Designing small spaces can be challenging but incredibly fulfilling when done properly. I think that is why I love my little vintage travel trailer so much, all seventy-two square feet of it. It makes you realize, just like moving into a big city apartment, sometimes you don't need all of the junk in life to live a lovely existence. Don't get me wrong, my tenth Christmas tree just arrived in the mail and I have more holiday items in our garage than the flagship Macy's Holiday Lane store on Broadway in Manhattan. The point, however, is if I
wanted to downsize, I
could, and I'd be very happy doing it. Camping in a small trailer in the middle of the woods forces you to make whatever small space you're in
work. Beds double as sofas or dinettes, sinks convert to counter space, mirrors flip down to provide a tiny shelf while brushing your teeth..all design principles that can be applied to home designs. While it's often easy to get lost in the macro-design dilemmas (where to place the sofa, bed, dining room table, etc.), when working with a tight space, just like the tiny trailer packed with big ideas, micro moments are just as important as the big ones. For a busy couple living in a small apartment in the big city, every single nook and cranny in their 400 square foot apartment had to work double time. Drop leaf tables that can push against a wall yet seat six in a pinch, side tables with hidden storage, murphy beds and closets doubling as tiny offices are just a few examples of space saving. Where we all might need it most, however...the bathroom. With a tiny pedestal sink (and I hate pedestal sinks in any size house for this very same reason) the occupants had zero room for anything more than a toothbrush, until I brought it all together in the medicine cabinet. By adding a magnetic sheet to the back of the cabinet (purchased and cut at Home Depot for under $10) I used spice jars found at Target with magnetic backs to hold everything from earrings to rubber bands, creating a shelf for him and one for her. No, they don't have double vanities but at least this little area doubled its purpose in no time.
