I just bought a tiny condo in the city, and it feels like the walls are closing in on me. HELP!
Nikki L. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Manny Machado of Manny Machado Designs, answered;
Practicality and style are two of the most important factors in making a tiny space feel bigger. Like a great wardrobe, it has to be functional yet adaptable, highlighting your home's best features and making you feel like you have room to grow. Furniture and accent pieces, like storage and shelving, have to work together to make your space livable, freeing up your floor space so you can create a bigger living area.
Wall mounted shelving and cabinets are a major space saver in tiny spaces, the extra legroom you give yourself will be worth every effort. Dress up your new storage with stick-ons either on the face of the cabinets or on the wall. Deserres has a large selection of easy and affordable designs that can be easily paired with Ikea’s BESTA or EFFEKTIVE wall cabinets to create a stunning storage design feature.
Intelligent positioning of reflective surfaces goes a long way in creating space where there isn’t any. Items like West Elm’s ESSEX mirror and FACETED mirrored side table are placed in rooms to reflect light, bouncing it into different segments of the space, thus making it feel larger; stainless steel and lacquer paints are also great light conductors.
The easiest and most radical change to any space is paint; lighter colours will help smaller rooms appear larger, however if you are tired of whites and creams, use muted tones of your favorite colours to lighten up your surroundings. Benjamin Moore’s “Natura” paint (no V.O.C’s) is available in this season’s hottest colours like Pale Avocado #2146-40 (GREEN), Sea Haze #2137-50 (GREY), Gossamer Blue #2123-40 (BLUE) and Vellum #207 (YELLOW).
Have fun with your space and don’t be afraid of colours or trends. How your home feels is just as important as how it looks, regardless of it’s size or shape. Making even the smallest change can have a big impact on not only your home but your mood as well.
Designer and Urban Space Stylist, Manny Machado has successfully fused his passions for fashion, style and innovation both locally and internationally on such projects as International Architecture and Design Magazine, Fashion Cares 2008 as well as Style & Fashion Editor for ON Magazine.
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