Small Space, Big Style: One Room 3 Spaces

What do you do with a small space that you have to use as a living room, dining room and home office? That’s what many people face whether living in an hip urban apartment or a charming compact house. That’s why Pottery Barn has developed collections of furniture that have smaller footprints without compromising on quality and style. Now you can have three rooms in one space without missing a beat when it comes to functionality and design. Let us show you how you can have it all and all your way using our tips and our room-planning tool.

 

YOUR CHALLENGE

Your home is petite, but your needs for the space are not. You want to relax, entertain and work under one roof and do it with style. The problem is that you need to fit your life into one boxy combination living room/dining room. Your sofa takes up an entire wall, you don’t have an eat-in-kitchen, your desk is too large and in charge, and you refuse to work from your bedroom. The challenge is creating a triple-duty room without having to deal with the inevitable disorganization, clutter and oversized furniture. Plus, you don’t want to trip over yourself or jump over others to get to your relaxing, dining or work zones. You have needs, but you need help. Luckily, there are new and exciting space-saving solutions for you.

 

THE ZONE SOLUTION

Hire a carpenter to install walls? Not a chance. You can create your own walls, or zones, to function in one space. That’s why the decorating gods developed creative room dividers. With a little ingenuity, strategically placing a shelving unit, a bookcase, a drape or a rolling wall of hinged mirrors will give you just enough privacy to help you divide and conquer. Room dividers are inherently versatile. Shelving units and bookcases can hold both books, decor and dinnerware, drapes can be pulled back or let loose, and rolling walls are meant to move out of the way when you need to blend zones.

 

THE STORAGE SOLUTION

Whatever size space you live in, editing your stuff and organizing it cleanses you inside and out. Storage is even more important in compact spaces, especially in rooms that serve so many purposes. Instead of resorting to piles of paper and overflowing drawers, look high and low to pluck storage out of thin air. There are two types of storage ideas to focus on finding:

 

• Vertical storage: Floor-to-ceiling shelving gives you storage options you never dreamed of having in a small space. Either mount shelving directly to the wall to free up floor space, or find a modular system that goes high and wide. 
• Hidden storage: Store items in pretty, streamlined lidded boxes or baskets that go under your bed (raise your bed while your at it to fit more) and under any piece of furniture with legs. 

 

THE SMALL-SCALE FURNITURE SOLUTION

There’s never been a better time to find furniture for small spaces that also does double-duty tricks. Storage ottomans, dining room chairs that double as living room accent chairs, compact sectionals with lift-up storage, lift-top coffee tables, drop-leaf bistro tables with drawers and nesting/stackable tables and chairs are all designed for your needs. Even coffee tables are scaled down and restyled now. Or try bunching tables that can be easily moved around for use as side tables, coffee tables or whatever and wherever you need them to be.

 

CREATIVE FURNITURE ARRANGEMENTS 

Classic, quality and small-scale upholstered pieces give your small space the upscale look it deserves and makes arranging a multi-functional room much easier. For example, arrange a small sectional in a small space by pulling up a chaise ottoman to a small sofa and turning it into a perfectly scaled sectional that can be placed in a corner. No room for a side table and lamp? The solution: a floor lamp fits anywhere. 

 

House a modular pop-up desk with a rolling storage unit in another corner for a private office or used as additional dining surface space. Add a bistro table or drop leaf kitchen table into a snug space for a cozy, intimate dining nook for two or four. A counter-height table against a wall or that doubles as a sofa console table, can be accompanied by stools that can be slid under the table when not in use to free up floor space.

 

To double-check whether pieces will fit into your space, it’s best to learn to properly measure your space for the best furniture delivery experience.