When you’re looking at decorating a small space, simplicity is key.
Many of our Modern-Shed customers realize this when they purchase one of our sheds. A small art studio hardly has room for a lot of clutter, but an artist still needs a place to store all of their materials, from small brushes to large easels.
Here are some tips we’ve culled over the years from observing our stylish customers.
Consider track lighting: Floor lamps and even table lamps can take up a lot of valuable and much-needed space in a small room or on a work space.
Track lights were designed to offer focused lighting, but in such a way that doesn’t interrupt the flow of your interior design. They’re perfect for use in a small space.
We like the track lights this Modern-Shed customer installed in her Seattle art studio. The pottery she used to store her paint brushes is functional, but are also unique touches that put her stamp on the sleek, white walls of the studio.
The track lights in this Modern-Shed music studio, below, allow the musician to conserve space, creating an open floor plan where the musical instruments are the focal point.
Invest in creative storage: Everyone knows that clutter can easily take over a room of any size, but in a small space,t hat extra clutter can render your room useless.
Think of ways to maximize all of your furniture, such as having benches or ottomans with built-in storage. We love the sleek options at Joss & Main, but you can find affordable pieces on Amazon and elsewhere.
Beds can be tucked away when they’re not in use, as one Vashon Island couple does with their BredaBed, below, but some traditional beds now come with extra storage so you don’t even need a dresser, as seen on Apartment Therapy.
Other Modern-Shed customers use creative solutions to keep their stuff out of view — check out the cubby holes in the felter’s studio below.
The black storage baskets hide the bits and pieces of fabric that the felter accumulates and the piece of furniture itself concentrates the storage in one area.
Consider spending money on one or two taller pieces, like bookshelves, rather than spreading your possessions throughout your shed, another tip from Apartment Therapy.
In the same shed, high shelves showcase decor in such a way that keeps it in view, but out of the way, below.
Think light: Returning to the first art studio we showcased, we like how the white walls create a serene space that seems larger than it actually is.
As HGTV notes, to make a space appear larger, avoid using dark hues. This rule can be applied to the furniture and decor you use, but as we’ve seen in our customer’s sheds, you can apply this tip to the walls of the shed itself, by leaving them blank.
Here’s another example of a sleek art studio with white walls. Even though the space is filled with enough materials for the two artists who work in it, the bright walls don’t make the space feel cramped.
Also, note the open shelving and the track lights!
What are some of your tips for design in small spaces? Email them to arla@modern-shed.com with a photo and we’ll showcase them on our Facebook.