Designing for Small Spaces

Anyone who has worked a crummy desk job can attest to the idea that the design of your environment can truly dictate your mood and productivity. (I am not referring to LaunchPad, we actually have a great open work environment and work from home benefits!) Considering that human beings today spend an average of 87% of their lives indoors, I’ve set out to design my new city living space with mindfulness and intent.

While my new apartment isn’t exactly a Brooklyn broom closet, I have utilized a few decorating tips to help maximize space potential:

I’ve decided to forgo a kitchen table and instead opted for these industrial bar stools from Urban Outfitters. This works for my little kitchen that happens to have a decent amount of counter space.

One of my favorite furnishings thus far is this Rove Concepts side table which feels like it was designed with a clever multi-purpose mentality. There is a TON of side storage, and the top is a detachable elm wood veneer tray that doubles as a coffee and snacks serving tray. I’m head over heals for essentially everything Scandinavian design, especially a super mod Danish piece like this one!

By now you may have noticed that I am very into clean, contemporary lines. This floor lamp from AllModern doesn’t take up much space, and is the perfect rainy day reading lamp. (This particular piece is almost out of stock, but AllModern has soooo many styles, you are bound to find something you like!)

As a rule of thumb, I have decided not to purchase anything that I don’t see myself enjoying with someone else. I love having friends over for coffee, etc. and thought this Crate and Barrel french press and CB2 black dip coffee mugs were seriously adorable. (Plants also do wonders for enhancing any living space, all the time, always.)

I knew I had to make room for a cozy little office corner! I love the look and feel of this Rouka office chair. Its super comfy and a great place to station myself when I have to get work done.

I adore the wood and white marble combo of the CB2 suspend media console. It perfectly hosts a sound bar, TV (coming soon!) and a whole other mess of electronics with an excess of wires and chords that I prefer remain out of sight. You can check out more work by this designer, Ceci Thompson.

I went with a low dresser so it could also double as some extra counter space in my bedroom, and so I would have wall space to hang something over it. It has more than enough drawer space, and so far is also a great jewelry and plant counter.

Large floor mirrors are really great for making a space feel bigger, and the CB2 infinity floor mirror is a statement piece, yet super subtle. I also noticed the quality of the mirror right away, it’s really well made.

I’ve lived here for just over two weeks, so this is just the beginning! There are a ton more ways to decorate for a small space, feel free to tweet me tips you’ve come across or experimented with.

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