New Products & Services for Small Spaces

Every so often, a gal wants to host a proper dinner party with a long table and the works.  My pinterest board has tons of those dreamy dinner party with lots of lit candles and a table that goes on and on and on... right out my 400 square feet into the hallway, down the elevator and out to 15th St. So the dream continued until I blogged about Eddie Ross's clever use of the Goliath table at Resource Furniture in my last blog.  Well, if that same table didn't show up in Life Edited. Isn't it genius?

All you Mariah Careys in the shower, take note.  Kohler's new shower head, Moxie, has built in speakers so you can pipe in your favorite playlist or house music so get ready to bring down the house. 

Another resource that's caught my eye recently is Simplicity Sofas.   They make sofas in a range of styles + fabrics made for smaller abodes. 

Friends are always asking about getting someone to help them tweak their apartments but they don't want to go all out with a big name. Now my go-to recommendation is Home Polish. 

Here's a good before/after they did... 

And another... 

 I HEART their blog too.  

Head over to One King's Lane to shop the sale of California Home + Design's small space, big style showhouse.  There's a few things left but it ends in a day so HURRY....

Live large, 

Frances 

Open for Business

Like one of those Austin Powers movies, I've returned to blogging from (almost) a year off with an outdated haircut and clothes from long ago (well, 2011).    Who was it that said life happens when you are off planning?  A long trip to Africa set in motion a much needed break then it was a busy job that kept me in lock down but in August I took the leap and left that gig to pursue some new opportunities.  It's exciting to be back like a kid's first day at summer camp.  What a difference a year makes though.... Twitter still raging, pinterest (my fave) emerged and took off, tumblr (can anyone do this as well as Beyonce??) and Facebook went public and sorta bombed (definitely did not see that coming way back in 2011).  I'm sure there is some other social platform that I can't think of that every first grader is already doing every day.....

But one trend that seems to be EVERYWHERE is living well in small spaces.     

Ikea started the year off by devoting their entire 2012 catalog to small space living. 

House Beautiful has their annual July/August issue devoted to small spaces which is always chocked full of loveliness. 

California Home + Design magazine this month is hosting a design showhouse featuring tons of ideas for small dwellings from 8 top designers.  Take a tour now & get ready to be inspired.  

And a FUN, new You Tube channel called SpacesTV features (some shockingly) small spaces. Check out this  300 square foot apartment owned by a photographer in NYC and how she made it cool. 

Living in 400 square feet myself serves as my incubator for decorating ideas that's constantly evolving.  It's my biggest inspiration for blogging and encouraging others to give it a try. 

Want see more?  Check out my small space board on Pinterest for daily inspiration.  If I am not answering calls, you know that I am lost in pinterestland.....

So come back. I'll make it worth your time. 

Live large, 

Frances 

For the Love of Ikea

Have you gotten it yet?  The 2012 catalog arrived the other day and found a renewed place on top of my limited sqare footage resource list.  Small space dwellers rejoice!  On the catalog, it sums up my decorating mantra.  "A home doesn't need to be big, just smart." Amen to that.

Ikea breaks it down into a few key ideas that maximize every inch for us. Here they are:

Idea #1)  Get more storage & counter space in the kitchen with their efficient kitchen islands.

Idea #2) Use your vertical space when looking for more room like lofting bunk beds for additional space below. 

Idea #3) Put your walls to work with hanging shelves, hooks, cabinets etc.

Idea #5) Look for pieces that have multiple uses and don't take up as much room like 2 chaises instead of 1 sofa in the middle of a room.  

Idea #6) Dream big!  Want that proper closet in your bedroom?  Bet they can make it happen so you don't always have to forgo those nesting dreams just because the space is small. 

Check out all their smart ideas at ikea-usa.com/smallspaces 

Best line in the catalog-"With foldable, flexible, stackable, movable and climb-up-on-the-topable furniture, a small room can transform into whatever you need it to be."

Live large, 

Frances

Extra footage

Fresh off the train from a visit to a friend's new house in lovely Connecticut.   We walked the house while she shared her hopes and dreams for the house and we brainstormed.  Decorating a home is one thing but designing a new life for a family is another.  One of my favorite parts of her home was the large backyard filled with bunnies, happy birds and old trees. Their backyard has a perfect spot for an outdoor structure that could be a playhouse for the kids, a garden room for her or a home office.   That reminded me of a current obsession- Modern Cabana.   This is a great resource to add a little square footage to your home's green space. 

The basic model:

Isn't this one great? I love the clean design and practical application.  They can be maxed out with bells and whistles or kept simple. 

And they have models for kids and dogs as well.

Live large!

Frances

Small Spaces Resource

Check out House Beautiful's latest issue all on small spaces.  And check out the cover... they're using my tag-"Living large in small spaces."  It's a great issue with tons of ideas and resources.  Check it out, especially my fave, Nick Olsen, who decked out a 275 square foot apartment that I am gaga over.   Well done, Nick!

Live large, 

Frances 

5 new reasons to love CB2

CB2, Crate & Barrel's version of IKEA, sits almost on the border of SOHO and Chinatown in New York. It's the sort of store that you enter, needing nothing yet buying $100 worth of stuff.  Like their big sister chain, Crate & Barrel, they send out catalogs and have a cool website but like most things, it's always better in person.  Was in there last week and fell in love with 5 new cool things, adding to the growing reason to keep this store on your radar.

Super cool ceramic lanterns start at 19.95.

Small space dwellers rejoice!  The max mandarin ottoman pulls open to a twin bed.  Guess there is room for that crazy college friend to visit after all. $499

For those lucky folks looking to spruce up their outdoor spaces, the new twin side tables pack a punch at $59 for a set.

And how ADORABLE are these planters?  Equally adorable? Their sale price of $10.95. 

Bill Blass said, "When in doubt, wear red."  I think the same is true in the home.  A hit of red adds a bit of "oomph" to an interior.  (Not to mention extra storage).

I know.. .we've all "seen the tubs".. in Pottery Barn, Target, Crate & Barrel.. blah blah.  This one hits my design fancy and at $24, seems like a nice replacement to the Coleman cooler for future picnics. 

Side Note:

Last night I attended Blue Note's Jazz Benefit for Japan night and was blown away by the talent that performed. The event was extended for performances tonight too.  GO!  To be able to see heavy hitters like Madeleine Peyroux, Karrin Allyson, Sonny Fortune (played with Miles!), Janis Siegel, Regina Carter, Paquito D'Rivera, etc. for a mere $45 was amazing. Hearing Renee Fleming sing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was worth the price of admission alone.  With CNN reporting death tolls reaching 14,000 and radiation still at dangerous levels, the Japanese need us.  

I heart NYC, Jazz and Japan. 

Live large, 

Frances