How to Furnish Small Homes
Condominiums and apartments have awkward corners and are a challenge to furnish, and it’s difficult to know how to utilize the space most effectively. Designer Maia Roffey presents several tips on how to furnish small homes in this House & Home video:
Resist the urge to buy furniture before you’re actually in the space. What you see on a building plan is not necessarily how it will be built; there may be a bulkhead or vent that you did not expect.
If you have a built-in breakfast bar, consider whether you really need a dining room table. If there are only one or two people living in the home and you don’t plan on hosting a dinner, skip the dining table entirely and eat at the breakfast bar. If you really want that table, fill in the space underneath the breakfast bar with storage like shallow cabinets or open shelving.
For a rectangular dining table, push it against one wall. Have a bench that tucks under the table, or take some of the chairs and use them elsewhere on an everyday basis. This allows you to put up storage on the opposite side of the room and creates a nice circulation flow between the two pieces. For a round table, move it closer to one wall and place the chairs on a diagonal to increase the distance to the other wall and allow for better circulation.
Don’t let the junction box dictate the position of your table. Buy a light fixture with extra chain and extra cord and swag it to a hook on the ceiling so you can place your table where you want it.
Most condos have a space off the entry called a den, which too often becomes a place for storing sports equipment and looks chaotic. Put a circular table with soft seating like a love seat or sectional and several chairs in the den to create a beautiful multi-purpose space that can be used for a dining room, home office, study and/or library.
Orient a sectional along the window side; however, if it blocks balcony access, flip it the other way. Leave a little space to add drapery. When entertaining, bring in chairs from your dining set to create a seating area.
Key things to think about when doing a small space layout:
- Will it work for you in the various ways you want to use the space when you’re home alone or if you’re hosting a party for friends?
- Purchase pieces with dual functions (for example, side tables with built-in storage) and let things move around as you move through your day.
- This is your space, and it needs to work for you. If you don’t need a formal dining space, skip it.
