There is a kind of cozy charm found in small rooms. With the right decorations and furniture, any small space can be made into a comfortable nook that is perfect for a cup of coffee and a few good hours of reading.  However, when your "nook" is also where you live, the task of creating the illusion of space can feel daunting. 

The good news is, it's not impossible to make your small living space appear larger and more comfortable.  In fact, these four easy tricks will help you turn any room in the house from feeling like a cramped cupboard into a spacious getaway right in the middle of your home.

Light Cheerful Colors for Light Cheerful Rooms

Small spaces already tend to be full of shadows.  The easiest way to counter this is with light and bright colors. If this means a trip to the local hardware store for paint, then keep in mind that bright pastel colors can help reflect light on the walls of any room, thus creating the illusion of more area.  In spaces with large windows, cheerful pastel yellows and soft rose pinks might work well, as these colors easily reflect sunlight and help spread a warm sunny glow across open surfaces. 

However, in a room with less natural lighting, it might be wise to go with the soothing tones of a soft, cooling blue or a pastel green; these colors blend well with artificial light, especially when it comes to the new LED bulbs.  If you're having difficulty choosing which color to use, remember that white or a slight off-white is always a suitable choice and is easily dressed up with room decor.

The Right Curtains Can Go a Long Way

Many people use heavy or dark curtains in their bedrooms to help block out sunlight in the morning. If your bedroom is small, however, these same curtains can make the room feel stifling.  To counter this, try finding curtains with lighter colors.  White is ideal, as it goes with almost any color you might paint the walls. But if white doesn't work for you then go with some lighter coordinating tone that compliments your color scheme.  Also, don't leave the curtains closed during the day; tie them back so that sunlight can filter through the window.  The more natural light in a small space, the less small and more comfortable it will feel.

Just say "No" to Bulky Furniture

When you live in a small space, you quickly learn that less often means more.  In this case, less furniture bulk in the way means more room to spread out and enjoy life.  Big clunky recliners and heavy leather sofas are space-eaters.  Yes, of course they're comfortable, but they also take up a lot of room that could be better utilized, and as anyone who lives in a small place knows, any space that can be better utilized should be.  

If you're looking for new furniture to bring atmosphere to your small space without cluttering it up, why not try a sleek modern design in light or bright colors.  Remember, giving up bulk does not necessarily mean giving up comfort.  There are many furniture options out there that harmonize sleek design with comfortable living, like this lounge chair from our collection- it provides a stylishly comfortable look without taking up extra room, and its clean-cut style adds a modern yet welcoming flair.

Which brings us to our fourth trick…

Declutter Everything

The downside of living in a small space is that you don't have a lot of room to work with.  Too many objects lying around can make any room feel cluttered and tiny no matter how much you paint and adjust furniture.  However, the solution is as simple as a few hours of cleaning and organization.  If you keep the areas under and on top of tables, chairs, and couches open and free of clutter, you'll provide the eye with a clear line of sight along the floor and over the surfaces of furniture.  This adds to the illusion of space. 

Of course, doing this also means that you can't keep too many unnecessary possessions in your small space at one time.  Try to get rid of any old belongings that you don't have a use for anymore, and limit the number of new things you bring into your home.  Remember the saying "there's a place for everything and everything in its place." If you don't have a good place for it, then it probably should go.

Have fun turning your small spaces into fresh new get-aways the whole family can enjoy!  And remember, if you find yourself in need of a professional designer's help, you can always contact me here.

The bedroom is perhaps the most important room in the house, yet it often gets overlooked while you focus on the common areas of the home. It's time to put your beauty sleep first. Follow these simple steps to transform it into a luxurious retreat and recharge in the lap of luxury every night. 

1. Clear The Clutter

A messy room will never feel luxurious, so start by giving everything a place. Get creative with storage solutions, add shelving to your closet, and utilize the space under your bed to keep everything neat and tucked away. Use pretty trays to keep small belongings, such as jewelry and perfume, organized. 

