Tips

February 7, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

tips

Living in one room

New York City designer Elaine Griffin, author of “Design Rules” (Gotham, 2009), offers these tips for living comfortably and stylishly in one room:

Create zones. Divide your space into “zones” dedicated to certain activities (sleeping, socializing, eating, working). L-shaped studios can work well when divided roughly into thirds: the front space, the rear corner and the ell of the L. It’s OK for some zones to do double duty (i.e., working and dining).

Plan for company. Even if you are the world’s biggest hermit, you should still be able to seat at least three guests. Pull-up seating lets you do that: Think ottomans, benches or small dining chairs that can be moved over to the sofa when folks come over.

Sofa goes on short wall. In long, narrow rooms, sitting the sofa on the shortest wall will actually give you more space for other furniture. Sixty-inch-long loveseats never sit more than one person comfortably. If you have enough space for a 72-inch-long “apartment sofa,” it’s a better option.

Make an entrance. Even in the tiniest spaces, you still need a foyer. Create a “faux foyer” near the front door by installing a shelf or low bookcase with a little tray on top for keys and mail.

Color cohesively. Keeping your color palette tight in small spaces gives visual cohesion and prevents the walls from closing in.

Hide it in plain sight. Stack pretty storage baskets and boxes in the open spaces at the bottoms of consoles, desks and end tables.

Guest relations. Invest in a twin-size inflatable air mattress to accommodate overnight guests. But splurge on the most luxurious linens you can afford to make up for when guests have to sleep on the floor.

Multi-tasking furniture. In a small space, you have to love every piece of furniture because you’re looking at it constantly. Think outside the box when shopping: Stools, benches and plant stands make terrific bedside tables. Dining room sideboards and foyer-style chests are great buffets for serving guests, and also make perfect dressers.

Small desks rule. Beware the behemoth desk. Yours should clock in at no more than 48-by-24 inches.

Be upwardly mobile. When you don’t have space to go horizontal, go vertical. Shelves, wall-mounted cubes and bookcases are must-haves for one-room living.

Purge ruthlessly. Let your space dictate the quantity of your possessions.

Think of the kitchen as a bar. If your kitchen is contained in your one-room space, it should be painted either identically to the rest of the room, or designed to delightfully contrast.

Source: Associated Press