Waukesha County Home

of room with their four dogs and a cat. Wachtl and his team solved the problem by creating a mudroom that doubled as a dog space, complete with a washing sta- tion, feeding station and room for the dogs' toys. Both examples illustrated the three keys to successful small space design, then expanded the room's functionality even more by incorporating fur niture and accessories that enhanced those princi- ples. Betsy Hoke, president/designer of Stur- geon Interiors, looks for dual purpose fur- niture and accessories whenever helping clients decorate smaller rooms."Dual pur- pose furniture and accessory items help with half the battle of living in a smalls spaces," she said. Look for furniture that incorporates storage, like a coffee table with drawers or a lift top. A movable kitchen island can add additional food prep space, and adding a couple of stools creates addition- al seating when entertaining or a home- work station for the kids. To have a home office double as a guest room, consider a Murphy bed that folds into the wall or futons and daybeds that can double as a sofa. Don't see what you're looking for? Just ask for it. "A lot of the furniture companies we use can customize furniture more easily than they used to be able to," Hoke said. "For example, if you see a 9-foot sofa you like, often times the manufacturer can make it a 7-foot sofa." Another option: condo-size furniture. A condo-size couch, for example, is the size between a love seat and a sofa, explained Diane Nelson, interior designer and owner of Diane Nelson Interiors. "They offer the same amount of seating, but the frame is smaller and less bulky, and they usually have shorter arms and backs," she said. Flooring, lighting and paint choices may not add additional square footage, but they can create the optical illusion that the space is larger than it really is. "You want to draw your eye down the length of a space," Hoke advised. "So if you're using wood flooring, run the boards vertically to make the space look as if it's expanding. Then, put something interesting — a unique piece of wall art perhaps — on the end wall to make you look toward the end of the space." Using the same type of flooring throughout multiple rooms creates a con- tinuous flow throughout the home, mak- ing rooms feel more open and spacious. Paint choices can create a similar effect. "Neutral colors help a space appear big- ger," Nelson added. She recommends sticking to off-whites, grays or beiges, then adding visual inter- est by incorporating an accent color — a piece of artwork, a colorful lampshade or a bold pattern on a pillow — to keep the room looking open, but not boring. When it comes to accessories, think up. "Always choose items that are vertical over horizontal in smaller spaces," Nelson said. "Anything horizontal, like architec- tural molding, can make the space feel smaller. But a vertical element, whether it's a piece of vertical art or taller floor lamps that provide uplighting, will make the ceiling appear higher." Just don't over do it. Too many acces- sories and accent colors will make a small space appear even smaller. "The less clutter the better," Nelson said. "Rotate accessories if you need to and try to give everything its place." Find a space and function for it and, as much as possible, make those functions dual purpose, so you can live large in even a small abode. 245139003 HOMES PLUS AUGUST 2015 6 Submitted photo Not only does this room designed for two veterinarians cater to pets and serve as storage, it also has artistic elements. Small spaces Continued from Page 1

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