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bookcases, Cambridge, how to decorate a small apartment, loft, Lucite, New York City, NYC, small apartment, small space, sofa turns into bunk bed, solutions, Staircase, storage solutions
I am a country mouse. My brother, however, is a city mouse. Our lifestyles could not be more opposite. He has lived in Cambridge, London, but primarily in New York City, where apartments have their quirks and run on the small side. New Yorkers have adjusted and know the tricks to get the most out of their space. Maybe because of his metropolitan living, I was intrigued…
On my Mac, I have a file entitled “Small Spaces”, which is full of pictures that I find engaging for one reason or another, which will take me quite a while to get through, but I wanted to start and show you a few!
This space may be small, but it certainly doesn’t give the impression of being cramped.
A multi-use piece of furniture: a bar, desk and two drawers devoted to a child’s plethora craft items.
A mirror, drapes hung to the ceiling, glass-topped coffee table and soothing hues of butter yellow, a whisper of kiwi green and a soft periwinkle blue.
It’s a sofa. It’s a bed. It’s whichever you need it to be with a swap of the pillows.
Tricky, tricky, tricky! A sofa converts to bunk beds! Now that is making the most of space!
I’ve shown many kitchens before with cabinets going up to the ceiling, but these were made to get every inch of storage, regardless of the slope of the ceiling.
Staircases are the biggest offender in terms of wasted space. Reclaim it! A cubby and lockers for backpacks.
Drawers. You may have seen some of these treatments before, but it goes to show how versatile they can be.
Drawers in the risers!!!
Bookshelves in the front…
Bookshelves in the back…
Bookshelves all around!
Some thoughts:
- Make as much visual floor space as possible. That means, sofas that aren’t skirted, glass/lucite tables, etc…you want to be able to see the floor.
- With space at a premium, edit your belongs and purge those that you deem to be clutter. If it’s not of use, lose it and be ruthless….or get a storage unit.
- Mirrors are wonderful, but you already knew that 😉 You could also try one on a table top.
- Monochromatic colors can make the space look more open.
- Gauzy window treatments, but hang them high!
- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, go UP! Bookcases, kitchen cabinets, etc. should go to the ceiling to give you as much storage. While you are up there, hang your drapes up there to! When they are hung high, and I mean almost to the ceiling or to the ceiling, it just looks better.
- Carve out spaces…under stairs, between studs in the walls, etc.
- Think about multi-use/functioning items that can do double duty.
I hope there is something that helps you here and that you all have a great day 😀
I’m amazed! The way those are done to make the most room. I have seen the stair drawers before, but the rest? WOW! Sofa bunk beds? Ingenious! Thank you for sharing these novel items with us.
I couldn’t believe that when I saw it!!! Such a smart design!! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
😀
love those drawers under the stairs, that’s just a great idea
drawers under the staircase – brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Anytime! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Some really super solutions here!
The bookshelf stairs are fantastic!
They are! How are you??? Are you getting any more sleep??
No, not really much more sleep yet. Every now and then I get four hours which is amazing! Thanks for asking!
Wow…that sofa/bunkbed makes me a little insane. Do you know who makes it or where it is available? I am kind of a freak for convertible/multiuse spaces and furnishings (see my compulsory fence-slash-dining counter and buit-in containers), not to mention my workshop-on-wheels. I call it the Swiss Army Life approach.
The stair storage is GREAT–like Westernized Tansu. I think more innovative storage approaches such as these are desirable even in larger spaces, because instead of putting things way away in closets or attics, things are close at hand and it makes it easier to use what you have, rather than keeping things you wind up not using or even needing.
When we were building, it turned out the space under our stairs to the first landing was ‘dead.’ The radiant heat doesn’t run under there and the void is on the exterior wall. I wanted to make a stair system that would lift up (Think: where Spot lived on The Munsters) maybe with a small hydraulic assist. I thought it would make awesome wine storage. Alas, it just wasn’t in the budget. Now I am very sorry I didn’t try harder for it. It would have been so cool!
We are too alike! I found every dead space in our house and had access made for storage, but I didn’t have the knowledge of “hydraulics” and such! Here’s where you can get it: http://www.bonbon.co.uk/clei/doc.htm. It says call for a price quote, but the price is around $6,800 (!!!)
Guess I’ll wait ’til IKEA come out with one…
This post is very inspiring. Having countless bookshelves would be a dream come true! This makes me want to go home and organize! 🙂
thanks for posting some of your incredible finds – great ideas!
Absolutely love the bookshelves hiding in the stairs. I have seen the drawers hiding in the stairs before but not the bookshelves in the front and at the back. Just genius!
that bunk bed/couch is crazy!
all the stair ideas are super-cool 🙂
Loved the stair-like bookcase! Just love it!
-SB
i love the vertical pull out units under the the stairs. I need some for my beads!
I agree with hanging the curtains high, even if you have the tall ceilings already. I love every single one of those staircase ideas & I’m already thinking of how to incorporate that – definitely under the basement stairs. Drawers in the risers – fantastic!
The step storage – AMAZING! I wish my pantry was that organized, since mine looks like a bomb has gone off in there – ha!
Great post! Wonderful ideas. In the process of downsizing. Currently in the ruthless stage of purging … it is at once liberating to be free of “stuff”, though I must admit it is not without an emotional goodbye. Looking forward to a less cluttered space.
I have always thought that stairs wasted a lot of space as well. Thank you for showing us clever ways to reclaim that space. We are moving back to the DC area from Cambridge soon and I wanted to make some changes. I will definitely see if this fits in our budget.
These shots just get the creative juices going
I began to look for sunburst mirrors like it was part of a game. If it were night time, it could’ve been introduced as a drinking game. See a sunburst mirror, take a shot! LOL! Anyway, I love your 50 Shades…much more interesting than the book…
And it was only by accident that there were those in there! Maybe going forward it can be a game and I could really load them up 🙂
I can picture it now, LOL! Drunken bloggers everywhere… in fact, it could be a challenge with your readers. Who can find the worst, ugliest use of a sunburst mirror…LOL! And people around the world looking at family members wondering when looking at interior design pictures got so wild. 😉
Lol!! Oh, there are a LOT of them out there!!! On a side note, I was looking on Youtube this morning trying to find a video for you (since you had some on your blog of ballads), but I couldn’t find it since the album didn’t get released in the US, but it was Muse’s Time is Running Out…great lyrics – I’m always a sucker for the lyrics!
Me, too! I’m going to have to look up the lyrics. Maybe if I do a general search I may have some luck with the song as well. Thanks!
Oh geesh! I searched onthe app on my ipad and it was a no show, just searched it on my computer and here it is! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JLfCCGOers….oh and It’s definition #1 of a ballad…i.e.storytelling, not romantic!!
Your version is definitely much better than the one I found…:-) Thank you!
Me, too! I’m going to have to look up the lyrics. Maybe if I do a general search I may have some luck with the song as well. Thanks! Wait! I think I found it… Is this it? http://youtu.be/rYDuNq-a5b4
Yep! We must have been searching at the same time, read my comment above! Haha!
This is fantastic! Very great ideas. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I so look forward to how your pictures and ideas transport us, empower us, and mAke us feel we can do new things!
I love the orange sofa and its very European solution.