72 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • NOVEMBER 2019
INSIDE JOB
A FEW LITTLE PRO TIPS FOR
By ARLENE GROSS
As more and more people downsize
or move into ever smaller homes,
co-ops and condos, they’re faced
with the challenge of fitting all their
possessions into a more limited space.
The first thing to do in tackling a
smaller space is to assess what
you plan to put in it and take
a closer look at your things,
says Donna Sheehan, interior
designer and owner of Inner
Sense Interiors of Bellport.
“Letting go of some things can
lead to gaining others, such as
a workable albeit small closet,”
she explains.
Keep only the things that you
love, advises Ellen Miller, an
interior decorator and owner
of ElbowrooM: Small Space
Solutions, formerly based in
Long Beach.
Miller often does an exercise
with her clients who live in
smaller spaces, asking them
to write a love letter to an item
they really love, such as a special
lamp or vase, and explain
exactly why they love it.
“After that, when I say, ‘Every
item in your home should give
you the same feeling,’ it’s amazing
how much they will get rid
of,” says Miller.
FUNCTION OVER FORM
Choose furniture that has a
multipurpose use, advises
Sheehan.
“An ottoman with storage
instead of a coffee table, a bed
with storage below, or a table
with built-in leaves are all
space-saving ideas with function
in mind,” Sheehan explains.
When you have limited living
space, it’s important that you
love your things and that they
all have functions, concurs
Miller. A table should double
as a workspace and a mirror
on a wall should not just be
decorative but cover a cabinet or
pantry as well.
Create a focal point for your space,
advises Miller.
A brightly colored couch or a bold
piece of artwork allows the eye to
focus somewhere in the room, rather
than notice the size of the space itself,
she explains.
VERTICAL SPACE
Utilize wall space right up to the
ceiling for vertical storage, advises
Miller, explaining that seasonal items
can be stored on shelves or cabinets
placed over doorways.
Furnishings, such as bookcases and
etageres, can both provide storage
and serve to bring the eye upward,
which creates a sense of a larger
space, says Sheehan. If possible, adds
Sheehan, open the ceiling with
a skylight or vault it, to “create a
sense of increasing your square
footage.”
LIGHTING
To open up a room, allow as much
natural light as possible and avoid
heavy drapery, advises Sheehan.
“Window treatments, such as
blinds and Roman shades, allow
light exposure, while also providing
privacy when needed,” she
says.
“My rule of thumb is to never use
any treatments on your windows
if you don’t need them,” says Miller,
adding that if nobody can see
into your home when you have the
lights on at night, then you really
don’t need any window
covering.
“I think it’s great to not
have any, to allow the
outside to extend into the
inside,” she says. “And, it
will make your space also
feel much bigger.”
VISUAL CONTINUITY
Small spaces appear larger when
connecting rooms have the same
flooring and similar color palettes,
especially on the walls, notes
Sheehan.
“Avoid chopping up the space and
consider how rooms flow, rather
than how one room ends and the
other begins,” she explains.
Try to have your space tell a story,
says Miller. If you love the color
blue or Asian art, for example,
have at least one Asian art or blue
object in each room, which will
also create continuity from room
to room.
Vaulted ceiling
lifts height of
room to create
larger-looking
space.
Continuous
flooring between
rooms makes them
look larger.
Roman shades
let in light, bringing
the outside
into room.
Credit: Donna Sheehan, Inner Sense Interiors.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
