Furnishing’s added function, style replace extra volume

"Small is beautiful." "Small is Beautiful" is the title of a series of books by E. F. Schumacher (1911-1977), German economist

Once again, small spaces seem to be at the top of the mind for a lot of us. I get a lot of mail about how to live happily in small spaces, and I want to address some easy fixes.

Honestly, the largest percentage of us do live in small- to moderate-sized spaces. Those who own McMansions (not my word) are clearly not in the majority. And, even those who live in enormous spaces now may be thinking down the road to the empty nest syndrome, how they are going to downsize when their children fly away and what kind of small spaces they will find.

Consignment stores and craigslist.org are full of furnishings that once graced larger homes and have been replaced with more versatile, smaller-scale furnishings. In our valley, I’ve also seen the emergence of high-rise condos and lofts that offer even the most discriminating buyers a choice of small spaces.

Living in small spaces certainly doesn’t mean you can’t live large. Choosing appropriate-sized furniture and space planning can make any small space work.

I was reminded of this so vividly recently while shopping for game room furniture. So you can’t live without a pool table in your small space, or maybe it’s poker night you don’t want to give up. Take heart, gamers! Game and pool table manufacturers are on it. You can easily find these tables with movable or removable tops that quickly convert them to dining tables. Voila, you can have that friendly or not-so-friendly game of pool, pop the dining top on and serve your guests a gourmet dinner. Billiard Factory (www.billiardfactory.com) here in the valley has a large selection.

If you don’t want the pool table/dining table (I admit, it’s not for everybody), choose glass-top tables when possible. Again, glass reduces the visual volume, making the room appear larger and not weighted down with heavy wooden tables.

Another great option for small spaces is more contemporary furniture. Before you go "Aagh, I don’t like it," think again, and browse stores and the Internet to see the latest in contemporary design. Contemporary upholstered pieces tend to be smaller; there are no overstuffed chairs that take up so much room, physically and visually. The cleaner, sleeker lines are perfect for smaller spaces.

Versatile furnishings can make a huge difference in living in a small space. When space is at a premium, select your furnishings carefully. Make your furniture work. Buy side tables with drawers for your sofa or bed. Small cabinets with file drawers for office storage also are available. Buy an ottoman with a flip top that can be used for storage. Buy chairs that work in the dining area, but that also can be pulled into your sitting area when company comes.

And, of course, one of the most versatile pieces in small space living, is the convertible bed. I’m not referring to the convertible sofa (which also works), but the cabinet that becomes a bed. I’ve talked about this many times. It just doesn’t make sense in a small space to have a room just for guests when in reality you don’t have a lot of company. Furnish the room so that it works for you when you’re home alone and have an option to accommodate guests when they come.

As long as you are careful in your space planning and choice of furnishings, your small space can accommodate all of your interests, your lifestyle and even your guests. If you have other questions about living in small spaces, please send me a note.

Carolyn Muse Grant is the founding president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home section of the Review-Journal. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.