“You are such a city kid!” That phrase seemed to follow me around when I was young. My grandparents have always been country folks, and while I enjoyed a few weeks living the country life every summer while growing up, I always relished coming home. Knowing I could get on my bike and ride to a friend’s house or convenience store, or have my mom drop us off at the mall to catch a movie, was an absolute necessity in my world. So yes, I am a city kid!
Now that I am a grown-up (kind of…), I still love all the perks of city life. But, I also see the drawbacks now too: higher home prices. In most areas, the closer you get to downtown, the higher cost per square foot. This translates to learning how to make the most of every square inch as well as bringing a little slice of nature into the concrete jungle.
Whether you live in the city or the country, here are some great ideas for living in cramped quarters.
Light gives the illusion of large spaces. This room has a lot of furniture in it, but you really aren’t overwhelmed by it because it is not blocking the natural light. Lucite pieces have seen a huge resurgence recently and popping up in big box stores (or online like at overstock.com) at reasonable prices. Lucite pieces are also wonderful if you have a lot of architectural detail because they don’t compete with the house.
You can also make a visual statement by using shelves. One thing to keep in mind when using shelves in small spaces is to not overcrowd them. Just keep it simple and clean for maximum impact.
When considering furniture, make sure that your pieces aren’t too large for your rooms. More and more manufacturers are starting to develop lines designed to fit condo specifications, leaving no excuse for only using a couch and a coffee table. When the furniture is the proper scale, your room feels much more open and allows the flow of traffic to move easier.
For condo dwellers, while you have successfully removed the task of mowing a lawn you may have also sacrificed the lush greenery that it provides. Depending on the amount of sun exposure, you can definitely attempt a balcony garden, but for the rest of us, it is much simpler to add green in other ways. Like wallpaper! It is an easy way to add interest and that special hit of green.
photos potterybarn.com, countryliving.com, housebeautiful.com, houseandhome.com, besthomedesign.blogspot.com, ehow.com, tvstandsfurniture.com
Always love your pieces Holly! Keep up the inspiring work!
I love these ideas!! I am thinking of using open shelving in our daughter’s room when we bring in her “big girl” bed within the next few weeks…those books and toys really pile up!
I have a few spots in my home where I’d really like to add shelves. Even though we have quite a bit of storage space, a shelf on an empty wall makes a nice change from just hanging a picture.
I have the floating shelves in my living room, and that is the one thing that people comment about.
I love the white walls in some of these photos… I’m trying to persuade my husband into making a decision to do that in our house. It looks so clean and crisp, but homey at the same time.