Designing the perfect small space is like throwing the perfect dinner party: large personalities are needed to make things memorable, while quiet supporting actors provide balance.
One large piece in a small room: Interior Design Hall of Fame member Bunny Williams told K&A in an interview last week that she enlivens a small space by using a large painting or piece of furniture as a focal point.
Large-scale pattern: Jim Thompson fabric’s Vice President and General Manager for North America, Chad Holman, told K&A that “You want to create impact within a small room. Any room deserves something that is going to grab your attention. A large-scale textile is a good way to do that. The iconic Hutton Wilkinson, for example, used one of our large-scale patterns on a 9-foot screen in a recent show house.”
Let light in: Large windows and frameless glass shower enclosures make a space appear larger.
Create a landscape: Interior designer Susan Ferrier told House Beautiful, “I think that big pieces calm a room…Most people think that if you’ve got a small room, you’ve got to have small furniture. Not true. You have to create a landscape, with highs and lows.” (Jan 2009 issue)
Use authentic materials: Showing us her work at the Georgia Governor’s mansion, interior designer Patricia McLean told K&A that “small spaces can be exceptional if you use authentic items such as silk, antique works of art, and wide-plank floors.”
