Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Now is the time to consider what would work for next year for those who are considering creating a garden room on that balcony or rooftop area of your home, apartment or condo. Your balcony backyard is becoming more and more popular and with a little attention, can become a focal point of your home and wonderful area for entertaining.
Because balconies are usually quite small, space is a major design consideration. The main design principle is to keep the design as simple as possible. The last thing you want is a cluttered, busy look.
One major consideration for those narrow or small areas is to use a square or rectangular container or garden planters that follow the angles and edges of balconies. They will also save space. Hanging baskets, espaliered, and climbing plants will bring the walls to life. The plants themselves can be grown in your containers, easily moved around with the seasons. A trellis attached to the wall is a great place to grow climbing plants and still leave enough room for a small table, bench or a couple of chairs.
Rooftop gardens and some balconies are often blasted by wind and sun, so select plants that are suitable for these conditions. Some suggestions may be Cacti, Kalanchoe, Ivy and many ornamental grasses for they are somewhat drought resistant. Others that may need a little more care are Roses, Citrus, Daisies, Geraniums of course, Bamboo and Conifers. Surprisingly the biggest killer of balcony plants is often overwatering. The urge is great to add water every time you check on the progress of your garden. Beware of being too kind!
Garden pots and planters filled with clipped shapes or standards create a truly elegant effect and may be used as dominant features for your rooftop garden. You can create an exquisite look in a small space by using several pots of clipped shrubs. Boxwood can be clipped into spheres, squares or any shape you desire. Keep in mind that it is less expensive to purchase large unclipped boxwood and then create your own design.
Containers filled with your shrubs make great portable hedges or screens. They are ideal for separating the space from the rest of the area in order to create a separate garden room.
Think carefully about the style and function of your balcony, or rooftop space. Do you want it formal or informal? With a formal look, you can create a modern minimalist style with a few containers filled with select garden plants. In either case, be sure to use heavy, wide pots and planters in windy areas to prevent the pots from being blown over.
If you have a large area, or one that is elongated, consider using repeat plantings to give a clean, uncluttered appearance. Several large containers or planters can be more eye-catching than a collection of small pots.
Use your imagination and just get started. From season to season you will learn what work’s best in your space and how to make the garden room part of your home.
Tags: Balcony, Garden, Home, Spaces
Posted in Balcony | 11 Comments »
Monday, March 23rd, 2009
Small sectional sofas is definitely very popular among a lot of people. One of the reasons for this is the fact that they will help you to make your small living space to look cozy and comfortable without appearing tiny and cramped. This makes the small sectional sofas an excellent option for people that doesn’t have much space in their living rooms.
So, if you have a rather small living room, but still want a sectional sofa, you would be pleased to know that sectional sofas come in smaller sizes as well, catering for everyone’s needs. Saving you some space if you don’t have plenty of space to begin with.
If you have a living room that is not too spacious, you should probably not consider a sectional sofa that consists of more than 3- or 4-pieces. Typically a 3-piece sectional sofa is a good starting place when you start shopping around.
You are probably wondering what a 3-piece sectional sofa consists of? Generally a small 3-piece sectional sofa are simply a sofa or a loveseat, combined with one or two chairs.
The great thing about sectional sofas is the fact that you have the ability to place them however you would prefer, adding a personal touch to your living room. Centrally locating your sofa pieces within your living room could make the area feel more spacious while offering proper seating for conversation and intimacy.
The size of your sectional sofa will depend on the size of your living room, that is why it is important to take measurements before purchasing, ensuring your sofa pieces would easily fit into your small living area without overpowering it.
The measurements of small scale sectional sofas ranges from about 120 – 130″ wide and ends at about 157″ wide. A wise choice would be to find a sofa with components that are sold seperately, enabling you to add some pieces or knock off a few pieces to accommodate your small space. Also allowing you to fill space efficiently while giving you many different looks to choose from.
A small sofa usually measures about 72″ or smaller and their matching chairs are measured around 24″ each, adding up to 120″ wide. A loveseat would be around 63″ with chairs of about 31.5″ wide, adding up to 126″. If you have more space available you could just add another chair to your set.
The idea of choosing particular loose pieces for your small sectional sofa set not only allows you to create your desired size sofa set, but also allows you to mix and match, creating your own unique style and look. Especially nowadays with the new look of matching stripes, floral patterns and plain colors together.
You will also have to choose between a variety of fabrics. Sofas come in leather, suede, microfiber or cloth, giving you a variety of looks, designs and price ranges to choose from. The great thing about small sectional sofas is that it doesn’t always have to be big to offer you some great versatility.
Tags: Living, Sectional, Small, Sofas, Spaces
Posted in Sofa | No Comments »
Friday, February 13th, 2009
Anyone can have a garden, even those apartment dwellers living in the smallest apartments. If you have a balcony, all you need is a little imagination and patience, and a bit of a green thumb and you too can have a pocket garden worth bragging about.
The balcony is actually the most underused space in an apartment and it’s precious space for wannabe gardener. No matter how small your balcony may be, it’s adequate space to support a number of potted plants. But there should be some order in the way the planters are arranged, or the overall space could end up looking cluttered. One could also hang a few pots from the balcony roof and walls, but don’t go overboard and make the balcony look like a tropical jungle.
Bigger balconies can also serve as a seating area – a perfect place to relax after a day at work. just remember to use light furniture as moving it around can be a backbreaking task in bad weather.
Even if your apartment doesn’t boast an extended balcony, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to gardens, size doesn’t really seem to matter and even the smallest square can support a mini-kitchen garden.
