A Novel Nook "If there isn't much floor space in a room, the walls become an essential component of the plot," says Kristine Franklin of The Painted Hive. In tiny spaces, Kristine states, walls will need to do dual duty, making up for the absence of floor area by being both useful and stylish. "We had an efficient area to house all our books along with the computer and to act as a neat, small home office," Kristine explains. "As we haven't any spare rooms, that this wall nook needed to be it! It's in a prominent location in our house just off the kitchen so it was important for it to look pretty, in addition to be practical. The diverse gallery wall is perfect for setting a sense of design and works to help blur the personal monitor."
Just Sling It Motivated by the need for stylish book storage which didn't occupy much space in her kid's room, Ashley of Domestic Imperfection got crafty with vibrant fabric and a few hardware. Not only do these fun book slings hold a good deal and occupy zero floor area, but "my boys can see the front of the books rather than only the side, so that they could easily select a publication without pulling each one off the shelf," she states. We adore this easily customizable idea for magazines at a living room or cookbooks in the kitchen, too.
Set the Record Straight Angela Neese Rathbun of Blue I Design needed to make a distinctive space for her sons in the unused alcove beneath the stairs but was overrun by the limited floor area. "I wanted to leave it available for play which meant I had to put the walls to good use," she says. "I really like the impact of the files covering the entire slanted ceiling, and also the gallery wall provides a perfect mix of function and style." Amongst the eye decor elements in this rocking room, check out the wall-mounted magazine racks, clips to display the boys' art as well as the rails and baskets across the base of the wall to keep the small toys and instruments from cluttering the floor.
Room With a View "Before going to our present home, we lived in a 10th-floor condo with an amazing view of the downtown Denver skyline," states Angela Neese Rathbun of Blue Id Style. "We decided to bring the opinion with us by producing this giant photo mural. I love that it nearly gives the look of a window, so providing our tub one heck of a city view," she says. Angela suggests using a favorite photo -- such as a shot from a memorable holiday -- printed out on a house printer (or on the cheap in an office supply store) and hauled into cheap, easy frames. "A photograph mural is a great way to fill out the massive wall area over a sofa, bed or hallway"
Get Graphic "This project was motivated by the background itself," says Ginnie Leeming of Hello Little Home. Drawn to the graphic design of this newspaper for her tiny kitchen but restricted as a tenant, Ginnie came up with a clever way to make regular wallpaper removable. She lined the backsplash wall with contact paper then employed the wallpaper on top. "The wallpaper added lots of character to my tiny, all-white kitchen," she states. Along with her contact-paper trick means virtually any wallpaper, fine paper, even stunning wrapping paper can become beautiful, detachable decoration.
Painted Pattern "Simply because the space is tiny," says Daniela Lukomski of Austin Styled "does not mean that you can't have fun with it! The hand-painted 'wallpaper' and art made my little office room much more enjoyable to look at everyday." Daniela suggests stenciling a pattern or referencing a completed drawing until you bring out the paint and brushes. "I personally prefer to freehand, but I had to repaint the very first go-round since I didn't space things out evenly," she shares.
Material World "Walls pack a lot of electricity in small spaces and will be the very first thing you see when you enter into a room. Why don't you create them beautiful," says Julie Nichols of Love My Simple Home. The small closet that Julie turned into a workspace is dressed with a crisp, black-and white stripe fabric -- that's as stunning as background but a lot easier to hang. Julie's trick? "Use straight hooks rather than nails to hang the fabric. The holes in the pins are barely noticeable after you remove them from the wall" Plus, it is a breeze to change up your decor -- Julie's high-end look came in at under $5!
Cozy Cubby This built-in mattress is not only a stunning design element which makes the most of the little space, but it's also a perfect play space. Says Paul Rochford of Violante & Rochford, "This room is for kids so we left it like a fort -- a colorful, enjoyable space that belonged to them" The designers set out to flip the limited space into an exciting environment which works for the inhabitants. "Graphic elements, such as the trimming and the contrasting colours, actually define the space and make it distinctive and unique," Paul says. Two drawers integrated beneath the mattress are a beautiful storage solution.
Reclaimed and Repurposed "With no available surfaces to exhibit decor and a big blank wall begging for attention, I understood that adding shelves are the ideal solution," says Kristi Haight of Chatfield Court. Knowing she wanted to inject a little personality into the guest room, Kristi used reclaimed barnwood and brackets made from plumbing components to get a cool, rustic-industrial result. While she opted to utilize two shelves within the mattress, Kristi suggests personalizing the look for your space using boards of different lengths or create a bookcase effect using a set of stacked shelves.
Moment of Reflection "This mirrored wall has been my best idea yet," says Daniela Lukomski of Austin Styled. Though she admits "installing the mirrors was intimidating since it was a permanent decision, I just knew I had to do something to enhance the little dining space. I went for it and couldn't be happier!" Additionally, it is ideal for checking out of your head-to-toe outfit before going out the door, she adds. "It opens up the distance," continues Daniela, "adds light where it was lacking before and really brings the dining room and kitchen space together." For an easier, more eclectic option, make a gallery wall hung with framed mirrors in all shapes and sizes instead.
Tactile Treasures Fiber artist Gabriella Quadrini knows that every inch of space in a little room is crucial. "Finding creative ways to add personality and design without overwhelming the space may be a tough balancing act," she states. Here, a trio of fringed, ombre-dyed wall hangings is piled together and hung over a bed, pulling double duty as an alternate to a space-gobbling headboard and a focal point that adds color, texture and warmth to the room.
Go Big "In a little room in this way, we actually begin with a focal point -- such as a significant part of art -- and work it around for the rest of the area's design," says Michael Violante of Violante & Rochford Interiors. Michael says to consider small spaces as romantic instead of challenging. "Do not be afraid to use bright splashes of colour." The propensity to keep things unbiased and neutral in a room, he states, "is not as interesting or as chic" as a large, bold statement bit. We adore the way the look comes together thanks to colours pulled from the painting and utilized in eye-catching decorative elements in an otherwise neutral area.
Growing Up We led outdoors with this smart garden solution by Amy Geib of Always Never Done. Needing additional space to develop more and needing to decorate an unused outside wall, Amy moved vertical. "This outdoor feature was the conversation of the neighborhood. We had folks stopping by often to respect our DIY vertical garden space," she says. A big part of DIY projects is being flexible and getting creative. "Don't let small road cubes stop your project." When she couldn't find special planters that could hang from the vertical structure, Amy figured out how to make her own. "I ended up choosing out plastic figurines that were the perfect size for my crops and drilling holes at the trunk on each side. I then used a heavy gauge cable to attach the planters to the wood slats."
Chalk One Up "When living in an urban setting, home tends to be on the smaller side and making every ounce of space usable -- while visually amazing -- can be a challenge," says Lisa Silfwerbrand of Recreated Designs. With her little entryway, Lisa states, "the only option was to come up with something creative and whimsical to use the wall space." Her oversized trompe l'oeil styled chalkboard meets all of her needs -- decorative and functional. "I needed a place to leave reminders and notes but also something that would immediately pull guests' eyes away from the cramped area and steep stairs ahead." Success!
Curtain Call Within this small guest room, each thoughtful detail is really on screen. We love the symmetry in the decor and the mix-and-match pattern drama. It all comes together to make an inviting, functional space with a great deal of personality. The curtain behind the headboard has a slick sheen and is just a hint deeper than the wall color. Hung near the ceiling, it provides a luxe, textural element into the space while visually adding elevation to keep the room feeling comfy rather than cramped.
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