to impact positively your sleep or your quiet hours. This is where saving money comes into play. Buy only the necessary fashion clothes and accessories to keep at a minimum the need for storage, thus avoiding the so much feared clutter.

Bedroom closets or any closet in small spaces should be organized with plenty shelves and drawers to contain everything that is necessary for a good living.
The extras are called “extras” because are not needed. If space is limited and not just in the bedroom why keep buying more items? Get rid of something old, or that doesn’t have much use anymore before buying new items. Getting rid of stuff is a way to give a second life to items someone else will want. Living in today’s difficult economy is all about recycling and repurposing.

In the entry a small étagère (shelf) with baskets will function as a last stop box, for library books, outgoing mail or DVDs to grab as you head out the door and as an inviting area where it will be easy to apply the last touch before going out.
(Photo left found on: http://www.shelterness.com/55-mudroom-and-hallway-storage-ideas/pictures/9901)

Hanging paintings and wall art in small spaces is not that difficult. The gallery wall is made of small paintings or photographs, or a mixture of both. It adds character to the walls, tells the story of your life or of your likings and it is interesting to look at the variety of the artwork. On the other hand, large paintings, prints or photographs will save money in buying many frames and many artworks. You only need one for each empty wall, but that one lonely artwork, unless it is a Miro’, Chagall, or Matisse, just to name a few, after a while, might keep you bored, just something to consider.

Of course there is so much more to cover when creating a cute small space. A functional order should be a priority for a good living. Ask me about space planning and organization, I am a master. Leave your name and comment in the box below, I will answer in 24 hours time. Ciao,
Valentina
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian trained Interior Designer and a former Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe. She blends fashion and interior well in any of her design work. She loves to remodel homes and loves to create the unusual. She established her company Valentina Interiors & Designs in 1990. Being Italian born and raised, her design work has been influenced by Classicism and timeless style. She will create your everyday living with a certain luxury without taking away a comfortable living. She is a published author of three books.
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