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Space Planning
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Published: September 19, 2006
You have great furniture, unique art, fabulous accessories and an inviting color palette. Then why does your room still look crowded, clutter and lopsided? You probably just need some help with your space planning to combine what you have in a way that makes effective use of your space.
In general, pay attention to the height of elements and how they create flow in the room.
In general, if it feels like too much, downsize on décor or furniture, and if it feels empty, add elements. Here are some room-by-room tips to help.
Kitchen
The kitchen is all about convenience; you need to have tools close at hand, readily-available storage and the ability to quickly perform clean up jobs. These needs should be your guiding principles for space planning.
Hang a wall rack for utensils close to where you do most of your cooking. Store towels and cleaning supplies near the sink. Install sliding or rotating shelving to create easy organization. When you decorate, think carefully about the areas that need to be open and make sure purely decorative items do not interfere. Often the best way to decorate a kitchen is by making the elements perform double duty as both useful and decorative. An example might be aligning your spices in clear canisters along the wall on a magnetized strip. This makes the spices easy to find and use, as well as adding visual interest and color to the kitchen. Interesting flooring and wall art are great ways to add visual interest without adding clutter.
Bathroom
The bathroom is another place where convenience is vital. Use similar space planning techniques in your bathroom as you did in the kitchen. Add decorative storage elements to perform double duty. For example, hang a basket on the wall under the outlet for your hairdryer. Display makeup or other toilettes in pretty tins on a wall shelf or stash them away in drawers for a clean and easy appearance. Like in the kitchen, the bathroom’s space planning scheme should add decoration with wall art or by beautifying things already there, like a great shower curtain, beautiful towels and ornate fixtures.
Bedroom
There is a lot more room for decorative space planning in the bedroom. Because you have more space, not everything has to be useful. First, decide where your bed fits the best, and then start planning your space around it. Add to this main element with lighting close to the bed and bedside tables. After this, your options are endless depending on the extra room you have. You could create a small sitting area, a sectioned off desk or work area, or simply add shelving with decorative elements.
Living Room
The living room, like the bedroom, offers more flexible space planning options. Think about what you use the room for and plan your space accordingly. Do you watch TV there? Then plan your seating around the TV. Are you an avid reader? Then you should plan lots of shelving around the space next to your seating. Do you entertain often? Perhaps you should make sure you have lots of seating close enough for comfortable conversation and plenty of surface space for serving food and drinks.
Dining Room
Start space planning in this room with your table and then work outwards. If the room is small, you might consider a built-in seat along the wall with a freestanding table to open the room more. If you have extra room, use decorative shelving to display items. Storage can also be built along other walls.
Tiny Apartments
Making a tiny apartment into a convenient, comfortable space is all about creativity. If your rooms have to share space – for example, one room doubles as a kitchen and a dining room – effective space planning is vital. Do not be afraid to put a washer and dryer in the living room with a beautiful screen in front of them. Or make use of a retractable table or bed, which can fold against the wall when it is not in use.
Squeeze the most out of your space by utilizing all those little nooks and crannies. Is there a tiny space in the bathroom between the radiator and door? Install a small shelf just big enough for some of your toiletries. Make use of wall space by hanging shelves and lighting apparatuses to open up the floor space. Pieces able to double as storage and functional are more important the less space you have. A bed with drawers underneath and an ottoman where you can store blankets are both creative space planning possibilities.
In general, pay attention to the height of elements and how they create flow in the room.
Related Articles
Kitchen
The kitchen is all about convenience; you need to have tools close at hand, readily-available storage and the ability to quickly perform clean up jobs. These needs should be your guiding principles for space planning.
Hang a wall rack for utensils close to where you do most of your cooking. Store towels and cleaning supplies near the sink. Install sliding or rotating shelving to create easy organization. When you decorate, think carefully about the areas that need to be open and make sure purely decorative items do not interfere. Often the best way to decorate a kitchen is by making the elements perform double duty as both useful and decorative. An example might be aligning your spices in clear canisters along the wall on a magnetized strip. This makes the spices easy to find and use, as well as adding visual interest and color to the kitchen. Interesting flooring and wall art are great ways to add visual interest without adding clutter.
Bathroom
The bathroom is another place where convenience is vital. Use similar space planning techniques in your bathroom as you did in the kitchen. Add decorative storage elements to perform double duty. For example, hang a basket on the wall under the outlet for your hairdryer. Display makeup or other toilettes in pretty tins on a wall shelf or stash them away in drawers for a clean and easy appearance. Like in the kitchen, the bathroom’s space planning scheme should add decoration with wall art or by beautifying things already there, like a great shower curtain, beautiful towels and ornate fixtures.
Bedroom
There is a lot more room for decorative space planning in the bedroom. Because you have more space, not everything has to be useful. First, decide where your bed fits the best, and then start planning your space around it. Add to this main element with lighting close to the bed and bedside tables. After this, your options are endless depending on the extra room you have. You could create a small sitting area, a sectioned off desk or work area, or simply add shelving with decorative elements.
Living Room
The living room, like the bedroom, offers more flexible space planning options. Think about what you use the room for and plan your space accordingly. Do you watch TV there? Then plan your seating around the TV. Are you an avid reader? Then you should plan lots of shelving around the space next to your seating. Do you entertain often? Perhaps you should make sure you have lots of seating close enough for comfortable conversation and plenty of surface space for serving food and drinks.
Dining Room
Start space planning in this room with your table and then work outwards. If the room is small, you might consider a built-in seat along the wall with a freestanding table to open the room more. If you have extra room, use decorative shelving to display items. Storage can also be built along other walls.
Tiny Apartments
Making a tiny apartment into a convenient, comfortable space is all about creativity. If your rooms have to share space – for example, one room doubles as a kitchen and a dining room – effective space planning is vital. Do not be afraid to put a washer and dryer in the living room with a beautiful screen in front of them. Or make use of a retractable table or bed, which can fold against the wall when it is not in use.
Squeeze the most out of your space by utilizing all those little nooks and crannies. Is there a tiny space in the bathroom between the radiator and door? Install a small shelf just big enough for some of your toiletries. Make use of wall space by hanging shelves and lighting apparatuses to open up the floor space. Pieces able to double as storage and functional are more important the less space you have. A bed with drawers underneath and an ottoman where you can store blankets are both creative space planning possibilities.
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