2. Style The Bed

Every luxurious bedroom has a well-styled bed. Make it beautiful and inviting. A velvet tufted headboard is a lovely focal point that is also perfect for resting against. Invest in quality sheets, layer throws on blankets, and have a combination of pillows in varying patterns, sizes, and textures to complete the look.

3. Lighting

A variety of lighting is essential for the proper ambiance. Hang a statement light fixture for a stunning centerpiece, add bedside lamps or a pair of sconces for a decorative yet focused light, and finish it off with a row of soft flickering candles to enhance any mood. Use light bulbs that emit a soft glow and install a dimmer switch to truly control the brightness and your needs.

4. Create A Sitting Area

A sitting area exudes elegance. Depending on your space and lifestyle this can look very different. Try a long bench over a fluffy rug at the end of your bed, a club chair nestled in the corner with a small accent table for coffee and a book, or a pair of settees with an occasional table for an elaborate and defined space.

5. Floor-To-Ceiling Curtains

The right curtains will take your room from drab to fab. They should be hung high and wide. If the room has tall ceilings this is a great way to accentuate the height, and if the room has low ceilings this will draw the eye up creating the illusion of height. Either way, the room is given a feature making it feel polished and grand.

6. Fresh-Cut Flowers

The cherry on top of your luxurious bedroom— fresh cut flowers. Nothing beats the energy that greenery brings to a space and fresh-cut flowers have an allure that emits romance. Placed thoughtfully next to the bed or in the sitting area, you will have an instant mood booster. Pick a variety with a soft scent in a complementary color so you can enjoy their beauty from near and far. 

Small but intentional changes can make a big impact on the overall feel of your bedroom. Use these simple ideas to make your bedroom feel luxurious. You deserve it!

Interior design is fun! Being able to bring your creative ideas to life and place them all throughout your home is a very empowering and great feeling. Working with an interior designer allows you to voice all your creative interests and have a say all throughout the entire process.

Benefits of Working With an Interior Designer

Hiring a professional can help you stay on budget. They will help you reach your goals while staying within your financial range. An interior designer also assesses your living space and helps build a portfolio of possible ways to go about designing your home. You get final say and can give them blueprints or notes on what you would like done with your space. Of course, you can also ask for their opinion and piggyback off of their sentiments for a nice fusion of your ideas with a professionals' flair added to it!

There are certain things that designers have access to that aren't easily available to the public in terms of connections to certain companies which can make it easier to get your project done quicker. Working with an interior designer can help reduce the time and stress it takes to find a reliable team to work with, it can be stressful going into to home design blindly and not knowing what to look for in a potential designer. 

When bringing a professional to your home to assess everything, remember they are trained to think outside the box and see the bigger picture along with all the options and how everything will look when they're finished working with you.

Closing Thoughts

It can be difficult to get the gist of designing if it's your first time, or it could just be tough to bring your creative ideas to life. Having an interior designer will help alleviate the unnecessary stressors and help you gain perspective in to go about applying your ideas and bringing them to life. Best of all, working with a designer leads to a cohesive, beautiful final outcome.

You deserve to have the home of your dreams and shouldn't have to be stressed about something that can be fun!

We all love to pin every design idea we see on Pinterest and save photos of beautifully designed spaces until there's no space left on our phones. Knowing how to make those ideas a reality is a whole different story.

Luckily, you don't have to live your life with albums of photos you'll never use. Work with an interior designer and they will help you figure out how to make your space look just like you always dreamed. Even better, they'll help you figure out how to do it on a realistic budget. No more saving up for your best life piece by piece. Before you know it, people will be pinning your photos!

1. Interior Designers Know Color

Wondering if that ice blue throw pillow set is going to work with your favorite deep purple comforter? An interior designer can tell you all the best color matches and help you find alternatives. When you're indecisive over paint colors and upholstery, talk to your designer and they can help you figure out the best color palettes and aesthetics for your space. 

2. Get Out of the Indecision Slump with New Choices

Sometimes the reason we can't decide on elements for our space is that none of the choices in front of us are quite right. An interior designer has the professional experience to know what may be similar but just different enough to get you the fresh look you need. Sometimes the amount of choices in front of us is so daunting that we can't choose for that reason. A designer will help you curate smaller groups so that decisions are easier to make. 

