Posted on: March 9, 2007
Space Case
By Darcel Rockett
CTW Features
No more complaining. Legendary London-based designer Terence Conran has compiled techniques for making the most of cramped quarters in his new reference guide, “How to Live in Small Spaces” (Firefly Books, March 2007).
“Tailoring a small space to meet your needs, and meet them well, is not a question of superficial styling or purely decoration; it is a design job,” says Conran. “Throughout, we have firmly stressed the practicalities of how to make a small space work better and feel larger.”
When your home is on the small side, accept that something has to give and transform the space accordingly. “Spend some time assessing their requirements,” says Conran. “Thinking about what is optional and what is truly necessary can help point you in the right direction.”
Conran offers this audit to help those in small spaces pare down to the most meaningful essentials, a key step in transforming small into sensational.
• Do you like to entertain at home? Is it important to you to be able to have friends over for dinner or to have family stay over?
• Do you like to cook or do you eat out often and the rest of the time heat up something in the microwave?
• How much food do you keep on hand on a regular basis? Do you shop weekly at a supermarket for bulk supplies or simply pick up whatever you need whenever you need it?
• Do you work from home on a regular basis? Do you need a dedicated work area or simply somewhere to plug in your laptop?
• Would you like access to outdoor space? Do you enjoy gardening or simply require a sheltered spot to sit outdoors in warm weather?
• Think about what you own. Do you buy and accumulate a lot of books, CDs or clothes? Could you part with some of your belongings to ease pressure on storage space?
• How suitable is your furniture for small-space living? Would flexible, multi-purpose designs work better?
• Think about the future. How long do you expect to live in your present home? What changes in lifestyle can you anticipate during that time?
“Even if you travel light through life, accumulating few possessions, these still need to be kept somewhere,” says Conran. “And when you do not have much room at your disposal, every square foot has to earn its keep. But size need not inhibit personal expression.”
