2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Who Needs Walls, Anyway? Here's How to Make One Room Into Many
Color can also be a powerful tool to define areas in a small room without introducing physical divisions, said Thomas Pellerin and Marion Richard, architects with Parisian firm Studio Bravo, in an email interview.
You can achieve this effect by painting a wall or two — or even a ceiling — in their own hue. (There's a term for a bold version of this: color drenching, or the practice of covering an entire zone, from walls to baseboards to ceilings, in a single color.) The tiny entryway in the apartment of designer Artem Kropovinsky is both elevated and clearly defined by the addition of robin's egg blue paint and larger-scale artwork in coordinating frames. Julia Kropovinska Wirecutter staffer Leslie Grisdale initially painted these walls black as a decorative choice but realized later that the color blocking helped to designate her husband's home-office area. Leslie Grisdale/NYT Wirecutter The tiny entryway in the apartment of designer Artem Kropovinsky is both elevated and clearly defined by the addition of robin's egg blue paint and larger-scale artwork in coordinating frames. Julia Kropovinska
You can achieve a similar effect with wallpaper. 'Every space, no matter how big or small, deserves to have a special moment,' small-space interior designer Shavonda Gardner said when we interviewed her for our guide to removable wallpapers. Pattern and color can have a big impact in tighter spaces such as hallways or mudrooms, she said, 'particularly because those spaces get neglected.'
Designers (and old friends of mine) General and Cristina Casañas-Judd of Me and General Design know about small-space living: They raised their two daughters in an 1,100-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. Frequent entertainers, they took an otherwise underutilized nook in their home and transformed it into a bar area by lining the small cutout space in contrasting graphic wallpaper. Wallpaper transforms this awkward cutout into a striking bar nook in the Brooklyn home of designers General and Cristina Casañas-Judd. Will Ellis
Like wallpaper or paint, wall texture and material can help delineate spaces. Designer and author Oyin Antwi has attached wooden panels to the wall in several projects featured in her book Helping You Love Your Space, No Matter the Size . These sorts of slats are versatile (they come in a variety of colors from light wood to walnut to gray), widely available (from retailers such as Home Depot and Wayfair), and suitable for multiple uses, whether as a corner dining moment or on opposing walls of a living room zone. Wooden panels delineate this dining area by Via Asha Design. In addition to their visual impact, the panels absorb sound. Via Asha Design
But you don't have to spring for pricey paper or crack open a can of Benjamin Moore. You can also group decor, books, and other items you already have to create, say, a blue zone, a green corner, or a neutral area. Subtle, intentional decorating choices like this can give a small space personality as well as a sense of order. A Parisian bedroom is drenched in International Klein Blue by Studio Bravo. Bertrand Noel This living area, in a room also used for dining, takes a subtler approach to blue-themed decor to divide the space. Other small-space techniques pictured: a room divider to section off an entryway, and a sofa used to zone. Katie Okamoto/NYT Wirecutter A Parisian bedroom is drenched in International Klein Blue by Studio Bravo. Bertrand Noel
Employing some of these strategies can help even a small, multifunctional room feel intentional and more relaxing. If you're working from home, designating a work zone distinct from off-work areas may improve that ever-elusive work-life balance. And when you're living with others, having established zones can reduce the feeling of being on top of one another. Using design techniques to organize your space can help you flourish — even within the smallest footprint.
This article was edited by Maxine Builder, Catherine Kast, and Katie Okamoto. Katie Okamoto contributed reporting. We talked to designers and professional organizers, and spent dozens of hours testing and researching, to find the best ways to style and organize small entryways.
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