Have have many dear readers of the blog who have followed us for years and years. Shirley is one of them. I featured her B&B (Abadin in L’Orignal, about an hour drive east of Ottawa) back in 2012. Alot has happened since then as I learned in an email from Shirley the other day and it was so moving I had to share.
My story is here just in case you know somebody who wants to help themselves: Shirley’s Personal Health Story, Of fasting and healing – The tale of Shirley Lindemann’s recovery
Trying to find and create more space in any home can be tricky. Even more so if you live in an apartment and have little to play with in the first place.
Fortunately the experts at MADE.com have produced a clever guide to getting the most out of your space and bending the rules so that even if you can’t create more space – it will look like you have!
Every room is different so they have come up with some unique tweaks that will work best in these specific places:
Living Spaces
When it comes to increasing space, plants are an afterthought if even considered at all. Hold on a second – they not only bring oxygen into a room and add colour, they can create depth and dimension depending on the décor and design.
Nobody expects plants to adorn a small living space so if plants are present, it can’t be a small space can it?
A quick and easy solution if you are a renter and can’t make or afford any structural or colour changes to your environment.
Outdoor and Balconies
Anybody can add decorative touches like lighting and flowers but what about adapting to the available space?
A simple idea is to use lower furniture, especially on a balcony. Rustic, rattan chairs or loungers or a bistro set of hardy resilient but charming chairs and tables are the perfect place to see the sun go down in those long summer evenings.
Bedrooms
There is a lot of space to be had in bedrooms if you know where to look. Specifically using the space that is usually hanging around above the bed!
By raising the bed, you suddenly free up areas that can be used to store clothes, shoes, toys, consoles etc. If you can raise the bed high enough you could even create enough room for desk space and a mini-office.
Offices and Hallways
Talking of offices, while you may not be able to replicate an open-plan design, you can maximise your own space to have a functional modern workspace within your home.
Utilising existing areas that would appear to be useless space at first glance is a great idea; what might be too small for a printer or router could be ideal for stationary or books. Some basic joinery and carpentry et voila – a quirky shelf space any hipster would be proud to put their books in – if they still read them.
Bathrooms
Traditionally the smallest room of any property, sometimes space cannot be increased so other solutions must be found from necessity.
Changing the colour and materials within a bathroom can create a light and airy feel and the illusion of a greater area. Alternatively by utilising luxury materials such as polished marble a bathroom will attain a spa or hotel quality that means space is readily sacrificed for the quality of the ambience experienced.
Kitchen and Dining Areas
A smaller kitchen or combined food preparation and eating area can be a challenge to keep clear and clutter free so the ingenuity of the spacial engineers at MADE.com really stands out.
Cutting surfaces, drawers and tables can foldout and be stored snugly when not in use so any aspiring chef can have all their materials and surfaces within easy reach when they need them, and they can literally disappear when they don’t.
Also taking a pragmatic view to storage in a kitchen can yield amazing results. Why use up floor space with a wine rack when one can be suspended from the ceiling with a minimum of fuss, also creating a Mediterranean style focus?
You’ll be toasting your increased dining area in no time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This post was contributed by a guest writer.
A fresh, fabulous, family home in a light-filled apartment in New York City and to-die-for windows? Sounds amazing … and it is! The added bonus is the modern black and white scandi vibe with blonde wood. West Village Apartment by U.S. and Brit-based Sheep + Stone Interiors.
Photography by Brooke Holme
Beautifully tailored with some stunning material choices and clever storage, this monochromatic Auckland apartment is rich in details. The stone kitchen counter top is so stunning I just want to run my hands all over it and the brass Art Deco inspired brass screen … swoon. The surprise is the rich terracotta tones of the master bedroom. Hereford Apartment by New Zealand interior design studio Hare.
I’m loving the energy in this eclectic 1898 home in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen belonging to Cathrine and Anders de Lichtenberg that I spotted on Architectural Digest Mexico. As the story goes, it was completely renovated (kitchen became a bathroom, living room became a kitchen…) and is now a contemporary space filled with statement pieces of furniture, such as a Arne Jacobsen Series 7 dining chairs, a Vertigo pendant by Constance Guisset, Poul Kjaerholm PK22 chairs, a Romeo Rega table, a Hans Wegner Flag Halyard chair, a FOS diamond table etc. Also, this may be my favourite pink kitchen.
Photos: Martin Solyst