One Room Living

I have almost no counter space -- I use my dinette table in place of counter top when I prep food. That way my table gets a fair amount of usage every day, even if there are no visitors. The table, then, has become a multi-purpose furniture item.

Most articles will tell you: It's good to let furniture and nooks do double-duty. Do give thought, though, to your own needs and habits when acquiring and arranging furniture. Some people let their table double as a desk, but that wouldn't work for me. I seldom work at a desk, preferring to perch or sprawl rather than sit in traditional fashion. I do have a desk, with the but it's for the purpose of storing things upon... and, in a pinch, under (since you won't actually find legs occupying the space).

As for the desk -- well, it's a good idea to have a hutch sitting atop it.

Just about all of have objects we wouldn't want to part with. In my case, one of those objects is a three-story Tudor dollhouse. At first glance, it would seem such an object would be hard to place in a smaller living space. And yet...

Stacking items can maximize space. The item of furniture the dollhouse sits atop takes up no more room than it would without the dollhouse sitting on it. The dollhouse actually serves more than one purpose. Living in one room, it's a good idea to section off small areas and also to hide clutter away from view.

In that corner is my workplace, my 'studio within a studio'. There are a lot of small items packed on the shelves and in the little drawer units. And yet you don't really notice them when you walk in the room. The Tudor hides far more than the furniture would alone, and, while I sure wouldn't want it toppling down, I know it's not heavy enough to do damage.

That Tudor wouldn't be everyone's choice of decor. Yet I think it has a more commanding -- and attractive -- presence than in the larger space. And that brings us to one of the more surprising principles of one room living design: A single large item can contribute to a spacious look where a number of smaller ones make it look cluttered. Scale is important -- but sometimes in ways that seem counterintuitive.

Some people would choose to put a TV/ entertainment center in that space. That could work, too. Much of the related paraphernalia, from videos and music to small equipment, can be tucked away behind the drawers of closed furniture. Just make sure the arrangement is sturdy.