Creative Use of Small Spaces

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1. Turn a closet into an office.

Use curtains instead of bi-fold doors. When it's not in use, slide the curtains closed! Using the curtains provides a decorative, as well as functional, element and they don't "intrude" into the space the way bi-fold doors would when opened.

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2. Use a window nook for a desk. Notice how they used corbels to support the desk top.

Country Living photo: David Prince

3. Careful planning allows you to get a lot of function from your space. Notice how Amanda has incorporated storage, display, seating and lighting on this wall. Notice, too, that none of this would have to be custom. She used a regular sofa, and you could purchase premade shelving units at whichever price point your budget allows.

Amanda Nisbet Design

4. Reclaim the wasted space under your stairs.

Amanda Nisbet Design

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Giveaway tomorrow!

BookCases and Storage

spine wood bookcase

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Solid-wood shelving is ideal for narrow spaces.Ten shelves. Assembly required.

newkirk media tower

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Versatile storage for media equipment and more. Wood construction. Some assembly required. Open shelving for storage and display. One adjustable and one fixed shelf.

rectangle cutout bookcase

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A combination of open and closed storage, perfect for revealing and concealing. Designed to accommodate west elm’s canvas storage collection. Wood construction. Assembly required.

A frame bookcase

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Graduated open shelves scale bold new heights. Versatile, modern design in wood construction with oak veneer. Assembly required.

stacked modular bookcases

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Open stacked shelving does double duty as a room divider. Wood construction. Assembly required.

room divider bookcase

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Impressively versatile. Tall, freestanding open shelving works double-duty, dividing a room while displaying art, books and collections. Wood construction. Assembly required.

cadman spine bookcase

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Minimalist design maximizes vertical wall space with 14 removable shelves. Assembly required.

parsons bookcase

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Airy open shelving for storage and display. Wood construction.

Beautiful ' Order And Disorder ' Makes Stunning Storage !

Beautiful 'Order and Disorder ' Makes Stunning Storage



How great is this look ? They have taken the fronts of china cabinets , or have achieved this look by installing/attaching custom china fronts ( or salvaged antiques ) , over the opening in a wall where a pantry or closet might be specified for storage.



Think of space you save with set-in storage, and the beauty you achieve with these china cabinet fronts instead of using standard doors. It is a great alternative when you want the look of an antique in a room , but you are dealing with limitations, and sometimes we are talking ' inches'.



Or... guess what ?



You could just apply a salvaged china cabinet front, or a dresser/buffet front with a mirror and a pair of electrified sconces on either side . Use your glorious imagination !



This could be done in a foyer that is too tight , but you wanted an impressive entrance. 'Voila,' you can have it !

As a designer, I never have taken very well to the words , " it is impossible" or " there is not enough space to do what you want".

I always figure something out. Always.

And I love the contrast of the high-tech kitchen with the warmth and elegance of the

china cabinet's facade. It works beautifully in my eyes.



I think this might be what Mr Brock was alluding to when he was quoted in the NYT :

Mr. Brock’s definition of aesthetic beauty is based on a complex mathematical theory he developed.

In the catalog he writes that beauty is present in an object “when the right balance is achieved between order and disorder.”



But, even what we read is subjective , NO ?



picture from: curbly.com



( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design