There are lots of wonderful reasons why many of us choose condo living Miami: having the freedom to just lock your door and leave without worry for weeks at a time, having amazing amenities like pools and gyms, dining daily over a killer water view, or being walking distance from all of the wonders our amazing city has to offer.
But, for all the positives, for most of us there is one unavoidable truth: our spaces are small, and interior design for small spaces can be challenging for the inexperienced.
My mother always said that the best gifts come in small packages. This informs my view that you can design a small space just as beautifully as a wide open expanse. All you need are a few tricks and loads of inspiration. Or a great interior designer.
Here are six of my favorite tricks:
1. Keep clutter to a minimum.
All the square footage in the world won’t make a difference if your home is crowded with stuff. If Minimalist Design isn’t your style, seek out storage solutions that can be both beautiful and useful to keep the clutter under control. Keep the floor clear: go for hanging pieces like open shelves or nightstands. The less stuff on the floor, the bigger and more open your space will feel.
2. Mirrors are your friend.
A mirror can do wonders to make a space look larger and add square footage. A framed mirror can make a huge statement too. The bigger the mirror, the better!
3. Work with the scale of your furniture.
If you decide to go with an oversized piece, use fewer pieces overall. The idea is to let pieces breathe, so that your furniture doesn’t feel stacked up against each other. The Goldilocks of sofas – the apartment sofa - is a great choice: you won’t really be able to tell that the scale is slightly smaller, but it will have a huge impact on the layout and design of your space.
4. Go vertical.
Anything floor to ceiling adds the illusion of height to your room. Hang window treatments close to the ceiling and all the way to the floor – regardless of how high or low your windows go. Get a floor to ceiling bookcase (or create one by stacking them). A tall headboard adds height to your bedroom.
5. Choose multifunctional furniture pieces.
Be it a sleeper sofa, a storage bed or ottoman, or this amazing wall unit that converts into a wall bed (not your grandma's Murphy bed!) - the more purposes your furniture can serve the better!
6. Think flex space.
I recently wrote about a project that will be completed soon. It includes a wall unit that converts to a wall bed, with a now movable wall that creates privacy when needed. This allowed us to integrate what used to be a separate guest bedroom into the living space, creating an expanse that is totally unexpected in a small condo.
Small spaces don't have to look or feel cramped! Need help making your small spaces work better for you? Book a consultation now.
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