Design 101 | Size + Space

December 2015, By Nicole Langelier

When it comes to the very sensitive matter of size, let me assure you – it matters.

Of course I am talking about the size and scale of spaces and the objects you fill them with. So often when I go out on a quote, be it for property styling or interior design, I come across the same thing over and over, regardless of the property type or the demographic, most people think that bigger is better but that is simply not always the case.

What matters much more than the size of a space is what you do with the space. The most common mistake I hear again and again when I’m out on a styling quote is in the master bedroom. The vendor very often says ‘I think you should use a double bed so the room looks bigger’ – wrong! Lets get something straight friends, a bedroom is for sleeping (amongst other things where size is once again up for debate – no pun intended). Bedrooms are not for soccer matches or riding bikes, therefore the most important element of the room is the bed. Rule number one when styling a master or guest bedroom is to put the largest bed possible that still allows adequate flow around the room and doesn’t block doors or windows. Simple. Don’t over think it. When it comes to beds, bigger is better. At the end of the day prospective buyers can see that they CAN fit a big bed in the room, and they can go smaller if they want to. Most people are not that creative (sorry) and if they can’t see it with their own two eyes, they won’t believe it is possible.

Space is great, space is fantastic – my whole life is designed around space, but like with anything it is what you do with it that can make or break it. Most of the time it is just a little common sense, however another thing I see often is poorly proportioned furniture (often too large but also too small) that is ill suited for the space.

Furniture is not ‘one-size-fits-all’ for a reason. When selecting your furniture you really need to look at how the space will flow, where the passageways are and the size of the room. Very often, when done correctly, a tiny apartment can look bigger when furnished. Alternatively, a large space can look small and feel cramped due to poor selection and placement of furniture.

Pick you furniture wisely. If you want to sprawl out in your living room you can still do that without having enormous chunky furniture. There are many factors that make up a sofa and you can have an ample seat without taking up the whole room. Consider the type of legs, the arm height and width as well as the back. Also coffee and side tables – if the space is not huge use a slim framed table and avoid chunky legs and table tops – make sure it doesn’t take up the whole floor and that you have plenty of room to walk around it.

The same is true for dining. If you don’t have a huge space pick a table that is relatively narrow, has thin legs or a pedestal base and make sure you can push the chairs in all the way. If you have a huge dining room and need to fill the space so the table doesn’t get lost, than do the opposite of the above. Get a wider heavier table, chairs that don’t fit all the way under the table (like a Wishbone chair for example), and if the space is really big, add a rug that extends beyond the footprint of the chairs. Easy!

The best advise I can give you when it comes to size and space is this – spaces are designed to be used for certain functions, so design the room for that function and do not design it around the negative space. Step outside yourself and look at the room with fresh eyes and ask yourself if it is really functioning. If it’s not, often it’s just a matter of shifting things around or eliminating an item or two. Lastly and most importantly don’t be sucked into the whole ‘bigger is better’ because quite frankly, it’s what you do with the space that matters and not how big it is.