Maximizing limited space in your home

Room (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No doubt one of the biggest challenges with many homeowners, is how to get maximum space from a small room. Empty-nesters, and those downsizing are often overwhelmed with the task of trying to house all of their belongings and decor into a condensed area. With limited square footage, you have to literally think outside the box, and up the sides of the box, if you will. When we look at any space and what it offers we tend took at the limitations of the actual square footage, however, by simply looking "up" we may realize that the next available space may be at eye level.


Making the vertical leap
 
The walls of a small room tend to be the most under used areas for actual storage, however, they actually have the most potential. If you think about it, if you have a room with 8 foot high ceilings, and a room of average size, say 12' X 12" you will see that each windowless wall offers 96 square feet of possibilities. Now if you figure on installing shelving, you will have to subtract for the amount the shelves extend into the space but still if you have more than one wall that can add up.

Ways to make storage beautiful

Master bedroom with built-in shelving, George D. Oakley House, 2110 Kakela Place, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, on the National Register of Historic Places (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shelving, hangers, hooks, all serve a valuable purpose in a small space. However, they don't always look attractive. This is where you must be creative. and get a decorative element that serves double duty. Decorative baskets may be your best friend for shelving that is needed for storage. Shelving that can run up your wall and extend corner to corner offer you maximum space storage, but not necessarily attractive storage. Consider giving shelving character by painting and adding decorative trim work like molding to the edges. It will give your shelves a finished built in look, and with the addition of lovely baskets that can hide your books, extra blankets, etc. you can have extra space on the floor and this gives you and your home a more spacious feel.

Opening up the floor

Empty living room/dining room in an apartment in a 1920s apartment house, Los Angeles, California. The exposed brick wall is recent. The flooring is also recently added. A Murphy bed was once behind the door on the left, but now the narrow space is used for shelving. I posterized this image in Adobe Photoshop Elements. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once you are trained to look to your walls for extra storage potential you will love the idea that your floor space is clutter free. If you are planning on selling a small home, with small rooms, buyers than can see a lot of floor space will actually feel like your home is bigger than it is and when it comes to selling a home, you are selling it by the square foot. The more the buyer can see, the more you're likely to sell.

Related articles

• Going retro and getting it right (examiner.com)
• How to define and design large spaces (dawnsinteriordecoratingsolutions.blogspot.com)
• Lightening up a dark room (dawnsinteriordecoratingsolutions.blogspot.com)
• Unifying large multi purpose spaces in your home (examiner.com)

Unifying large multi purpose spaces in your home

Image via Wikipedia

A clean slate is best. It may be best to clear out the room if it isn't already done. Take note of things like wall outlets, cable and phone lines etc. These all will play a key part in space assignment and definition. Once the room is clear you will notice the large expanses of individual surfaces like the ceiling, floor, and walls. These large surfaces have to tie in together to create a unified design. When choosing paints, or flooring, window treatments etc. remember that they will be the background for the room entirely. Creating too many colors, and varying window treatments or flooring will make the room feel disjointed. There are far better ways to create definition for a large space. If you live in South Carolina and would like to have a local contractor help in your renovation or remodel, see the * link at the bottom of this article for more information.

Ideas and potential problems

Ideas are free, so this is perhaps the easiest part of your project. Start off by writing down a list of ideas based on need vs. want and cost vs. budget to get a good idea what you are in for. After you've gotten a list going, it is time to take a look at the space and survey it in these key areas: ceiling, floor, walls, windows, entrance and exit. Assess if you space needs a new ceiling, flooring, walls removed or added, windows or lack thereof, and adequate accessibility. Not all large spaces were designed to be something else and in the case of attics and basement areas, having proper entrance and exits may need to be looked at. By going down this list you can write down your thoughts on how to improve them, as well as in what order. Most people who have done renovation work will tell you these broad surfaces have to be addressed in a certain order especially if the room requires painting. Ceilings should be installed and painted first, then walls painted, added, or removed, Windows can be installed next, and finally flooring. Flooring is best do to last so that paint drips, damage from wall and debris, etc wont destroy it's finish.

Here are a few common ways to utilize wasted space in your home

home office/study area

If you lack a home office, this large space may be just the place to create a home office, study area for the kids, or even a small library to read in.

Need media room/ game room

Many homes being built today are incorporating into their design media rooms and home owners are also requesting game room/play room space. Why? Well it may be due to the fact more Americans are feeling the pinch economically and spend more recreational time at home.

