Five Ideas for Maximizing Space through Interior Design, Part Two

Elissa Morgante, AIA

Elissa Morgante, AIA
Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson

Jul 8, 2013 - 5 min read

Five Ideas for Maximizing Space through Interior Design, Part Two

As regular readers of this blog already know, Morgante-Wilson Architects recently had the pleasure of designing a model home for K2 – Chicago’s trendiest new high-rise address. While the units in K2 are spacious by Chicago rental standards, and feature tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and spectacular views, they also offer a number of instructive lessons on how smart interior design decisions can make smaller spaces feel – and live – larger than they actually are.

Here are five more ideas our talented team of interior designers employed at K2 that you can borrow to maximize space in your own home:

Multi-task.

When space is at a premium, choose furnishings that multi-task. This
bedroom at K2 acts as a stylish home office by day; then effortlessly
transitions to sleeping space at night without any fuss whatsoever. And
that’s because of the cleverly-designed Murphy bed + desk + flip-down
wall unit with shelves from Home Element that allows this one room to function in a myriad of ways.

Climb the walls.

While interior designers typically prefer to position a headboard behind a bed, the team from Morgante-Wilson Architects conceived
a clever way to create a focal point n the master bedroom without
consuming precious floor space. Their easy-to-replicate idea? Mount
¾”-thick, woven wood tiles to the wall to create the illusion of a
headboard that also supplies texture and visual interest. Ingenious!
(And easily accomplished in a weekend afternoon, too.)

Go high.



While you’re mounting those tiles to the wall, run them all the way
up to the ceiling to create the illusion of height – and by extension,
greater square footage. This trick also applies to window treatments.
Affix your drapery hardware just below the ceiling – rather than at the
top of the window – and you’ll gain the perception of height that way,
too.

Go low.



Remember that low-profile furnishings allow outstanding views to take
center stage. They also help a room feel airy, by not blocking visual
space. Hefty furnishings like a four-poster bed eat visual space;
low-profile furniture – like the quietly dramatic, zippered bed from Casa Spazio our interior designers chose for the master bedroom – boosts it.

Reflect.

One of the simplest – and least expensive – ways to amplify space is
to rely on mirrors. These hard-working accent pieces not only reflect
and bounce light, they also reflect and magnify the rest of your room,
enlarging it exponentially. Mirrors are readily available, come in
countless shapes, sizes, and finishes, and possess the power to make
even narrow hallways feel wider and more open than they really are.



We’re delighted to report our talented team of interior designers
used every one of these do-able tricks in our 1250 square foot model
home at K2, proving it’s not all that hard to “grow” space by making
thoughtful furniture and accessory choices. For more ideas on how to
make your own home feel bigger than it really is, give Morgante-Wilson
Architects call!


Elissa Morgante, AIA

Elissa Morgante, AIA

Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson