Smart websites focusing on small space design help home owners downscale with little sacrifice in comfort or style. MochiHome.com provides ideas and inspiration “to help people visualize their spaces.” Starting with basic “before” shots of living rooms, kitchens, etc., the editors of Mochi Home digitally change wall color and add art and accessories to show new possibilities for home decoration. As with the once popular programs that pair your photo with dozens of hairstyles, the results can look a bit pasted together. Still, speaking as someone who has a hard time seeing design changes in advance of their execution, I appreciate the help. Best of all: you can submit your own photos to be worked on by Mochi Home’s resident talents.
Small Space Living is a sharp little site dedicated to “making small living more comfortable and enriching.” Although driven by environmental concerns, the self-described “capitalists and consumers” also admit to liking stuff. Since the last post was in January of 2009, the site may serve merely as an archive of ideas.
Loving. Living. Small. aims to help readers “Live Small with Style.” Good ideas abound, but I find the site less clean and navigable than others in the genre. Still, this creative blogger has a good eye and a long trail of fans.
HGTV.com is a solid source of design ideas that are often budget-conscious and comparatively easy-to-implement. Check out their Small Space Design Guide. Another excellent option is Apartment Therapy, which wrote the book on small space design with its publication, the “Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces” The easy-to-use site teems with design ideas for smaller homes.
Lastly, there’s Dwell, a perennial smart-living resource that leans contemporary and Green. Scavenge its pages for exceptional design and novel solutions without fussy pretension that dogs many design periodicals.
With smaller spaces, people aren’t as inhibited to get creative or whimsical. The key element to designing a smaller space is to ensure everything has a place and that whatever you put in the space has multiple functions. Custom built-in units are the way to go, such as a built in dresser/wardrobe, pull down bed or desk. Finishes should be multi-functional as well: practical, yet artful. Something so creative that it takes your mind off of how small the space is to “Wow, that is a beautiful wall finish”.
Reader FYI: Jamie Stoilis is a seasoned designer with extensive experience in home renovation and new construction. She is also blessedly down-to-earth, an attentive listener and passionate about design. Check out her website at: jstoilisdesign.com