3. Find Pieces That Work for Your Space AND Your Budget

Have you been coveting that reclaimed wood table that seems so far out of your budget that you'll have to choose between it and retirement? An interior designer has connections and experience to find alternatives that will work for your budget. Your space should be somewhere you love as well as somewhere that provides sanctuary. That isn't possible if you gave up your rent to get the design you want. An interior designer can help you make it happen without breaking the bank. 

A Partnership in Design

The main takeaway is to end up with a space that you love. An interior designer is, above all, your partner in this endeavor. You'll be working together with mutual respect, building a space that brings you joy every day. Embrace that partnership and you'll have someone that can not only make your dream space happen but also help you update it every season. Contact me today to learn more about how we can work together.

Life in quarantine can be challenging. Many of our usual avenues of communication are no longer viable and on top of that, we're all trapped inside our homes forced to examine the reality of the four walls surrounding us. And in some cases, our less than ideal interior design. But just because it's no longer safe to go outside and look, touch, and explore all of the latest design trends with an interior designer in person doesn't mean that all of your home design plans have to be put on hold.

In fact, now is the perfect time to work with an interior designer virtually!

One of the most important aspects of home design, and one of the most difficult aspects for interior designers, is crafting the perfect mix of trends, styles, and vibes to match the customer's desires for their home, something that we take seriously here at Ana Maria Designs. This relates to the paint color on the walls, the furniture in the room,  to even the throw pillows adorning the couch. And the easiest way to make sure that you get the best results, and that your interior designer brings your home to its full potential, is to have clear ideas about what you want.

Stuck inside our homes with what seems like limitless free time (outside of those pesky Zoom calls for work!) is the ideal time to clarify, compile, and create your vision for what you want your home to be. Draft some detailed emails, create a Pinterest board, hop online for a video call, or take advantage of our Design Your Own service.  Scroll through our project galleries and to find examples of rooms you love. Take the time to point out which aspects you enjoy, arrange a folder of concept pictures, furniture pieces that you love,  wall art that inspires you, and colors and fabrics that spark joy.

Ana Maria Designs is always happy to discuss your home design projects, even while in quarantine, so send us a note or book a call today.

Having a visually appealing office space in your home is so important. It allows your mind to think freely and creatively. You will spend hours in this space, so it is crucial that your work space matches the comfort and beauty of the rest of your home. Whether you have a desk in the corner or a completely separate room, here are four must-haves in any beautiful home office space:

1. Natural Light

Natural lighting just does something for our minds and bodies. There are multiple studies that praise the benefits of working in natural light. This article from the New York Times highlights how greater amounts of artificial light, rather than natural light, can lower productivity. So first things first, make sure your desk is positioned near a window that allows plenty of sunlight to come through.

2. Plenty of Color

Colorful spaces always draw our attention. A monochromatic space without any pops of color may stifle your creativity and can make you feel bored. To make your home office more visually appealing and thought- provoking, add some color. This does not mean you have to paint the walls! Find a poster, a painting, or a fabric canvas to hang on the walls. Play around with textures, too! A faux fur rug or a wooden sculpture on your desk may be exactly what your home office needs to keep those productive juices flowing. 

3. Methods of Organization

Keeping an organized space may not seem fun or creative, but it certainly will create a beautiful home office space. Just looking at a desk piled high with papers and junk can cause anxiety and make you feel overwhelmed, while an organized desk will save you time in looking for important papers or items. Plus, sitting at a clean desk will give you the freedom to think creatively, rather than being stressed about the stack of papers in front of you. This applies to your laptop or desktop as well! 

4. Lots of Life 

Add a few plants or even a small fish tank to your home office! Bringing the outdoors in is a great way to keep you from feeling like you are stuck inside. Afraid of your brown thumb? This article lists 30 easy houseplants that will be hard to kill and make a wonderful addition to your workspace. 

