Friday, April 12th, 2019
Instagram is brimming with pictures of tiny yet beautiful homes. These photos make small square footage look cute, premium and seemingly easy. But easy is the least thing that these homes are going to be, challenging, yes.
So let’s just have some real talk here. Where will you put your clothes and accessories? How will you fit your furnishings? Instead of it being cute and lovely, what you will get is a string of stressful situations.
So, how should you decorate your home when it’s on the small side?
Up You Go
Look from the floor and all the way up to the ceiling. That is how much storage space you actually have. You could have hanging shelves there or you could place wardrobes against the walls so that you maximize the space that’s actually provided to you.
The height of your wardrobes will also maximize that vertical space. Also, do not forget that small spaces make good use of available storage so it is best to keep clutter at bay.
Two or More
Smaller homes can also benefit from furnishings that come with two or even more functions. That daybed can now be used in your tiny home as a lounging seat during day and a bed at night.
A C-table can be used as a spot to put your computer on. Now remember that every piece of furniture that has more storage (hidden or not) will make living in a smaller home much more bearable.
Never sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your furniture pieces, though.
Look At Me
Said the mirror; let mirrors become your new best friends. Line them up to create an interesting gallery or have them hung adjacent to the windows so that they make your tiny home appear brighter and much larger.
Never think that mirrors have little effect on the way that your home looks. A well-placed mirror, even just a single framed one, will have a huge impact on the way that your interior design will look.
Be Purposeful, Be You
Become an editor by connecting to your living space and recognizing the purpose of each and every room there. And every little element that you add should represent who you are, else, it doesn’t make sense that they are even brought into your home.
Keep Things Tonal
If you want to open up any space, make sure that you keep things tonal, meaning, you use several layers of colors instead of just one, eternal white wall.
Know the colors that you want from the outset. You could pick just one color and then either use the shades or the tints of that hue. This will make your interior design look dignified and collected.
And as you plan your color palette, be sure to infuse polished palettes of combined neutrals. These will further open up the space.
And Then There Was Light
Lighting will always be an important part of interior design. This is the element that has the ability to alter the mood of a room, even its perceived size. There are certain kinds of lighting that are suitable to a smaller space.
As you stay away from dark colors, make sure that the walls are light-colored so that your space becomes brighter. These walls also become more reflective, which, in the process, opens up your space.
Sin Not
Don’t commit any of the designers’ most common mistakes such as ignoring accidental architectural features. A long unused fireplace could be repurposed as your book collection’s new storage and display space.
The right lighting for vanity is also a common problem when in smaller homes. With just a small patch of space, it becomes a huge mistake to put overhead lighting in this situation. When faced with this, opt for slimmer sconces instead. Find the cigarette-shaped ones so you could still add layered lighting later on.
Tags: living in a tiny home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small apartment, small house, small space design, small space organization, small spaces, tiny home, tiny house living
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes | Comments Off on Creativity for Small Spaces
Tuesday, September 18th, 2018
More and more people seem to be realizing the advantages of living in smaller homes. Maintenance and expense-wise, these homeowners embrace the lifestyle of owning a tiny house with a grateful heart.
Small homes are beautiful but just in the right hands. They are practical and easy to live in but you also have to do your part so that you won’t end up being grumpy in a cramped space. Here are some tips that can make you visually stretch your small habitat –
No More Clutter
There is nothing more cramping that a space that has too much stuff. Find ways that you can view and appreciate your collections without them stuffing the space. Learn to organize behind those doors, in shelves, and even under the dining room table skirts.
Things that are neatly arranged and are kept out of your sight will give your space an orderly, thus, a more spacious look.
Block Not
It’s time to open the way. If there are furniture pieces and accessories that are currently blocking spaces and views in your home, then it’s time to have them repositioned, stored or disposed.
Keep the walkways open by moving the furniture as far away from them as possible. Doing this will make the place appear and feel larger.
Use smaller pieces of furniture such as an armless chair, ottomans and a low table. If you still have a few pieces of tall and large furniture, then have them line the walls instead of having them take up valuable space.
Lighter, Always
Creating a visually expansive space is easy when you know how to use proper hues. Pick only the lighter and softer hues. The warmer and darker colors will make the space cozier and more intimate but they also have the power to make your home look cramped.
Sheer fabrics are also your go to fabrics for your type of layout. These window treatments allow light and breeze to freely pass through. You can also use them as bed skirts, slipcovers, and table covers.
You can now choose from a variety of colors as well as patterns. Just keep the look simple by using only cool colors and delicate fabrics. Find other see-through materials. Get rid of that opaque glass in your shower enclosure. Replace it with the frameless, clear one. By doing so, you will realize that you’ve just doubled the space (only visually though).
