Our row home is small (12′ feet wide, and a total of 1090 square feet). And while the basement addition gave us extra space to live in, the individual areas and rooms are still…small. I quickly learned that such spaces have their own rules to play by when decorating. You can’t just select from the vast selection of furniture that a suburban ranch dweller can. Well you can…but things are going to look grossly oversized and make the room seem that much smaller.
Here are a 3 [rather blunt] design tips I value:
1. Hang mirrors – Mirrors will carry your eye past the wall. They are a great way to reflect natural (and artificial) light and break up that wall without windows (often found in row homes).
2. Less is more – Particularly when it comes to furniture. A plush leather ottoman is beautiful, but an open-framed coffee table with a glass top will take up less visual space.
3. Ikea – Okay I know this isn’t really a ‘tip.’ But Ikea has some great options for slimmed down furniture and storage. And with any furniture, just because it’s called one thing, doesn’t mean it can’t be used in other ways!
Top left: platform bed with sliding storage underneath. Bottom left: ‘shoe’ organizer which can be used for just about anything! Right: shallow depth wardrobe
Picture frame shelves as decorative storage in the bathroom
Most dressers are 19″ deep. Tarva dressers are only 15″!