These are four simple ways you can create a beautiful home office space. Be sure to check out other articles on our blog for more inspiration!

Few things convey a sense of coziness like a rich wood floor that's steeped in character and history. While not everyone has the luxury of living with aged hardwood floors, adding touches of reclaimed wood to your decor can capture the same feeling of warmth.  

What Is Reclaimed Wood?

Reclaimed wood is high-quality wood recycled from places like old barns, factories, ships, or wine casks. This aged wood comes with a unique sense of the past and can be beautifully refinished. Utilizing reclaimed wood over new lumber has a monumental environmental impact. Reclaiming wood requires 11-13 times less energy and produces up to 470% less CO2 emissions than producing new lumber. For anyone who cares about the environment, reclaimed wood is an obvious choice in sustainable design.  

Incorporating Reclaimed Wood In Your Space

1. Kitchen Cabinetry

Reclaimed wood can look stunning accenting a kitchen in the form of a custom-built island. It’s also a timeless choice when refinished as cabinets.  

2. Beds

A metal and reclaimed wood bed offers a masculine touch without being overwhelming. The warm wood tones and solid construction center the space in a sense of stability.  

3. Floating Shelves

With styles ranging from farmhouse to industrial, reclaimed wood shelving provides extra storage for any space. Longer lengths can make beautiful substitutes for upper cabinets.  

4. Wall Art

There are all kinds of large-scale art pieces made from reclaimed wood. Depending on your room, you can find the perfect statement to fill a wall above your sofa or to accent a fireplace. Our favorites include this high contrast geometric hanging and this rustic mountain scene.  

5. Console or Media Tables

Living spaces benefit from gorgeous reclaimed wood tables. You can choose from industrial-rustic builds to mid-century modern-inspired pieces.  

If you want to imbue your space with a truly unique feel, reclaimed wood is what to look for. Upcycled old-growth wood is the most durable, strong, and stable lumber you can find. Each piece is like a time-capsule to the past with sustainability for future generations.  

One of the biggest (and most sophisticated!) trends of this year is jewel tones. Jewel tones are richly saturated colors reminiscent of your favorite gems. Think elegant, rich colors like deep garnet, a dark sapphire blue, a multi-dimensional golden, or a daring emerald. The simple addition of a piece of jewel-toned furniture in your next redesign can be a stylish and tasteful addition that has the potential to transform the entire space.

A Statement Piece

This mid-century style emerald sofa with cast brass legs from Anthropologie becomes the centerpiece of any room. The deep jewel-toned color and importance of this piece of furniture in the room make it eye-catching and dramatic. The addition of a statement piece like this sofa to your home is an easy way to convert any room into a more modern, sophisticated, and on-trend version of itself in one simple change.

An Edited Approach

Picking a single color and layering various textures, fabrics, and furniture in complementary hues such as in this striking living room featured in Architectural Digest's Clever makes this room feel effortlessly put together but still fresh and intimate. Pick your favorite jewel tone and layer it throughout the room. Nothing has to match, and in fact, this look works better when things don't match perfectly. Add a set of lounge chairs in a similar shade to your couch, find a rug in the same tone that brightens up the room, play with colorful coffee tables and prints on the walls. Once everything is there, it all comes together. 

Contrasting Colors

One of the best aspects of the 2020 jewel-toned trend is that it's easy to mix and match shades. Since all of the jewel tones are already in the same family you're free to pick multiple shades and mix and match. This minimal sitting room from Living Spaces features turquoise, sapphire, and ruby together, helping to make this clean and cosmopolitan room more fun. This fun sectional loveseat would work great with this rose quartz colored chair, add in a pop of navy with some fun velvet throw pillows and you have a tasteful yet lively design for any room.

2020 is the ideal time for a change and working jewel tones into your next redesign is a fun and easy way to do that.

Estrella Side Table

This stunning table offers ample design “pop” in one petite form. The laser-cut detail is impeccable and even lovelier in person. We love this table solo or in a cluster for added surface space and maximum style input.

Quick View

Estrella Lace Side Table