Looking for some design tips for this small space
3 months ago
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I like my low ceilings. Looking for design tips with low ceilings.
Comments (16)I guess it depends on what one's used to Standard 8' ceilings here were a challenge to me in our new house, because it was the lowest ceiling heigh I ever had. I'm not from the US and other countries I lived in had a different standard that was higher ceiling(maybe due to metric system lol). Growing up in the older part of a very old big city-ceilings were even higher. But I loved the house a lot and was willing to work with whatever it had. And it had 8' ceiling everywhere but the entry(which by the way was altered by the previous owners to become higher) and the living room. 7 in the dining but during remodel we were able to raise them up a foot. My way of handling the thing was: a) a thought of crown moulding-previous owners put it in their master bath(tiny supermodest space really)-but I swear to you it looked at least a foor higher than the adjusting bedroom. this thought never became reality though because expenses grew and had to give up on some things. crown moldings were the first to go. lol b) skylights. previous owners had installed several and they drastically change perception of height and space..for the better. so we installed another one when we had our addition built. It also helped to break rectangularity of the room..we also didn't put a door between it and a master bath but left arch opening between them (the toilet got its own small room of course). Otherwise we'd be left with extremely boring room that's too long, too dark, and doesn't inspire any desire to stay there. Giving it more depth and light helped tremendously c) and very important as I agonized over it. Painting the celings the same color-or the color that would look like the same color(which was, in our case either 50% or 66% percent of the initial formula), as the walls. The lines blend, you don't have this feeling the ceiling is about to fall on you. I'm 5.4 so not tall at all..but I can be sensitive to spaces, and sometimes weirdly sensitive. Part of my physique. Lol. d) ditching some common rules. I did install central fixtures where it made sense, and pendants, and sconces..and it took attention away from the lower ceiling, because now you had something interesting to look at instead of calculating ceiling height I have table lamps and floor lamps too, so layers of lighting. I read so much about it all and was in that state of don't do this and don't do that..until I became very tired of it and just took from all this reading whatever I deemed helpful and disregarded everything else. Freedom! now your ceilings are lower, and your kitchen sounds challenging. Regarding kitchen-Kitchen forum is (justly so) considered the best in the matters of planning and advice on everything kitchen, so post your plan there and I believe you'll get many helpful thoughtful answers, regarding layout, workability, etcetera They are very sensitive to specific needs of specific person/family in a specific kitchen, and your plan with dimensions and if possible photos of the space will be very helpful to them to suggest things specific to your kitchen tailored to your needs/wants/budget etc. If you ask very general question it's great when you just want to have an interesting discussion. But if you're willing to get specific advice, and often very good one, I highly advise Kitchens forum. Just copy-paste your question there, and add even a basic rough plan with dimensions. And several pics to show different walls and how kitchen connects to other rooms in the house. I remember myself daring to ask on some site that had this option "Ask a designer" a general question "What do I do with low ceiling" and I got a very kind but very standard answer to paint everything white. It's okay, one can paint everything white of course; especially works well with high ceilings, architectural moldings, and in Paris lol), but didn't provide me with any insight. Sorry for the long post!...See MoreLooking for advice on a small space!
Comments (23)Thanks for the answers to all my questions! Given that they have some physical limitations, my first move would be to take them shopping to find a small scale sofa or loveseat and two chairs that they find super comfortable. That could probably use up the few thousand dollars you're thinking of spending but it will be worth it to keep them comfortable as their bodies get more tired and sore. The dining table is just fine, toss a table cloth on it if they like a softer look. If the chairs are not comfortable you could be on the lookout for second hand dining chairs to come up on Craigslist, eBay, etc etc. I do think getting the tv on to the long wall and placing two comfy chairs across from it is the way to go, with a loveseat/small sofa on one end. (Perfect for cuddling grandbabies or for seating when company comes) They will be closer to the tv that way and there will be no sofa to divide the room in half. I would use the long wall for the tv so the chairs can recline into the walkway rather than into the wall; you would have to leave a large enough space for the recline between chair and wall so my thought is, might as well incorporate that into the walkway too. If they don't like recliners though or they don't want chairs floating in the middle of the room, then the idea to have the tv by the stairs with a sofa across from it is the winner! Other than that, good strong lighting is key, especially since they have eye trouble. My grandpa recently had cataract surgery and it made a world of difference for him. He was nervous at first about messing about with his eyes but it was so worth it. He even looks ten years younger! If it's an option for your dad, encourage him to do it :-)...See MoreNew apartment, looking for interior design tips
Comments (1)For now, put your money into IKEA. Take the floor plan to the store and ask for suggestions. You will wind up with good furniture that you can take to your next apartment....See MoreLooking for some tips and advice on our new construction renderings.
Comments (11)The door asymmetry on the front really throws me too. 3'-0" aisles in the kitchen are insufficient for new construction. Make them at least 4. I'd like to know why you'd want an upstairs gym. Anyone working out in the early morning will be waking up the person in the adjacent bedroom, unless the gym is only used for low impact yoga and meditating. You have an entire unfinished basement - that would be the perfect spot for a gym. Ours is in the basement and I can still hear DH dropping weights. If a treadmill were in that room - THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP. Living room absolutely feels crammed into a space that would normally just hold token furniture - a sideboard and a couple chairs no one sits in. That space feels like it should be a foyer, not a living room. Why do you need 2 sets of stairs to the basement?...See MoreRelated Professionals
Ridgefield Interior Designers & Decorators · Fayetteville Architects & Building Designers · Oak Hill Architects & Building Designers · Bell Gardens Architects & Building Designers · Baltimore Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Austin Furniture & Accessories · Fayetteville Furniture & Accessories · Reno Furniture & Accessories · Topeka Furniture & Accessories · Wellesley Furniture & Accessories · Palmetto Bay Furniture & Accessories · Brighton General Contractors · Geneva General Contractors · Towson General Contractors · University Park General Contractors- 3 months agolast modified: 3 months agoMykaela Bauer thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
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