Illuminate All the Time
Many interior design professionals now use track lighting instead of lamps. Small rooms tend to function and look better with the former, that’s why. There are now beautiful track lights that can fill up a small space with light. Find the style that goes with the lighting fixtures that you have chosen. Lobbies are lit quite differently from bedrooms but since your goal is to make the room appear bigger, just make sure that it’s amply lit each time that it’s in use.
And during the day, make sure that natural light freely flows in. Get rid of the heavy draperies and open up the windows. Lastly, make good use of reflective surfaces such as mirrored walls and glass tabletops.
Coordinate
The enemy of a tiny home is a broken up space caused by contrasting hues. Learn to coordinate colors by having the walls and furnishings come in the same color family.
Sometimes Bigger Is Better
At times, the use of a few large pieces of furniture or accessories can also work. Their upholstery must be kept plain so that they do not clash with the existing design. Allow texture to create the visual interest.
The armchairs and sofas that have raised legs can create a sense of spaciousness. Dispose any furniture that are dark and have unnecessary details.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home design, small homes
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes | Comments Off on From Tiny to Expansive: How to Make a Small Room Appear Bigger
Wednesday, July 4th, 2018
Your big move from a house to a tiny apartment is a great way to have a new start. This change, of course, comes with some adjustments that may feel foreign or even overwhelming. Some might even be downright scary. But this does not have to happen to you. When you finally make this big leap, then you have to know what to expect.
These days, a lot of people have decided to downsize. Just go to the Internet and you will see hundreds of options. The news is that downsizing is just a small part of moving from a house to a smaller housing unit.
Smaller Space
This is probably the most obvious change that you will encounter. The reduced living space is needful for efficiency, meaning, every square footage is used even when the rooms are smaller. Since this is so, you need to rethink the furniture that you bring in. You will have to say goodbye to that oversized sofa and find a sleeker version.
Little Yard
Do you detest mowing the lawn? Busy working people and families with smaller children might view lawn mowing as a chore rather than a treat. A smaller yard means having a smaller landscaping to work on. Most apartment dwellers are contented with a container garden – maybe you would, too.
Limited Storage
It’s time to take a hard look into your cabinets, cupboards, and drawers. What do these storage units contain? This is the perfect time to declutter your life and keep your possessions in check.
Are all the things stored in your cabinets used on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Or have then been used at all in the last few years? It’s time to decide which things you would want to keep and which things need to go.
Here are some things that you might want to check again –
See if you can give away some items that you no longer use and be sure to create a list of the things that you do use every day.
Safety and Security
Living in smaller quarters means you are within an earshot from your neighbors all of the time. It also becomes easier to make friends with your neighboring units so anyone who doesn’t look familiar would be easier to recognize.
Also, rental communities come with security guards or pass cards or even security codes when you need to enter the premises. Ask your landlord about the kind of security that is in place on your premises. Most homeowners are surprised with the added safety measures which they are able to get for zero cost.
TV and Internet
Apartment living may come with TV and Internet subscriptions. Do not immediately consider this as a downside. The advantage to this is that you no longer have to worry about an extra expense for these things that you regularly use anyway.
Be sure to check the internet situation before you decide to move in. Many complex owners are able to get better packages or deals for TV or internet packages.
Love the Daybed
Moving to a tiny apartment might mean using multipurpose furnishings. Instead of putting the bed in the middle of your living room, why not have a daybed which folds to a couch in the morning? Why not add an ottoman with storage when you’re thinking of adding another storage box?
Remember always that you have limited square footage so learn to use furnishings as functional pieces and also as aesthetic stuff. Instead of creating tiny rooms, why not have one room serve as a living room in the day and a bedroom at night?
Tags: living in a small house, living in a small space, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small home, small houses
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes | Comments Off on Downsizing to Apartment Living
Saturday, June 23rd, 2018
If you have to read about the history of townhouse living, then you’d have to go to Rome or even England and start your research there. Manhattan may be booming with apartments and townhouses but these structures weren’t born there.
The townhouse is that rental property that is either freestanding or attached to another townhouse. These habitats often have a terrace.
A rented townhouse comes with a monthly fee that is asked by the owner of the property in exchange for living the property. At times, the owners and the tenants live in the same habitat. Typically, only one family can be housed in such a unit, though.
Living in a townhouse comes with amenities such as pools, gyms, and spas. While apartments date all the way back to the times of the Ancient Romans, the townhouse came into existence in England when the aristocrats spent months living in different places at a time. While these elite people were living away from their homes, they had a townhouse to serve as their habitat.
The appeal to live in a townhouse is insatiable especially among urban dwellers. Just imagine having to pay heftily for every square inch of space in Manhattan so wanting to move into a more spacious dwelling unit is a dream come true. Plus, there is an increased sense of security since your neighbors are just within earshot.
