Hey there, I’m Alex Miller, editor of OnStage Colorado and father of five awesome adult kids. When my daughter Kay decided to move out of a good-sized home in the burbs to a tiny, one-bedroom apartment just off Colfax in Denver, I helped by reaching out to local interior designers with a lot of ideas for easing the pain of such a significant downsizing.
The first thing we discovered is that Denver has a wealth of interior designers who can help with everything from tricking out your Cherry Hills mega-mansion to making the most out of much smaller spaces. It may be fun for designers to have a 5,000 square-foot canvas to work with alongside unlimited funds, but all the ones I spoke to also relish the challenge of doing more with less.
As with anything, you can go online for ideas, but if you don’t have an eye for design, it’s a big plus to have someone who comes into your space to offer personalized recommendations. Some designers are happy to just charge for an hour or two of consultation and leave the rest up to you. If you go for full service, they’ll work up a comprehensive plan and even go out and find stuff for your crib.
So, when getting started, it’s a good idea to have a budget in mind up front as well as an idea of how much you want to be involved. Here are the best local interior designers (and a declutter!) who are sure to help spiff up your space.
Clutterless Home Solutions
Before spiffing up the new place, it was time to reduce and declutter. Lahni Carney started her Denver-based de-cluttering company about seven years ago and has found there’s an enormous demand for help both getting rid of and organizing all your stuff.
While Clutterless Home Solutions deals with plenty of legit hoarders needing serious intervention, they’re also highly skilled at whittling down the piles of stuff many of us accumulate over time. If you’re going from big to small, you may want someone like Carney to guide you through it.
“The first step in a lot of projects for us is showing clients all their belongings categorized by type to reveal duplicates,” Carney said. That means literally laying everything out so you can really see what you’ve got.
After the low-hanging fruit like that ugly Christmas sweater and the broken waffle iron are gone, things get trickier. If you really want to skinny down, you’ve got to justify what you keep.
“If someone is wishy-washy, like ‘Maybe I’ll keep that shirt,’ we’ll ask why,” Carney said. “Let’s hear your reason for it.” Oftentimes, that’s enough for someone to agree it’s gone.
Even if you don’t go for a paid consultant, Carney suggests having a friend or relative help you sort since they don’t have the personal connections you might to items. Another pro tip when you’re making those stay-or-go decisions: Don’t touch it!
“If you touch it, you’re more likely to keep it,” she said. “Once you get started, the relief of decluttering often encourages people to let go of more items.”
Kay is pretty good at making decisions, so she was more interested in establishing good habits in her new place. Carney says a move is a great time to create what she calls an “organizational foundation.”
“Boxes and labeling things are a great place to start, as is identifying spaces in your new home that you might have overlooked for storage,” Carney said. “Look at maximizing the under-bed storage and airspace—like the upper part of closets, where you can add another shelf.”
Carney says her job can border on therapy as she helps clients part with things. “If you have things that are just too hard to confront, like belongings from a deceased spouse, it’s a good idea to set them aside in a storage unit until you’re ready,” she says. “There are times in our initial consultation where we just tell people they’re not ready.”
Learn more at www.clutterlesshomesolutions.com.
Studio Thomas
Clutter mischief managed, our next stop was with Studio Thomas. This is a high-end design firm based in Denver that also has a big studio space in Greenwood Village. Studio Thomas is the kind of firm that serves well-heeled clients around the world, but Principal Designer Kristen Thomas was kind enough to think a bit smaller for this article.
As anyone with limited space knows, storage is a huge issue. Like Carney, Thomas says you’ve got to use all the space available. Another key aspect for small spaces is to carve out your living areas. Lighting, Thomas says, is an easy and low-cost way to get it done.
“Different forms of lighting can help distinguish between different spaces,” Thomas said. “Another option would be to use layers on the walls to help differentiate spaces.”
She notes that a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that just because the space is small, everything needs to be that way. “They buy a lot of small furniture to fill the space,” she said. “You’re a lot better off if you buy larger-scale things that fit the space adequately. Focus on the important big items and not as many small items. Additionally, try to limit any tchotchkes and trinkets in the space.”
If it’s your own place or your landlord is cool with it, busting out the paintbrushes is a surefire way to personalize a small space without having to spend a lot. Thomas says paint will by far give you the biggest impact. And even if you can’t paint, she suggests getting a large piece of canvas and painting it to provide color and contrast in your space.
“Another thing you can do to make your space feel larger is to add as much light into the space as you can,” Thomas adds. “The way you do that is to either use glass or reflection. For example, you can use glass side tables, mirrors on the walls that reflect the windows, etc. Including these things will open the space a lot.”
Sometimes a bit of illusion can help make a space feel bigger. Thomas says one trick is to take your curtain rods and put them as tall as you can to the ceiling and as wide as you can on either side of the window to create the illusion of a larger window.
So, let’s say you’ve dedicated $500 to spiffing up your place on your own. Here’s what Thomas suggests:
“Start with layers,” Thomas said. “I would try to soften the windows with some panels that are inexpensive. I would see if I could find a cute plant. I would try and find a large canvas or a large piece of art. I would also recommend going to art galleries, art boutiques or flea markets and getting a bunch of pieces and putting them into a collage for an impact wall. You would be surprised at how inexpensive you can find things to put together to elevate your space.”
