SMALL SPACE DWELLER HANDBOOK:Resourceful Transformation

I made the time this weekend to make the changes to my home that I had been thinking about for a while. I re-did 2 rooms for under $150. The red wall in the main room is now a pretty pewter gray and our bathroom has stripes and a new light fixture. I am thrilled with the result!! Our small space actually feels bigger all around!

The main room...
I taped off the wall and then did a coat of gray based primer. This little trick helped cover the bold red hue. We wanted to use eco-friendly paint with a decent price tag so we decided to try Home Depot's FreshAire line in Nauralist Gray. The paint went on smooth, barely smelled and it washed off my hands easily. At first I wasn't sure how the gray wall would feel with our gray couch but it really works! The paint, although a lighter tone, really pops and the art gallery feels brighter.

The bathroom....
In all honesty, this room has always been a tough one to design. It's small, narrow and there's not much storage. I decided to use my favorite accent look - stripes - to create vertical depth. I used Naturalist Gray and Salmon Stone, a lighter value and love how it turned out. And I finally bought the Tord Boontje Midsummer shade and am so so happy! I hung the mirror we had in our bedroom in the bathroom. With all of these little changes, the space simply has opened up and really feels bigger! (I still don't have much storage though...hmmm, that will be for another day!)

When living small, making and taking the time to do changes, literately, will make you feel better. And you don't have to spend a lot of cash to do it. Be resourceful in your ideas and don't be afraid to go for it! One weekend of creative work will last for years...