You’re probably just as obsessed with Julianna Margulies’ Manhattan apartment as we are, but your budget and square footage might not be as enthusiastic. The good news is that although the superstar actress can afford it, Julianna Margulies is just as much a fan of frugal feng shui with a modern feel and a homey touch as you are.
Here’s a look at some of the best ideas for saving time, money and space when all are limited but you’re not willing to compromise on style.
Julianna’s small space that she bought with the intention of selling grew on her once she got used to having less space and making more of the space she does have. The clean lines and open feel are modern minimalist without feeling cold or mass produced.
While it pays to mix and match cool furniture, it’s best to stay away from vibrant colors and loud patterns when utilizing a small space. Think clean and calming colors like these pristine picks from Benjamin Moore on Shape.com and feel the stress melt away into a palette of cool, crisp neutrals that go with stainless steel appliances as well as any number of rich hardwoods.
Julianna’s kitchen nook is not only stylish but makes excellent use of her limited square footage. Her mix of classic yet eclectic chairs is eye catching without being kitschy. Hit up relatives and thrift stores to create your own eclectic style. A diner-style L-shaped booth occupies one corner, enabling her to push the breakfast table closer to the wall than if the table were surrounded by all chairs. It’s the little things that can save you inches in a small space, where inches count.
Save even more room and create a lighter feel to any room by getting creative with shelving, hanging plants from the ceiling, and putting hooks and shelves everywhere and anywhere. You’ll always have a place to put something down and hang something up.
The less you have on the floor the better; your space will look cleaner, and you’ll do a lot less stumbling over things. Forget floor lamps, coat racks, anything that takes up precious floor real estate. We love Apartment Therapy’s idea to hang bookshelves. A simple Ikea bookshelf hung horizontally instead of placed vertically against a wall not only makes the room look bigger, but it utilizes space in a totally unexpected way.
It also might be worth your time to figure out which pieces of your current furniture are either unnecessary or just plain too bulky for your small space. Give family heirlooms to relatives for safe keeping if you can’t bear to part with them, but don’t let them take up precious floor and headspace in your apartment.
A cool but oversized coffee table or nightstand can often be replaced by a much smaller version and still perform the exact same function. When you’re limited on space, as any big city apartment dweller can tell you, oversized furniture is your enemy, no matter how cool it may be.
Who says you have to have a nightstand? Or a desk for that matter? You may be just fine answering emails on your tablet from bed. Why even have a desk then?
Look for ways to let furniture serve multiple purposes, like this nightstand that doubles as a desk or a coffee table with extra linen storage. Now you are saving space and money.
