6 Design Tricks For A Small Home

from: http://www.sunset.com

Rent To Own: If you have a small lot area, these techniques can create a feeling of space and grandeur!

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Raise the roof

When Mark Egerstrom and Brian Grosdidier bought their 600-square-foot cottage on a tiny West Hollywood lot, years of neglect had stripped away all its original 1920s charm.  “There were aluminum windows, torn-off siding … there was literally a crack pipe in the closet,” says Mark, an interior architect. “But it was an amazing location”—near the Pacific Design Center—“and a great deal.” Mark, who oversaw the two-year remodel, opened up the formerly choppy floor plan, adding glass walls, a loft room, and a roof deck “backyard” on top of it all. With its square footage doubled to a still-modest 1,200 square feet, the two-bedroom house now feels more like a hunting lodge than a cottage, thanks to the warm wood-and-neutrals palette and a few design tricks Mark had up his sleeve.

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Borrow from outside

Glass walls seem to bring the plants into the room itself. It’s a twist on the usual L.A. take on outdoor living: sliding doors opening onto patios. “We’re tricking the eye into feeling there’s more space than there is,” says Mark.

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Define your spaces

On the wall: A bright, geometric painting by Brian anchors the part of the great room that serves as the dining room. In a house this small, it gets plenty of use: Mark and Brian eat at the table nearly every night.

On the ceiling: Recessed light boxes create the illusion of skylights.

On the floor: Despite their dark color, a glass-topped table and spidery chairs keep the space light and air

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Think in three dimensions

In the living room, the ebony-stained cedar fireplace wall rises 20 feet to the ceiling. This view is looking down from Mark’s loft office.

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Use your light wells

A door in the far shower wall leads to a small patio bounded by the wooden fence that surrounds the property. In addition to letting lots of natural light into the bathroom, the space is a great place to bathe Mark and Brian’s dogs, Roxy and Buddy.

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Put your outdoor space upstairs

“We’ve got a backyard—it’s just on the roof,” says Mark. “It feels like a treehouse up there above it all.”