You can grow everything from tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant to oranges, all in pots. Admittedly, this is a bit more challenging than having just a few ferns and flowers. If you’re not willing to work that hard for fresh fruit and vegetables, consider growing your own herb garden. It’s the best option. Herbs can be grown in planters, needing just water and sunlight.
If you still feel that the balcony is too small, there’s one more option. Create the illusion of open space. A crystal-clear sliding glass door between the room and balcony along with continuous flooring between the spaces can achieve the look of wider-open spaces without costing you a fortune.
Growing an apartment-friendly garden on your balcony isn’t hard by any means. All it takes is a little bit of time. You’ll be proud of yourself for the work that you’ve created and the beauty that’s right outside your apartment – no matter how far up you are. From the second floor to the fifteenth and beyond – a beautiful garden could just be only a few steps from your door.
Tags: Creating, Garden, Small, Spaces
Posted in Balcony | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
A sectional sofa for a small space probably appears to be an oxymoron. How could there possibly be a perfect meeting of the two?
Well, the honest answer is that in the right home, a sectional sofa could actually save you space! Centrally locating sofa pieces within a small living area not only lends to proper seating for conversation and intimacy, but could also make the space feel more spacious.
If seating in one specific spot is not to your liking, with sectional pieces you have the ability to place them however you prefer. This would lend your own personal creative touch to the living room.
Small Sectional Sofas Explained
Now that you know that small sectional sofas are available, you may be asking yourself a few questions. For instance, what would be considered too large or too small for a small sectional sofa?
Good question!
Generally, your living room or living area would dictate the size needed for a small sectional sofa. This is why it is important to take measurements before making a purchase to ensure the sofa pieces would not overpower the small living area. And I will be discussing the measurements of small sectional sofas more in depth below.
However, before going any further, the primary question should be answered, and that is what would be considered a small sectional sofa?
When looking at the number of pieces that make up a small sectional sofa set, 3 pieces are usually the starting point. When furnishing a small living space, anything over 3 to 4 pieces would typically overwhelm the space. You want to make small rooms appear larger and cramming furniture into a tight space would not be conducive to a spacious feeling.
Measurements for a Small Scale Sectional Sofa
Now that we know what makes up a small sectional sofa, we can get down to business on measurements. To get an idea of what makes up a sectional sofa set, all that is necessary is taking the measurements of a small scale sofa or loveseat and one or two chairs, and then adding them all together.
And once you’ve done that, voila! You have the necessary measurements to define what makes a small scale sectional sofa set.
Let’s go over the measurements now…
A small scale sofa is generally 72″ or smaller.
To come up with a small scale chair, you would simply divide the measurements of a small scale sofa (72″) by 3 and then you have the size of a small scale chair, which is 24″ wide.
Or, let’s consider option number two…
A small scale loveseat is generally 63″ wide.
To come up with a small scale chair, you would simply divide the measurements of a small scale loveseat (63″) by 2 and then you have the size of a small scale chair, which is 31.5″ wide.
Add those numbers together and here is what you get…
72 + 24 + 24 = 120″ wide
63 + 31.5 + 31.5 = 126″ wide
Now you have a starting point for the scale of a small sectional sofa.
A starting point for a small scale sectional sofa set is 120 – 126″ wide.
As for the stopping point, you can simply add on an additional 24-31.5″. The stopping point is simply the size that you wouldn’t want to go past for risk of the sectional sofa being too large.
I took the liberty of adding 31.5″ to 126″ wide sectional sofa to come up with the stopping point of 157.5″ wide.
Having a stopping point gives you some leeway. By finding a sectional sofa that falls between 120 – 157″, you have room to work with in your small space. Remember to take measurements first because a 157″ sectional sofa may be perfect for one living area, but considered too large for another.
Also, a few simple guidelines on sectional sofa sizes to consider may help.
120-130″ would be perfect for a small scale solution.
145″ would be a nice mid-size range for small homes.
157″ would be a great size if you can afford the space.
Now that we know the specific measurements for a small scale sectional sofa, how should you go about choosing one?
Choosing the Ideal Small Scale Sectional Sofa Set
When looking to purchase a sectional sofa, it would be a wise decision to locate a home furnishing store or website that sells each piece individually or as a whole. That way, if a set is too large you could subtract a couple of pieces and if a desired set is too small, you could add an extra piece.
The ability to choose particular pieces allows you to mix and match, therefore, creating your own unique signature “look”.
One place you can find a nice selection is at Marketplace.Furniture-for-Small-Spaces.com. It will link you up to a nice variety of small scale sectional sofas that can be customized according to your space, style and needs.
To Sum Up
Measurements of small scale sectional sofas have been clearly defined. Sectional sofas in the range of 120-130″ wide would be ideal if you do not have the additional space. If space allows, you could increase the stopping point of the sectional sofa to 145″ or even 157″ wide.
Locate home furnishing establishments that allow you to purchase a sectional sofa as a whole or piece by piece. That way, if the sofa you desire is too large, you can knock off a few pieces to accommodate your small space.
In addition, if you wanted to be creative, you could mix and match different colors and patterns. This would lend a unique personal “stamp” to your home décor.
Having said all of that, remember that nothing is ever “carved in stone”. The bottom line and the deciding factor is what is best for you and is most conducive to your lifestyle and taste in home furnishings.
Tags: find, Sectional, Small, Sofas, Spaces
Posted in Sofa | No Comments »