Additional Storage

If your home has cramped storage, having a partition built may be a clever way to create storage. In most cases, it would involve installing a wall framed in 2 X 4's spaced every 16 inches from the stud's center point to the center point of the next stud, a few pieces of sheet rock, molding, and joint compound. Creating a hidden area or large walk in closet in a large space is a great way to add storage that may be lacking in other areas of your home.

Define and unify

Once you have chosen the right details for the large surfaces of your multipurpose room, it is time to designate space allocation. Work on the room as a whole so that you don't end up with a disjointed space. Example: If you are adding a home office, you may want to take care to make sure that the finishes you use in choice of materials is one that can be carried out into the rest of the space. Cherry cabinetry in your home office area needs to be repeated elsewhere in the space to create a cohesive feel. The same applies to fabrics. Whether it is window treatments, throw pillows, furniture coverings, they need to have one common among them all. This should be in color, texture, pattern. Try to keep it simple by choosing three main colors to work off of. Similar textures, shapes and patterns with like colors will give your space a unified feel without compromising each rooms defined purpose.

How to define and design large spaces

Image via Wikipedia

As hard as it is to decorate and create space in a small area, it is equally difficult to take a large space and make it feel cozy. Add to that, the frustration of how to best utilize and define a large space and suddenly you see the challenge. Many people become overwhelmed with large spaces and after trying to paint and find ways to fill it give up. The key in pulling a large space together is to give the room a true identity or two. Yes, or two. Sometimes the best way to deal with large spaces it to make them multi-functional. The real problem emerges when you have a room serving so many functions how to pull it together in a cohesive way so that it looks less like a catch all room and more like a well planned and comfortable space to share.


Assessing your needs
In assessing what your needs are, take into consideration what the space already offers. Is there adequate number of electrical outlets? Phone jacks? Cable line? Is there a bathroom in this space, or existing plumbing for a bath room? Is there any natural light? Are the windows large enough to crawl out of in a fire situation? Many people looking to convert an unused space like an attic or basement into a room need to understand that certain rooms like adding an additional bedroom have certain criteria that must be met. For example in some states, a basement bedroom must have a large enough window to allow a person to crawl through it, as well as the bedroom can only be sold to a buyer if it has a closet. Knowing this in advance helps you plan especially if you are looking to increase the value of your home or wanting to sell it later on. If you are unsure about plumbing or electrical issues, it might be well worth consulting with a contractor, plumber or electrician before you begin.

Potential problems
Almost every home renovation or remodel runs into unforeseen problems. If you are working on a tight budget, allow extra for the unforeseen and keep things simple. Elaborate design ideas done on the cheap are almost impossible and if you aren't careful could cost twice as much through error. Instead keep your design ideas simple, practical and realistic. Rooms like basements can have issues with moisture, mildew, flooding etc. and these problems have to be fixed even if it means postponing your renovation to a later date. Attic space could have circulation problems, need additional insulation, electrical etc. Be sure to consult with experts before jumping into a project.


Possibilities and ideas
Once you have addressed any potential problems and have assessed what your family's needs are, it is time to start planning. Large spaces offer the potential to be many things. Taking a look at the rest of your home will provide some clues as to how to best utilize and allocate space in this large space.
Storage?
If your home has cramped storage, having a partition built may be a clever way to create storage. In most cases, it would involve installing a wall framed in 2 X 4's spaced every 16 inches from the stud's center point to the center point of the next stud, a few pieces of sheet rock, molding, and joint compound. Creating a hidden area or large walk in closet in a large space is a great way to add storage that may be lacking in other areas of your home.
Word to the wise: Every state is different and if you plan on making major structural changes to your home you may need a building permit. If that sounds a little too complicated, you may if budget allows, get a contractor in to do the small job.
Home office/study area
If you lack a home office, this large space may be just the place to create a home office, study area for the kids, or even a small library to read in. If you need a little privacy, consider using a room divider. This works great for many spaces.

Media room/ game room
Many homes being built today are incorporating into their design media rooms and home owners are also requesting game room/play room space. Why? Well it may be due to the fact more Americans are feeling the pinch economically and spend more recreational time at home.

Getting started
A clean slate is best. It may be best to clear out the room if it isn't already done. Take note of things like wall outlets, cable and phone lines etc. These all will play a key part in space assignment and definition. Once the room is clear you will notice the large expanses of individual surfaces like the ceiling, floor, and walls. These large surfaces have to tie in together to create a unified design. When choosing paints, or flooring, window treatments etc. remember that they will be the background for the room entirely. Creating too many colors, and varying window treatments or flooring will make the room feel disjointed. There are far better ways to create definition for a large space.

