I absolutely love furnishing tiny spaces to maximize storage and function. However, finding furniture pieces to fit is often a challenge. I’ve been hunting for a 12-inch-wide bedside table with a drawer and shelf on the bottom for several weeks. It’s amazing how much time a person can spend looking for the right piece, especially if you’re a perfectionist like me.
Image by Dean Moriarty on Pixabay.I am exploring options. I could have the piece custom-made, but it’s not in the budget for this particular project. If I could find a vintage piece, I could paint it with fabulous chalk paint that doesn’t require removing the existing finish. I found a nightstand at one shop that is 14″ wide. So I’m returning to re-measure the space to see if I can make it work. If not, it’s off to the antique stores.
There certainly are some fabulous pieces of furniture available for a small space. Many of my clients make the mistake of putting many small pieces of furniture into a tiny space to try to make it functional. But it often results in a cramped cluttered feeling. The key is finding one piece which serves multiple functions. Ideally, that piece should be large enough to do the job while still leaving enough space for the room to breathe.
I turned to my friends at Attica Furnishings in Halifax to give some other ideas for furnishing tiny spaces. They certainly presented a few very interesting items. Interestingly, the bedside table dilemma happens often these days. My clients move into small condos where the bedroom space is often very limited. (After all, you only sleep there.) Attica Furnishings found a bed with attached shelves that serve as nightstands. We might have to put a decorative basket or box under the shelf to store a few things, but I love the curved shape and the compact size.
One of my clients is considering a lift-up storage bed. The Maya bed with storage by Mobican is pretty snazzy. When you have a tight space, under-bed storage is the only option. A lift-up storage bed is useful when under-bed drawers don’t have room to open. I have a friend with a teeny bedroom who really wants a “proper bed,” as she calls it. In order to have a queen-sized bed, she will have to eliminate all the other furniture in her room, so a lift-up storage bed is probably her only option. Thank goodness there is a solution.
A few weeks ago, the staff at Attica Furnishings showed me a picture of the Calligaris Omnia Console (not available in Canada). It looks like a gorgeous console table but expands into a dining table for 12 people. Apparently, it has an extension system with five interlocking leaves that allow you to choose up to six different sizes. And when you have it opened to the largest size, there is a reclining leg for extra support. How genius is that?
I wonder why compact, multi-functional pieces are sometimes more expensive than larger pieces. I guess it’s because so much time and thought went into designing and creating them. The good news is that you only have to buy a few pieces for furnishing tiny spaces, so you don’t necessarily need to spend much more than your budget. Choose carefully and thoughtfully and measure, measure, measure before purchasing any pieces. Oh, and have fun!