Design Solutions for San Francisco’s Small Spaces

Coddington Design loves the San Francisco Bay Area’s eclectic mix of historic architecture ranging from Art Deco to Victorian.  While older buildings have soul, they often include awkward spaces and challenging details. Here are some of our solutions for updating rooms without sacrificing their character.

Small Spaces:

Whether you’re dealing with cramped areas or problematic floor plans, we’re sharing our secrets to maximizing small spaces.

Colors, textures, and patterns that blend together rather than match create a cohesive flow to a room. In our Castro Victorian project, we decorated the living room with soft blush and accents of butter yellow.  The colors compliment the interior architecture while expanding the space.

Utilize transparent furniture that visually floats in a room.  In the den of the Castro Victorian, we centered an acrylic coffee table between the tailored sofa and pair of barrel back chairs.  The table adds function without bulk. The subtle pattern of the area rug grounds the room.

Bay Windows:

These bay windows are a defining characteristic of San Francisco buildings. Found in Victorians and Edwardians, we like to give them a modern take:

In our project, San Francisco Style we juxtaposed the historic interior architecture with contemporary furnishings. The living room’s grande bay window features draperies in a graphically patterned textile.  Brass drapery hardware with lucite finials draws the eye upward.

For our Castro Victorian project, we contrasted the living room’s vivid art and patterned rug with a solid gold drapery fabric. The modern textile frames the view out the windows of ornate architecture and palm trees.

 

Long hallways and awkward corners:  

Like the Winchester Mystery House, many Bay Area spaces seem to lead nowhere. Here are some solutions:

Add the magic of mirror, for an awkward corner in Chic Meets Antique Cottage we installed a rectangular mirror. Its antiqued mirrored squares reflect a mahogany pedestal table encircled by Swedish white painted side chairs.  We like the glamorous touch of the gilded frame.

Distract the eye with the creative use of color. For Oakland Hills Modern, Coddington Design selected a deep marine blue for the walls of the dining room.  We painted the wainscoting and trim were a high gloss white. Through the open doorway, the jade color of the kitchen makes a smooth transition between the rooms.

Custom design:

We often custom size furnishings to get what we need.  For Chic Meets Antique Cottage, Coddington Design maximized a small awkward master bedroom with a custom headboard and bedding in pale pinks and blues. Custom rectangular mirrors flank the nailhead embellished headboard adding the illusion of light and space.

From long, narrow hallways to cramped, tiny corners it is crucial that you have the great design to hide your home’s imperfections. Our design solutions are perfect for adding just the right flare to any room.