Mirror Reflections

Though I'm a huge believer in the power of positive thinking, I don't believe that our eyes can will the space before us to actually expand (unless, of course, yours can, in which case, I want to read your blog) They can, however, play some pretty nifty tricks on our perception.

My favorite is the mirror trick. 

Large mirrors create an illusion of depth as the mirror reflects color and light across the room.  

Large mirrors

I'm talking about the largest you can afford. The physics here is simple: the more surface area to catch light and color, the larger your space looks. 

If over sized mirrors are beyond your budget, group 5 or 7 smaller mirrors together instead. This will create a style element as well. (note: odd numbers groupings are more pleasing to the eye.)

Contemporary Hall design by New York Interior Designer Jarlath Mellett

Mirror placement for Mummies

• Don't overdo it - no need to feel like you live in a fun-house (even if you do....). Usually 2 well placed mirrors are sufficient to create the desired effect. 

• Mirrors don't discriminate between indoor and outdoor light sources. Place your mirror opposite a window and double your natural light. Reflecting the outdoors will also bring the illusion of nature into your home. (I said Illusion! March those bugs out of my house!)

• Avoid reflecting clutter (what clutter!?) by hanging mirrors a bit higher than eye level. (Incidentally, this is also a great way to avoid any run-ins with an enthusiastic 6 year old tumbler......) 

Eclectic Living Room design by San Francisco Interior Designer Kelly Scanlon Interior Design

• Place a mirror so that it catches the reflection of the next room, giving the suggestion of more space. (Another means to keep an extra eye on said entomologists and acrobats.)

"Mirror trick" tricks 

• Fake a window by tiling rectangular windows. (wishful thinking at its finest!)

• Make a wall look longer - instantly- by placing a mirror on its side
• Place a mirror behind a light source. The mirror will literally magnify the light's reach

The Elephant On The Blog

Fellow bloggers*, am I totally crazy that I look forward to writing on my blog like all day long??? Before I discovered interior design, my dream was to be a creative writer. I ask you, is there a better synthesis of my two loves then actually writing about interior design?! Who hoo! Eureka! 

(Excited much?) 

I find myself, however, in a blogger conundrum. My wordsie side wants to muse and emote and be pithy and sarcastic and my designee side wants to be informative and  create really helpful content and I have to figure out how to integrate the two. Good times!

But now I'm truly in a quandary. Posts one and two were pretty much fluff (though fabulously fun to write) so, thought I, tonight would certainly be dedicated to hard info. I sat down all revved up to inform, all pumped to do the whole "top 10 blah blah blah" when I realised there is one more thing I must say before we get down to design tachlis**. 

We have to talk about the elephant in the room.

There is no design strategy that will make your small space feel bigger if your house is full of clutter. You can flood your space with natural light, reflect it all over the place with light colors, and double that space with huge mirrors. If your house is full of clutter, you'll just be reflecting a whole lot of elephant. 

There are a bazillion websites with "top 10 blah blah blah's" on how to declutter including Fly Lady, which is my personal fav. There are also people who can help you discard, delete, and destroy all that dastardly disorder. 

Next time we can talk about how to make you're small but clutter-free home feel larger. 

Ok, no more shmoozing. You've got decluttering to do..............go on...........Go!

*So owning that "blogger" status! (All 3 posts of it!)

Definition of blogger as per the Cambridge Dictionary (which sounds official enough to me)

blogger: noun 

someone who writes a blog

check!

**thats 'form and content' for anyone who's Alta Bubbe didn't speak "a bissel Jewish".

I'm A Builder In My Head

Before you've begun a major renovation to your home = perfect time to dream about all of the improvements you'd like to incorporate . After you've invested $100k, gutted the entire place, displaced your family of 7 for two months, and are sitting in your newly renovated apartment = not so much.

We recently bought a 2 bedroom rooftop apartment (hence, the 4 flights of bumping) with plans to build a 2nd floor. Our municipal building allowance was 40 meters. We turned the existing floor into 4 bedrooms and a study and put the kitchen, living room, and a 1/2 bath upstairs. (Still with me?) Forty meters is not alot of space for everything that I wanted up there so we decided on a completely open design (sans the bathroom, thank you very much). The good news is there is plenty of room for the eye. Each individual area, however, is quite small.  Thus, as I sit on my couch in my little living "area", I can't help but expand the room by about 15 meters in my mind's eye. My husband has come to know the look on my face when I'm building. He's requested that I kindly build with my eyes closed so that he doesn't have to imagine the additional debt with his mind's eye....

With a stingy municipality and empty coffers, it's time to spare the husband, come to terms with reality, and focus on the positive. My totally open kitchen  requires motivates me to always keep my counters clear and sinks clean......:)

Small Is The New Big

I'm a proud apartment dweller, truly content in the 135 meters that I call home. I LOVE sharing an elevator with 29 other families. It's fantastic exercise bumping my stroller down 4 flights of stairs when said elevator is "unavailable" (which is NEVER the case when I need it). I'm also thankful that I don't have a private entrance. It's always fun bumping into (tripping over) my across-the-hall neighbor as we're both trying to maneuver our brood out at the same time. But, most of all, I'm especially happy that I don't live in a big house. I certainly don't have time to clean all of those bathrooms......

Besides, who needs all of that space when, if done right, you can stuff a whole lot  of furniture, people, things, and antelopes, in the space you've got......if you want. 

So that's what I want to shmooze about. How to make a little space feel big(ger).  

During the day I'm an interior architect and designer. During the day and night I'm a mommy of 5 (and wife of 1). Sometimes I'll post layouts where space was used really creatively, sometimes I'll share design and organisation tips, and sometimes I'll kvetch about my kids. Some of the material is mine and some is re purposed. The kids are mine (though not when they misbehave. Then they're definitely my husband's)