THE JOY OF…
Joy Moyler, our columnist and designer extraordinaire, reflects on the beauty of bijou rooms
ONE of my design credos is ‘the smaller the room, the bigger the surprise’. Why such a full statement? Simply, it’s a surprise to yourself and usually others how a small space can be effective and hit all the marks.
Here is my approach when designing a small space. The first thing I do is take a look at room size. Whether it is a kitchen, living room, bedroom or outdoor lounge. Second, I draw a scaled sketch with pertinent dimensions. This is a major tool at this point. Accurate dimensions, including overall room height clearances, are critical pieces of information. Also taking note of any corridors and twists and turns from the door to furniture placement.
Third, take stock of how the room is to be used and a complete listing of absolute items that will need to be placed there. Editing is crucial. This is the perfect opportunity to discard non-essentials.
Is it a bedroom? What size bed is required? Will two people sleep there? If so, are two bedside tables necessary? Might someone require book storage for nighttime reading? Is a chair needed? These smaller objects will take up floor space. I refer to furniture pieces as ‘valuable real estate’. One thing I never do in a small bedroom is use a four-poster bed. Even with a high ceiling, the posts visually ‘eat the space/room up’.
When it makes sense, I love floor-to-ceiling drapery in small spaces. From one end of the wall to the other, full width and full height. One great trick here is a placing wall-to-wall storage behind it. The drapery may be 55cm off the finished wall, allowing for depth of metal shelving, cabinetry or rolling wardrobes.
I am a true believer that all the walls of a small space should have the
