Category Archives: Small Spaces

Bye-Bye, Bulky Furniture

Since many of our clients reside in and around New York City, it is almost a given that they often live in smaller spaces and look to us for design solutions to maximize their size and style.

We understand that small spaces are not just smaller, they are different.

A Washington Post article revealed that the Chief Executive Officer of Pottery Barn realizes this too. She shared with investors that in February, they began introducing sleeker furniture designs because “As people move into smaller living arrangements…the large scale furniture is difficult”.

However, the lack of space alone might not explain the change in taste and the desire for a more streamlined aesthetic. I had an opportunity with Realtor.com to explore some thoughts on this in their article:

Bye-Bye Bulky Furniture: 5 Oversize Items on the Outs

The article features five hulking pieces, which designers felt have over-lived their stay. Scroll down to the “Plush Recliners” and “Dining Set” sections to find our input.

If you have downsized, or live in a small space that feels like it is shrinking, there are many design solutions, in addition to sleeker furniture, that can give you room to breathe again.

If you need assistance with breathing some new life into your space, take a look at our “Design Pinpoints” they may provide just the consultative support you need!

 

Also posted in Blog

When the Fine Print is Missing

when-the-fine-print-is-missing-photo

Please pull up a chair and get comfortable. I think that the following real-life story is worth a few minutes of your time. My hope is that, by sharing it with you, you will sidestep some major design and renovation disappointments.

Sometimes, as a design professional, the Universe leaves information on your doorstep that bothers you. It really bothers you. It is the kind of “bothers you” that nips at your heels all day, interrupts your thoughts at dinner and wakes you up at 5:00 am, knowing that you cannot keep it to yourself. This is one of those times!

Recently, a colleague forwarded me a blog post, written by a leading online home design site. The piece, a case study of a kitchen renovation featuring before and after photos, focused on the limitations of working with a 100 square foot space. She thought that it would be of particular interest, because we specialize in the design and renovation of small spaces.

The renovated kitchen was very attractive and incorporated some creative solutions for maximizing a small space. The piece detailed the design features and also revealed elements of the original space that had been altered to accomplish this. The list of alterations included the moving and replacement of walls, plumbing and electrical, which are not inexpensive cosmetic changes. Most New York City buildings also require that work like this be reviewed by their building architect and filed with the Building Department, involving drawings and an expeditor. Again, not minimal expenses.

Reading along, impressed that the information provided in this piece seemed so transparent, I was pleasantly surprised to see the inclusion of following “Cost Breakdown” for the project.

Cost Breakdown:

Kitchen Cabinets and Installation: $28,000

Countertop material: $3,800

Countertop Installation: $2,500

Backsplash Material: $4,000

Backsplash Installation: $1,800

Appliances: $13,000

Total: $53,100

Unfortunately, as I reviewed the breakdown, I quickly became much less pleasantly surprised!

Based on my experience, the “Total” pricing seemed pretty low and, looking closer, I realized why. The breakdown did not include any construction costs, design fees or building department filing costs! For those of you who have been through a renovation, you know that these costs represent a substantial portion of a project budget.

Why were these costs not included? I don’t know. Maybe it was an oversight? Hopefully!

Whatever happened here, it was extremely unsettling that a well-known resource, would provide information in such a seemingly professional, polished manner, which could be so easily misunderstood.

Unfortunately, the fine print was missing from this renovation story, which seems to happen a lot, since the advent of reality TV and online sites promoting design.

When making a large financial investment, like a renovation, most people know to read the fine print. However, it is also important to know when the fine print is actually missing! This is value that an experienced design professional can provide.

Whether a renovation is in your future or not, we hope that you will find something useful in this real-life tale from our doorstep. Who knows? I think this may be just one story, in on-going series, as we will continue to make you aware of potential pitfalls!

As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help! In addition to full-project design, we also offer design consultations, when you just need a few hours of professional support.

 

Also posted in Home Renovation, Uncategorized

Condo Makeovers / Schiffer Publishing

renovation-book-cover-cropped

We are thrilled to share that two of our projects are featured in Condo Makeovers, a wonderful new book hot off the presses from Schiffer Publishing and available online at Amazon.com and  Barnes & Noble. Focused on the design and renovation of homes in high-rise condos and apartments, it provides a peek into thirty beautifully photographed, one-of-a-kind living spaces.

Thank you to our clients, friends and colleagues for your support, encouragement and inspiration!

