Free-Spirited Style For Small Spaces

Good design can transform even the smallest space. Homeowners use their free-spirited styles to make the most of what they have.

NonePrevious
Next Next
Photo 1 of 10

Hide CaptionShow CaptionKroll is all about textiles — especially mixing British prints with high-end Indian block prints. She asserts that you shouldn't be afraid to mix pattern on pattern, as long as you keep it in the same color palette.

- Kosher Kitchen
- Keeping It Together

All About

Product Ideas

More Product Ideas

Having a small space doesn't mean you can't be whimsical in design. Meet a woman who's not afraid to mix and match to create her custom interior decor. See two designers who decorated their legendary NYC studio "Carnivale" style, a California designer who uses modern closet systems to maximize her space and a couple who renovated their pad to make room for entertaining.

Bright and Sunny Beach Cottage
Emily Kroll lives with her boyfriend and works out of an 800-square-foot beach cottage in Santa Monica. Kroll designed her small space with a mix 'n match aesthetic. She used her own furniture along with pieces made or given by friends. Sure she'd like more room, but she loves her charming cottage and its location just steps away from the beach and the boardwalk.

Continuity of color also brings together eclectic furnishings from a variety of eras. In the living room, low furniture makes the ceilings seem taller. In an unused fireplace, they stowed their TV. Kroll rethought traditional in a modern way, while still appreciating the original details. In older homes, find inspiration to update by looking at the elements that were there when the house was built.