Learn more at www.studio-thomas.com.
Hilary Gabso Interior Design
Hilary Gabso with Hilary Gabso Interior Design was a lot of fun to talk to, with an enthusiasm for her work that was infectious. As someone with her own dinky apartment, Gabso was overflowing with ideas for how to make small spaces feel bigger and more inviting.
Moving into a new place can be hurried and stressful, and oftentimes, the only “design” that happens is from where you or the movers put something down. But with a little forethought, Gabso says, you can do a lot better.
“Multi-function furniture can be a great place to start,” she says. “If we’re shopping for a new coffee table, for example, you can find some that are kind of like a little storage hutch in themselves.”
Defining spaces is another key element, and Gabso says rugs can play a big role. “Scale can trip people up in small spaces, but one place where you have more room than you think is with floor rugs,” she said. “A rug really is the footprint for a room and the space. Get ones large enough to define a zone, and ensure the legs of furniture are sitting atop them to define the space.”
Another good way to create separation is with tall plants, making sure not to let them block the flow. You can also look upward to help with zones.
“I like to use things like arc lamps or hanging plants to frame areas from above,” Gabso said. “Adding artwork specific to one area is another good idea, and make sure you don’t rely solely on the overhead lights that came with the place. Look to layer light sources at eye level or just above and use warm light bulbs.”
Like Thomas, Gabso also notes that mirrors can go a long way toward making a space feel bigger. She also recommends skipping IKEA in favor of hitting thrift stores for more unique pieces.
“I love to find coffee-table books with strong photography,” Gabso said. “Cut out the ones you like, frame them and arrange them on a wall in a pattern. It can be a lot more affordable than buying a big piece of art.”
Learn more at www.hilarygabso.com.
Havenly
Yet another option is to check out Havenly. It’s like the design version of Angie’s List, where you input your needs and the site offers up suggestions for designers in the area. Denver has many design pros associated with Havenly, and the site walks you through the selection, picking the package you want and working through the design process.
Havenly started in Colorado, and Heather Goerzen, Havenly’s director of content and design, lives here in Denver. She had a bunch of great tips, starting with that storage issue.
“When it comes to small spaces, the number one tip we embrace is vertical shelving for added storage and visual interest,” Goerzen said. “But here’s a shelving twist to add a sense of novelty and creativity to your space: install a perimeter bookshelf that spans all sides of your room, about nine inches to a foot below the ceiling.”
This, she says, allows you a space to house your collection of books while adding sculptural decor accents and mementos that have meaning to you.
“It’s a surprise storage solution that also packs a major stylish punch, adding an unexpected touch of intellectual whimsy to your space,” she says.
Along with the ability to find just the right designer on Havenly, the site also features a wealth of tips, portfolios, product links and blog posts to help in your design quest.
JL Interior Design
Jenn Lowry at JL Interior Design had a lot to say about paying attention to colors, floors and walls to make the most of that small space.
“Just getting things off the floor is a good way to make things feel lighter and not so weighted,” said Lowry, who started her Denver business after a career in finance. “Take advantage of the walls and even ceiling space to make it feel more spacious.”
One of her favorite design tricks lately, she says, is removable wall panels. In addition to being easy to use and often OK with landlords, they represent a fairly inexpensive way to transform a room.
“It’s a great DIY option since they’re very light, tack on easily with adhesive and really just change the whole environment,” Lowry said. Peel-and-stick wall panels come in a range of colors, shapes and prices, and you can get them at any Home Depot.
Whether it’s with wall panels or paint, Lowry recommends cream or other off-white colors. “Pure white can look too sterile, leaving the walls feeling stale,” she said. “And that makes people feel like they need more furniture or décor.”
Lowry is a big fan of Sherwin-Williams paint, particularly one called Limewash (SW 9589, see photo). “This color adapts beautifully to both cool and warm tones, truly embodying a chameleon-like quality that complements cool-toned furnishings to create a calm and serene atmosphere,” she said.
Other colors she recommends are Repose Gray (SW 7015) and Alabaster (SW 7008), both of which she says provide a neutral backdrop that can adapt to various decor styles and tones.
Lowry’s other tips included the use of “floating” furniture pieces like nightstands and cabinets that attach to the wall rather than sit on the floor. Strategic, wall-mounted sconces and plug-in lighting can also improve spaces without requiring permanent installation.
“The first few questions I always ask clients are about functionality, how they live day to day,” she concludes. “It’s got to look good and work for you.”
Learn more at jlinteriordesign.net.
Kay was able to deploy a lot of this advice to make her one-bedroom a warm, comfortable and decidedly un-cluttered space. For anyone else looking to make that small living space sing, these are just a few of the ways to make it work without spending a fortune. From using mirrors to add depth, to elevating shelves (literally) for bonus storage, small-space design is all about being clever with what you’ve got and intentional with what you bring in.
Whether you’re teaming up with a pro or just stealing a few tips from the experts, there’s no reason a tiny apartment can’t have a big personality. At the end of the day, it’s about creating a space that reflects how you live and what you love—even if it’s only 500 square feet.