Also posted in Change, Custom Furninshings, Home Renovation

Minimizing Clutter in Small Spaces

Newsletter 8:16 (Trulia Photo)

Requiring less time, energy and money, smaller living spaces provideso many benefits. However, nothing is perfect. There can also be challenges!

With an interior design practice based in New York City, many of our clients live in less space and look to us to provide design solutions to maximize their functionality and style.

Recently, I had the opportunity to explore ideas for managing clutter in small living spaces with Trulia.com in their article 8 Ways To Create A “Drop Zone” In A Small Space“.

We hope that you will find some value in this for yourself. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help – whatever the size of your living space!

Also posted in Blog, Uncategorized

Downsizing? A New Start in a Fresh Space

Downsizing? A New Start in a fresh Space

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you’re an empty nester moving from a house into a condo, or a renter trading in a two-bedroom for a studio and shorter work commute, many people now see downsizing their home as a step forward, not backward.

The benefits to living in less space are many, but saying goodbye to a familiar living environment and memory-filled belongings, can be a challenge. Having helped numerous clients through this process, I recently had the opportunity, with WSJ.com on their program “Wealth Watch”, to explore some ideas to make the experience easier.

Following is the link to that podcast episode, “Downsizing? Create a New Start in a Fresh Space”

Click Here to Listen

Visualizing how our needs and priorities will transition into a new space is the first step. If you need assistance, we are here to help – whatever the size of your living space!

 

Also posted in Change, Podcast

From Downsizing to Rightsizing

Heather Higgins

As we move into summer, it reminds us that there is always a new season. Just as the seasons transition, so do our lives. This post explores solutions, when life transitions lead to downsizing our living space.

Seasons of Change

My interest in interior design surfaced as the result of a life transition. At the age of five, my Father’s job promotion transplanted our family from a small, quiet town in Florida to the windy city of Chicago. I had to leave almost everything that was familiar to me behind, including friends and relatives.

To fill this void and at great embarrassment to my parents, I would forage through the neighbor’s trash, looking for treasures to decorate my room. You probably have not resorted to picking through rubbish, but I’m certain that you can relate to wanting a living environment comprised of elements that have meaning to you. When everything and everyone around me was new, my room felt like a warm hug.

When the Solution is Downsizing

During times of personal transition, our home environments are often radically disrupted and don’t feel or function as before. When the outcome involves downsizing to a smaller living space, it can feel overwhelming.

With a design practice based in New York City, it is not unusual that many of our clients live in less space. In fact, we are real advocates of small space living. Requiring less time, energy and money, smaller living spaces provide greater lifestyle flexibility.

Whether you’re an empty nester moving from a house into a condo, or a renter trading in a two-bedroom for a studio and shorter work commute, many people now see downsizing their home as a step forward, not backward.

From Downsizing to Rightsizing

The benefits to living in less space are many, but saying goodbye to a familiar living environment and memory-filled belongings, can be a challenge. Having helped numerous clients through this process, mindset is crucial. Following are some suggestions that may help to make it an easier experience for you:

  • Consider your future home as a fresh new slate, not a lesser version  of your former home.
  • Visualize the lifestyle you want to embrace as you move forward and be willing to make sacrifices and part with furnishings to achieve this.
  • Shift your focus to the time, energy and money a smaller space saves and the greater lifestyle flexibility it provides.
  • Choose quality over quantity. Select one great piece of furniture that makes a statement, rather then several smaller, less significant pieces.
  • For items that are too hard to let go, put them in storage and if you don’t need or use them within twelve months, give them away.

As we experience life transitions, our homes can nourish us emotionally and spiritually. They provide a personal connection between our past, present and stepping into a future of new possibilities.

Understanding our personal needs and priorities is the first step toward moving forward. If you need assistance, we are here to help!

In addition to full-project design, we also offer design consultations, when you just need a few hours of support from a seasoned professional.

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Also posted in Blog, Change

8 Reasons to Buy a 1,000-square-foot House – Trulia.com

 

8 Reasons to Buy a 1,000-square-foot House

With a design practice based in New York City, it is not unusual that many of our clients live in less space and look to us to provide design solutions to maximize their size and style.

We are real advocates of small space living. Requiring less time, energy and money, smaller living spaces provide greater lifestyle flexibility.

Recently, I had the opportunity to explore some of the benefits of small space living with Trulia.com. Following is a link to their article 8 Reasons to Buy a 1,000-square-foot House“.

Click here to read the article

We hope that you will find some value in this for yourself. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help – whatever the size of your living space!