Define and unify
Once you have chosen the right details for the large surfaces of your multi-purpose room, it is time to designate space allocation. Work on the room as a whole so that you don't end up with a disjointed space. Example: If you are adding a home office, you may want to take care to make sure that the finishes you use in choice of materials is one that can be carried out into the rest of the space. Cherry cabinetry in your home office area needs to be repeated elsewhere in the space to create a cohesive feel. The same applies to fabrics. Whether it is window treatments, throw pillows, furniture coverings, they need to have one common among them all. This should be in color, texture, pattern. Try to keep it simple by choosing three main colors to work off of. Similar textures, shapes and patterns with like colors will give your space a unified feel without compromising each rooms defined purpose.

Related articles by this author:

• Giving space an identity in your home 
• Kitchen design trends that need to take a break 
• Interior décor an investment in your home's value 

Giving space an identity in your home

Image via Wikipedia

It may be hard to fathom the idea of anyone having wasted space but many homes that are being built today have excess space in the building plans. Many spaces have no defined purpose, they are just there. With so many new home constructions overflowing with rooms and spaces that have no identity it is a challenge to know what to do with the area.

Beware when shopping, this may be just to make the buyer think they are getting more house for their money but when a house has a lot of  “dead” space the costs to fill these areas can be costly too, not to mention heat and cool.

All rooms need an identity of some kind. Whether it is a sitting room, a study, a home office, or maybe

has the potential to be extra storage space it is important for the home owner to find a use for it. Why?

Empty space has to be heated and cooled, so it makes sense to find some way to utilize the space. Open spaces with no identity that are viewable by many need to have a use that is visually appealing firstly and functionality is a bonus.

4edc These types of spaces generally can be sitting areas, or one can add shelving and convert into a reading room/study or library. Spaces that are not easily viewable by the casual guest can be used as play areas for children, a meditation room, or a “pet area.” Some spaces that are partially exposed can be enclosed and made into a large walk in closet. Consider a second laundry area for ironing and sewing, especially in a two story home that has the laundry area on the main floor, a second laundry area where the family can place hampers, store winter clothes, or iron clothes is handy. Here are a few suggestions for using wasted or dead space in your home.

Art room

play room

study/library

home office

pet area

additional storage

multi media room

meditation room

Craft room

Sewing room

By giving these areas a purpose, you are increasing the functionality of your home. Decorate these rooms just as tastefully as the rest of your home for a finished and welcoming space you will no doubt go out of your way to enjoy and use.

********Converting a closet into an office space

A wall closet in a residential house in the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Convert that unused closet into a functional office space...

It may be hard to believe but there are times when you may need an office area far more than you need a closet. In those times, it is easy to take a spare closet and convert it into a functioning space. Latest and probably lasting trends that will be seen in the housing market is new construction that is accommodating to the needs of most home buyers to have a home office. For those who have an older home improvising is the name of the game.

Things You'll Need:

1 piece of 4 X 8 plywood (this should be enough but measure)

(2) 2X4X8's or(1 X 5's can also be used) You may need more so make sure to measure.

Box of 1 1/2 inch nails, or screws

(1) handsaw or skill saw

(1) level

(1) drill

molly bolts

Step 1

 First things first, you will want to measure your closet sides, and across the back. The closet in the photograph is the kind with two bi folds, so the measurements were roughly 2 1/2 feet on each short end and approximately 6 feet across.

Step 2

 Cut your 2 X 4 that will be mounted on the interior walls across the back and sides to fit according to your individual closet size. Nail one nail in the center of each 2 X 4 this will allow you the ability to move your 2 X 4 and adjust it to be perfectly level. Make sure to use a level and mark the wall with a pencil. You can now screw it into place using molly bolts and your drill. Add enough to make it very secure, and repeat this with the end too.

Step 3

 Now that your 2 x 4's are all in place and level and securely attached to your walls, it is time to cut your ply wood to fit on top. Make sure to put in several notches along the back of the plywood to allow for your computer wires, etc. Once cut simply place on top of the 2 X 4 braces and nail along the edges. If you want this space to also serve for other uses like sewing, its a good idea to place a 2 X 4 brace up from the floor to add extra support for a heavy sewing machine.

 

• Decorating for the potential buyer of your home
• Definition: Great room
• How to stage an older home for sale
• Giving space an identity in your home