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Published on 7/24/08
Published on 7/24/08
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BRUCE BANNISTER, vice president of product development and engineering, Airstream
Your square footage may not be negotiable, but the illusion of it is. Avoid the Alice in Wonderland look and keep decor to scale with the space. Airstream trailers are outfitted with small accessories—everything from coatracks to alarm clocks are on the mini side—that keep the decor from dominating. “We found a way to squeeze a king-size bed into one of our largest units, but we still used a small headboard and bedside table,” says Bannister, who works with trailers between 125 and 281 square feet. “And you don’t need a fridge the size of a small car.” Another illusion of space comes from maximizing natural light. Airstream likes panoramic views, but if there’s a shortage of window space, some well-placed translucent furniture can up the brightness of a room. Finally, a piece of obvious—but often overlooked—advice: The higher a bed is, the more storage can go underneath. Not that this excuses excess. “If you’re a pack rat in a small space, you’ll never have enough storage,” Bannister says. “Do you really need to take your rock collection with you?”
ANNA DAEUBLE, designer and artist, Treehouse Workshop, Inc.
Branch-based shelter isn’t just for rambunctious ten-year-old boys. Treehouse Workshop, where Anna Daeuble is a designer and artist, has purposed it as guest rooms, band rehearsal spaces and yoga studios. Her mantra is “convertible space.” As any clever apartment resident knows, almost everything can—and should—multitask. Daeuble once designed a game-table-cum-bed with a tabletop that sank and benches that elevated to support a mattress. She’s also added more space in the bathroom by moving the sink into the bedroom. “We have to compromise,” she says. “Staying open to spaces being movable is what I have to convince clients of most. Good design includes space that can be re-created. That should go for big or small spaces.”
If installing a sink sounds like something to be left to the pros, add room by taking advantage of where the walls meet. Corners are prime storage spots: Daeuble likes lazy Susans to add usable space to kitchen nooks. She also builds “secret compartments into spaces you wouldn’t even think of”: One of her designs features trapdoors cut into the countertops, so even the very back of the cabinets underneath are accessible—more room for ramen noodles.
