I saw this studio apartmenton Apartment Therapy the other day while researching small spaces…it’s only 300 square feet but so chock full of style and chic-ness that it appears much bigger! Everything this guy did is pure genius- from the narrow wall mounted shelves and fabulous pendant in his mini entryway to the dramatic paint job on the wall behind the headboard and the color coordination of his pin boards and lamp to his turquoise foo dogs (you know I spotted those fast!) It’s clean, cool and truly awe inspiring, no?
When decorating a super small space you have to use every inch your given, whether that be on the floor (like this teeny built in banquette area below (which you don’t have to build in, Ballard Designs has a great corner banquette available) or putting bookshelves everywhere floor to ceiling (and even over the door).
Designer/ former Domino staffer Tori Mellott is pretty much the queen of making a small space rock- her former apartment was given a bold wallpaper and bright colors to punch up the space, while using an open book shelves to divide off a work space without blocking light (I love this trick)
We all LOVED the pictures of her new space, with stripes running floor to ceiling to accent the height (and draw attention fromt he lack of floor space).
She then used her signature bold wallpaper in the kitchen, alongside a brave cabinet color. Small spaces really can take big, bold colors since you never have to use much.
One of my favorite small spaces was Domino’s coverage of Rashinda Jones’ 450 square foot apartment. The serene color palette with just little touches of bold color make it to lovely. I also adore the pairing of the very modern chairs with a traditional pedestal table to give the room some complexity. She also covered some of her shelving with curtains to hide the clutter.
And finally, my favorite studio apartment ever- Ms. Carrie Bradshaw’s (or should I say Mrs. Big’s?). What can I say, it’s a genius layout to begin with with the wide open foyer, kitchen nook, walk through closet/bathroom. Could there be a better floorplan for a studio? Nope. Adding to that are the new built ins around the tv (again, using every inch of vertical space), complete with bench for additional seating in the living area. So excited to see if her space stays the same for the second film!!!
Your post makes me want to watch SITC again. I wonder how the second movie will incorporate this new economy. I love that first apt. The one thing I notice about all of them is the clutter control. Not a lot of excess stuff.
I love the idea of living small especially if it looks this chic. Of course, with two kiddos it will not be happening anytime soon.
Thanks for the great post. Very inspiring. I adore the Apartment Therapy studio. So much in so little!
I love this post. I live in a tiny apt. One of the best things is a glass/lucite coffee table, I find. I think it adds the illusion of space and doesn’t sacrifice function.
Erin – any thoughts on rugs for small spaces? I have been looking at FLOR because of its versatility, but I do you have any other suggestions?
One more thing Erin – I used your idea of a photo gallery in my apartment. While I think I need to tweak it still, it really is great idea. I like how it didn’t have to be super-precisely measured, rather go with what looks great in the space! Completely utilized an area, and it displays the photos nicely (unlike having a ton of frames on random flat surfaces, taking up precious space)
Thanks!
Erin, Love your blog on small spaces. Any thoughts on how to deal w/a small bathroom remodel. Would love to see your ideas….
I love how almost none of those small spaces had a television (at least one that was visible). Shows these people made smart choices when deciding one what to keep and what to eliminate. Maybe it’s just me, but TVs always are an eyesore when it comes to design.
Ooooh, I did a post on the designer responsible for the pics at the top of this post a while back. His name is Ron Marvin, and he is fantastic!
This post couldn’t come at a better time, as my husband and I are planning to down size to a small, downtown 50′s bungalow from a large suburban home! These will come in handy!!
Such amazing design! Your blog makes me want to re-decorate my whole house!! By the way, I bought a green foo dog at TJ Max the other day; I thought you might approve. =)
What a great post! Thanks for some small space inspiration!
what is the blue paint color in carrie’s apartment (last set of pics)? would LOVE to use.
^ I think I read somewhere that Carrie's Apt. is Benjamin Moore Electric Blue #2061-40. I checked out their website and it seems pretty close.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=contentrenderer_1_2&contentrenderer_1_2_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FrenderContent&contentrenderer_1_2NodeUUID=%2FBEA+Repository%2F306001&_pageLabel=fh_explorecolor
What a great post!! Your posts are always so inspiring and informative!
After living in a 700 s/f open loft space myself, it is true that you take advantage of every inch you can get. And you become very very organized! I had a closet for my washer/dryer that went all the way up. So, I put in lots of those adjustable shelves for all my storage, which I used those clear bins for. It worked out really well.
Fan-flippin’-tastic post. How ironic that it comes on the heels of the bathrooms on steroids post.
The designer who can fuse creativity, function and great design is going places. Too many designers just want to add square footage to a project and call it grand and luxurious. A memorable post. WELL DONE!!!
Thank you, Sarah. xoxo
I love this post. we just did a post on the Met Home winner for best small space on Monday, and its to die for!
http://sweetnothings04.blogspot.com/2009/03/swankiest-small-space-winner.html
Deeelish apartments. Makes me want to relive my 20′s.
What? There’s to be a second Sex In the City? Goody.
The studio in the first pictures is designer Ron Marvin. I linked to his profile here http://magchunk.blogspot.com/2009/01/interior-designer-ron-marvin.html.
I’d had that same photo bookmarked forever, and I was so excited to see his other projects. I thought you’d be interested :)
I love the space on Apartment Therapy. It’s so clean and crisp, just gorgeous!