 

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Also posted in Blog, Change

There’s Always Room for Holiday Spirit – RealSimple.com

How to Decorate a Small Space for the Holidays

Don’t have room to trim a tree? Not to worry. There are so many other festive ways to decorate your small space for the holidays.

Recently, I had the opportunity with RealSimple.com to explore several fun options for maximizing holiday spirit, when space is at a premium. Following is a link to their article “How to Decorate a Small Space for the Holidays”.

Click here to read the article

We hope that these ideas will inspire you to make some new holiday traditions. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help!

Also posted in Blog, Holidays

There’s Always Room for Guests – Realtor.com

How to Make Any Room a Guest Room

Even when the size of our living space is limited, we want our houseguests to feel special and truly welcome. However, providing them with a home away from home, without compromising square footage or functionality, can feel challenging.

Recently, I had the opportunity with Realtor.com, to explore how rooms can multitask to include welcoming sleeping arrangements in just about any space in their article “Crowded House for the Holidays? Here’s How to Make Any Room a Guest Room”.

Click here to read the article.

We hope that this will inspire some new options and ideas for you. As always, if you need assistance, we are here to help!

 

Also posted in Blog

Are You Investing Wisely in Your Home?

Are You Investing Wisely in Your Home

Whether you are renovating your home, giving it a cosmetic facelift or purchasing furnishings, there is more how-to information available on television, the Internet and in publications, than you could possibly use in a lifetime! Unfortunately, many of these resources are supported by advertisers whose primary focus is to sell us something, rather than to educate us.

On a quest to support people in creating the home that they need and want, I invite you to reflect on the concept of “value” as we explore some of the pitfalls to avoid when purchasing home furnishings.

Although similar principles apply to a range of items from kitchen cabinets to office furniture, we will use the purchase of a sofa, as an example. Most of us own a sofa, it is one of the largest, most visible furnishings in our home and we usually live with it for a long time.

Today, two of the most common factors driving sofa purchases are price and availability. Although we all welcome saving money and receiving faster deliveries, corners often get cut to provide these benefits.

A Sad Story

The life of a good quality sofa, subjected to normal wear, is generally about 10 years. A neighbor of mine is about to purchase her third sofa, in less than 5 years. After she owned her first sofa for about 2 years, the cushions collapsed and lost their shape. After she had owned her second sofa for about 2 years, the fabric at an arm seam split open. The quality of neither sofa was worth the financial investment to repair them.

Quantity vs. Quality

To keep pricing low and allow for quick availability, manufacturers often mass produce sofas in limited upholstery and finish options. Although this reduces the selection available, it does not necessarily affect the product quality.

What You See, Isn’t Always What You Get

Other means of cutting costs, however, which are not as visible on the outside. Can make a significant difference in the life of a sofa. A few of these are:

  • Sofa frames not made from moisture-resistant hardwoods.
  • Plastic or metal legs provided instead of sturdy wood ones.
  • Springs used that are faster to install, but do not last as long.
  • Upholstery fabrics, which may initially look and feel great, but do not wear well.
  • Cushions made with lower-cost, less-dense foam that doesn’t retain its shape.
  • Skimpy padding on upholstered arms.

Again… What You See, Isn’t Always What You Get

Online suppliers, because they do not have the overhead of brick and mortar stores, often entice us with extremely low pricing. Unfortunately, being unable to see furnishings in person presents some real limitations:

  • The quality of the construction, fabrics and finishes or the fit and comfort of the seating cannot be verified.
  • Online color rendition is often so poor, that the grey sofa you ordered may arrive looking very much like a blue sofa or a brown sofa.
  • In addition, the purchaser usually bears the cost of returning any items to the supplier, which can be substantial, when a large, heavy sofa is involved.

In Hindsight

My neighbor, who is about to purchase her third sofa in 5 years, is a bright, educated professional, who loves television programs on home design. Although she had the funds to purchase better quality sofas, price and quick delivery were the deciding factors behind both of her initial purchases. If she had spent the combined cost of the two sofas on just one sofa and waited a few extra weeks for delivery, her life would probably look much different now. Most likely, she would be sitting pretty on a sofa that would have lasted her 4 or 5 times longer than her original purchase.

You do the math. I encourage you to recognize and invest in quality!

If you need some assistance, we can help! In addition to full-project design, we also offer design consultations, when you just need a few hours of support from a seasoned professional.

Thank you for stopping by our blog. We hope that we were able to inspire some new design options for you and that you will check back with us regularly!

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Also posted in Blog