space matters: big pieces for tiny spaces
Written by designfolder on November 25, 2010 – 8:00 am -
As apartments and homes shrink in size, a lot of people think that their furnishings also need to become smaller to fit their tiny residences and to make the space look much bigger.
Not necessarily.
The common misconception is that by making your furniture smaller, you make the space look bigger. Unfortunately, the opposite happens—smaller furniture requires you to have more pieces of one kind (for instance a chair) to accommodate a certain number of people. This, in turn, will make the space look cluttered because you have several items occupying such a small area.
In dealing with small spaces, the trick is to stick with the standard sizes of furniture (especially for sofas, chairs and beds), limit the pieces to what you only need (avoid “accent pieces” because you don’t have enough room for them), and keep all surfaces simple and clean to avoid visual clutter.
Take this 36-square meter condominium residence for example. This apartment can realistically and comfortably accommodate a couple with a child, or three individuals, at the most. Therefore, the interiors maintained its open plan layout, much like a hotel suite, without any partition separating the bedroom from the living-dining-kitchen area since privacy is not exactly an issue. This allowed for a standard double-size bed, a desk & chair, a wider-than-usual two-seater sofa, a coffee table, and a low TV cabinet to all fit in the small area with just enough space to move around.
The sizes of the dining table and coffee table (above) are much bigger than what you would normally put in a condo. But because they’re both in glass, they don’t seem to take a lot of space.
This apartment comes with an extra room for storage and closet space. Since space is very precious, this space was made into an extra bedroom as well. By making two-thirds of the cabinet into an overhead storage, a standard single bed, which functions as a sofa during the day and a bed at night, was able to fit underneath (below).
As long as you simplify your furnishings, keep everything organized, and minimize possible sources of visual and physical clutter, your relatively small home might just be the perfect size for you. 
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Tags: condo living, interior design, space matters
Posted in space matters | 14 Comments »
Facebook comments:
By orange on Nov 26, 2010 | Reply
this appeals to me a lot
By designfolder on Nov 26, 2010 | Reply
yihee! hehe
By Sarie on Nov 26, 2010 | Reply
I hope you could post source of furnitures? I so love them!
By designfolder on Nov 26, 2010 | Reply
hi sarie,
here are the sources:
mandaue foam – sofa
edia – tv cabinet, glass coffee table
dimensione – dining table + chairs, side table, lamps
beds, desk, desk chair, and mirror are custom-made
By madelski on Nov 27, 2010 | Reply
This looks so relaxing even if the space is small.
Love the sofa/bed thing.
By designfolder on Nov 30, 2010 | Reply
thanks madelski!
By home improvement on Dec 3, 2010 | Reply
i like your design pic, it’s look simple but comfortable
By sarah on Dec 16, 2010 | Reply
Awesome looks! i love the neutral colors with pops of color…
By keithe on Feb 11, 2011 | Reply
hi!
thanks for the tips…Could you provide rough price estimates of the sofa/bed set/dining table/lamp?
thanks!
By Fatima AInee SInsuat on May 8, 2011 | Reply
hi. do you know any interior designers that is willing to work outside Luzon? i am from mindanao and im looking for an interior designer who can buy and arrange furnitures, fixture and etc. for mynewly built haus. The theme of my house is asian modern and planning to move in by August this year.
By designfolder on May 8, 2011 | Reply
hi fatima. you can get in touch with piid (philippine institute of interior designers) for interior designers within/near your area. will email you their contact details.
By arlene desilva on Feb 26, 2012 | Reply
hotel suite concept appeals to me. I have 2 small condo units that I’d like to be designed. Can you pls give me the designer contact info. thanks, Mrs de Silva
By Christine on Jun 17, 2012 | Reply
Hi! Where do you buy the lamps especially the desk lamp? I also saw a desk lamp fr your friend’s loft that I like. Where do you buy the foam/ mattress for the beds? Can you also pls. recommend a store where i can get made to order curtains? Thanks so much! Your blog inspire me to create a beautiful home
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By designfolder on Jun 18, 2012 | Reply
hi christine! the lamps here are from dimensione but i’m not sure if these are still available. the one at the loft is from dwell. i get my mattresses from different stores depending on who’s on sale!
check sm dept store, ourhome, blims, and mandaue foam. i have my curtain requirements done by a curtain tailor in the village (very accessible for me). you can inquire at larry’s and shell canvas. they make custom curtains.