Making the Most of Townhouse Living
Living in a townhouse is all about making the most of the space that you are provided with. It is all about making the eyes believe that the area is actually more spacious than it actually is. In the wrong designer’s hands, a townhouse could very easily turn into a claustrophobic environment rather than a cozy one.
Be able to decorate in such a way that light and colors are optimized. Make correct use of weight and scale as these can either make or break your design.
You could try a few things when you have grown tired of the traditional setups. So, instead of the usual blinds for the window treatments, you could use flowing drapes as they tend to make the eyes imagine height, thus, giving you vertical space. The floor-to-ceiling types are the best options to accomplish this visual goal.
Regardless of size, the living room in a townhouse must be the area of relaxation and entertainment. When you are designing for a dual purpose, you have to learn to use elements that could open up space. For instance, the age-old trick of using mirrors to reflect light can be used in the living area. Strategically placed mirrors can visually widen the space.
You can put the mirror behind a light source like a pendant lamp or even a lit candelabrum. This should give your townhouse the illusion of having another window.
You can also use the vertical space to hang small to medium-sized artworks. This technique is also used to make rooms visually larger. The trick here is that the eyes are led to roam the space horizontally.
When using colors, it would be best to shy away from dark hues. Small homes would do well to use neutral color palettes because these are known to push back the walls, visually of course. Softer hues also tend to lighten and brighten up a room since they can reflect light. Softer colors also add instant sophistication as well as a homier feel.
Lastly, pick only the furniture that has a lightweight appearance. It would be wrong to add chunky pieces of furniture as these will constrict your space. Use end tables and coffee tables that come in pale hues. Your best friends are glass and light-colored wood furnishings.
Tags: designing a townhouse, history of townhouses, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, townhouse design, townhouse history, townhouse living
Posted in Apartment Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Tiny Homes, Townhouse Living | Comments Off on Why Townhouse Living Is Beautiful
Monday, March 6th, 2017
Are you at a point in your life when all your kids have grown and have turned into independent adults? Then you are now officially an empty nester. What this often means is that you are left with a big, empty home. Retirement is also looming around the corner so this is the best time to consider downsizing – and this is for you and your spouse’s own good.
Downsizing an Empty Nest Means Right Sizing
This is your big step towards your journey to a more suitable home. A single or a couple should look forward to finding the right remodeling project or even another home that will provide their needs beyond retirement.
This means you have to find a smaller and more manageable home where you won’t have to sacrifice your lifestyle. This must be a home with features that meet your design requirements as well as other amenities that will help you as you age gracefully.
You might have a smaller home soon but it also means less time cleaning it up. Look at it as a chance to finally have ample time to check into more meaningful activities.
A downsized home must still have ample storage. This is a desirable element that you must first consider. Abundance of storage means you won’t have to worry about where to store the linens, the bedding, towels, shoes, etc.
You can have a walk-in closet built especially for your clothes, shoes and other accessories. You can also invest in a double vanity and expansive counters for the bathrooms. Just adjust the size since you won’t be sharing it with the children anymore or that you won’t be needing a lot of surface space.
Of course, clutter must never be an option in your new empty nester’s home.
Another feature that you also need to consider is the kitchen where you will be cooking your gourmet dishes. Still another is the entertaining area where you will receive family and friends (especially your toddler grandchildren).
Since you are transitioning into retirement, you must also seriously consider the safety features of your remodeled or new home. Your habitat must offer ample space but at the same time, it must have quiet spots where you can spend time reading or simply meditating.
Another feature that you need to consider is how safe your home will be. There are several factors that you need to look into such as properly installed smoke and heat detectors, burglar alarms, deadbolt locks, some fire extinguishers, updated electrical wiring systems, heating or cooling systems, lightning rods, and firewalls.
The stairs (if your new house has any) need to have safety handrails.
If you chose to move instead of remodel your home, it is also wise to check the neighborhood where you’re moving into. People tend to discover some rather nasty things about their neighbors only when they have already moved in so you might want to make a difference there.
How loud your neighbors might be often depends on factors such as a shared wall or the thinness of the material used for the window treatments. No matter, it pays to increase your privacy and to use screening plants so that your backyard would feel like a getaway and not a place where other people could pry.
Your retirement is also a great time to start a new hobby. You can begin collecting the things that you never had time to collect back in the day. Make room on your walls for artworks – perhaps even your own.
It is also beneficial for you and your partner to plan activities together while also attending to separate hobbies.
Tags: empty nester, empty nester's home, empty nesters, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, retiree's home, retirement home
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes, Tiny Homes | Comments Off on Designing the Empty Nesters’ Home: Why It’s Beneficial to Downsize
Wednesday, December 21st, 2016
Stylizing the bungalow home isn’t a job for the half-hearted. Knowing what to work with means you also have to be able to define what a bungalow is to begin with.
