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Tricking out small spaces in your home

It is almost home show time! I know because my days are filled with planning and advertising proofs.

KIM MECKLER

It is almost home show time! I know because my days are filled with planning and advertising proofs. I have been working with my wonderful friends at the Red Deer Express on our March luxury vinyl sale and I must say, they design amazing ad proofs! I have limitations as a designer and one of them is creating ads, the other is outdoor design - please don’t ask me to do either.

Another way I know spring is on the way is we are in the final days of submitting homes for the CHBA Design Awards. Every year builders and designers submit their creations for the gala awards banquet and I get many requests from clients and coworkers to help them write the submissions. This year I actually had time to write a submission for a home I had helped design, keep your fingers crossed!

The categories required by the CHBA involve creative use of space, special design features and asks for descriptors about how the designer and client worked together to achieve the final product. In all the writing and category submissions I have seen so many beautiful homes and I have to say I am so proud to be a designer at Carpet Colour Centre.

How would you rate your home? What wow factors have you included in your space? A recent trend is to take that small powder room on the main floor and drape it in sophisticated and elegant wallpaper. Large bold designs are very appropriate and stunning in even small rooms, large vertical stripes make the walls stretch towards the ceiling giving the illusion of space.

Even if your house is conservative it is a wonderful idea to trick out a small space like this. Your front hall closet is another very cool space to dress up with wallpaper or a faux finish.

Our home show booth will feature a faux brick pattern wall done in wallpaper; I think it would be fun to put a pattern like this on the inside of closets. It would make a conversation starter when you hang up a guest’s coat and open up to a brick closet interior. Have fun with this concept as wall coverings and murals are realistic and available in many patterns.

What are your spatial and design challenges in your home? Most new homes have storage solutions down to a science but if you live in an older home it is possible you have a few areas that could use tweaking. There are many ideas out there for additional storage use in spaces under steps or above existing cabinets. Older homes also have separated rooms which can be joined to make a larger space. A room for every function was the design of the day and most people are longing for a more open concept home.

Looking at your home with the eye of a judging panel can enlighten you and help you get creative. List out the challenges and wow factors to see where you need to improve or if you can just sit back, relax and enjoy your perfectly designed home.

Kim Meckler is an interior designer with Carpet Colour Centre in Red Deer.