Tight Space, Abundant Ideas
(Originally written by Becca Milfeld. Appeared in the Express on January 27th, 2012)
In the middle of his 400-square-foot studio, in a small space carved out between a bookshelf, sundry chairs and a bed, Jeff Watkinson, who is 6 feet 1 inch tall, balances on a 2 1/2-foot imitation surfboard with a roller underneath it, lurching back and forth across the floor.
“This is a very strong workout; it just mimics surfing,” he says.
His objective is not so much to demonstrate his athleticism as it is his knack for saving space via multifunctional furniture. Having moved into his Kalorama studio 18 months ago, the 32-year-old who works in investment sales has employed a number of tricks to create room for activities like exercise. He stores his clothes in his TV console, he converted his bookshelf into a bar, and he has a gateleg table that, unfolded, seats seven or eight.
Watkinson’s apartment represents one of the most fundamental ideas in small-space living: multifunctional decor. Considering the minimal square footage of a studio, furnishing one requires an inordinate amount of thought.
“Rarely would we design a studio where a piece of furniture only serves one function,” says Jason Claire, the co-owner of furniture and design store Vastu (1829 14th St. NW; 202-234-8344), which has been fashioning Washington interiors, teensy and grand, for almost a decade.
DC: Home to the Small (But Mighty) Home
Image by flickr user tvol
A recent Curbed article written with data from Realtor.com shows that Washington, DC has the smallest median home size in the country.
At 1,000 square feet, DC falls below the national median square footage of 1,761. We’re also home to the smallest median lot size (2,375 square feet) and the second-highest median list price at $432,500. First was Hawaii at $575,000. The typical home in the District has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths while the rest of the top 10 have 3 bedrooms. Read more for tips on how to maximize the space you do have.
Back to School
HGTV’s Blog recently had a gallery post on “8 Stylish Dorm Room Updates”. In it, interior designers Vanessa De Vargas, Summer Thornton and Lana Kole shared tips on creating dorm rooms that not only looked great but helped students study hard and get their work done. That got us thinking, even though the back to school season is right around the corner for many (if not already here) these tips could really extend to anyone living in smaller spaces. Read more
Design Direction
For this week’s Design Direction post we’re going to check in with the person that submitted a question a couple months ago.
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Design Direction
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Hello, My living/dining area is a funky shape and I was hoping you could give me some feedback on where to place things. Thanks.
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