Bungalow homes are defined as low houses, cottage or cabin at about one to 1.5 stories. They come with hipped roof or low-pitched gables with dormer windows, exposed beams and rafters, plus overhanging eves. They often have wide porches and are often built with rustic materials.
The origin of this style of home is believed to be Hindi or Urdu bangla (Bengal house). This style first existed in 1676 and has transcended centuries to still captivate the contemporary market.
Features of a Bungalow
You might want to look at this checklist if you want to properly identify and eventually design your own bungalow. The most common architectural styles that influence many bungalows these days are Prairie, California, Rustic, Cabin, Cottage, Tudor, Spanish and Chicago. When viewed all together, these are nothing but different kinds of American bungalows.
Arts and crafts define most floor plans for bungalows in the past and also in the present. These relate to the natural environment as well as the surrounding communities. These plans include philosophical lifestyle aspects that are applicable in today’s new home construction. They can also be applied in restoring and preserving historic houses.
Common bungalow exterior details include –
The bungalow interiors, on the other hand, have these features –
Bungalow and Light Colors
Since the bungalow is a small house, it is best to steer clear from dark colors. Darker colors can make homes appear smaller. Use lighter shades in order to open up spaces and make them appear airy and bright.
Bungalow and Wall Mounts
Floor space in bungalows are primed spots so you might want to utilize all the available wall space for your bookcases and wall sconces.
Bungalows and Rounded Furniture
Arrange your furniture against the walls or you can invest in rounded pieces that would fit into corners.
Bungalows and Pocket Doors
Doors can also take up floor space when they swing out so install pocket doors instead. Sliding doors spell easy entrance and exit into your bungalow.
Tags: bungalow design, bungalow living, living in a bungalow, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Tiny Homes | No Comments »
Friday, July 15th, 2016
Any size of dining space is often dressed up in a formal manner. This becomes more so if that space is rarely used. If the dining room should become your remodeling project, then you have to design with care. You will be making an inviting and warm place where you could gather friends and relatives so make it showcase your personal style.
Revelry in Neutrality
Neutral colors can be used with some interesting textures if you are setting up a dining nook. Use wicker chairs to contrast any smooth and sleek table. A corner banquette should have ample seating for everyone. If drawers can be made available at the bottom, then this is an additional storage to the dining nook.
The Wondrous Duo
You just gotta make the most out of a small dining room. See how you can make the seats double as a storage unit.
You can also take the dualism up a notch by dressing up the small dining room with anything two tone. Dark colors can also have a room inside smaller spaces so long as you pair them with the right neutrals.
Go Deep
Small dining rooms are generally nooks that have been carved out of bigger spaces. It is your role to unify the area with the adjacent spaces. Employ like design characteristics in order to achieve harmony. Imagine this, just a foot or two away from the kitchen, you could have a nook that models the black and white theme. This same color should be available in an adjacent room but there has to be distinguishing accents (e.g. plum).
A square table can be effectively contrasted by a round lighting fixture. Silver-lined cabinets would add a modern touch so go ahead and them all together.
Warmth and Coziness
Another rule to remember is for you to follow the banquette bench lines. This is for optimal seating concerns. This quite useful in a narrow nook; that rounded bench plus an oval-shaped table can fill the limited space nicely. These round corners make movements or getting in and out of the dining area a lot easier.
Use curtains that will cover just half of the windows so that natural light will still be allowed to pour in. Since it’s covering the other half of your window, then you still get the privacy that you need.
Pop Some Color
Use bright colors to give some life to your petite dining room. Use hues of orange and pink to bring excitement and energy in the room. Corner banquette can save you some space while making your dining room appear cozy.
Bold print on the throw pillows and window shades could make the room appear contemporary.
A Relaxation Nook
Another design that would work in a small dining room is having a dining booth. A white bench with striped cushions will also contribute to the light-heartedness and comfort in the small room. Use a pedestal table minus the legs on the corner. This should make it easy for you to get in and out of your dining booth.
Learn to Blend
The white corner banquette can easily blend in with any white décor and the equally white walls. Cream cushions go well with printed pillows. This combination will make the banquette pop up. To complete the look, add texture and color to the corner.
Dark table can contrast a white color scheme and this is the simplest that you could go. Lamp sconces on your wall would also provide the subtle lighting needed. Framed canvas and artwork can also add more character as well as color to the small space.
With quarters that are tight, are you ready to apply what you have just learned?
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, small dining room, small dining room design, tiny dining room, tiny dining room design, tips
Posted in Dining Room Design, Interior Design 101, Tiny Homes | No Comments »
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