Feeling limited by square footage? Don’t let it stop you from creating your dream space. Northern Virginia–area interior designers have advice for how to make even the most cramped spaces feel luxurious.
Clever Kitchen
Cassie Mabee of Cassie Mabee Interiors took a methodical approach when redesigning the galley kitchen in the 1930s Alexandria home she shares with her husband and three children.
“I really wanted a place for everything, making the daily hustle-and-bustle in the kitchen easier and more organized,” she says. “Thinking about every drawer and cabinet with a specific use in mind really helped get everything we needed out of this small space.”
Cream-painted cabinetry by Geepil Construction is topped with Taj Mahal quartzite counters. Going custom helped cover up the older kitchen’s less attractive features, like the radiator, which is now an integrated surface for holding plants.
“Using a paneled fridge, rather than a freestanding fridge, bought us several inches, as did our combination wall oven and cooktop in lieu of a slide-in range,” Mabee says.
Other space-saving features include an appliance garage, which Mabee says, “is in a spot we don’t need for food prep. Tucked in it are the toaster and blender, which get put up after the breakfast rush.”
An adjacent pantry also has designated room for other large appliances. “Not seeing any countertop appliances and keeping things paneled and flush adds an upscale feel and avoids visual clutter — so important in a small space,” she adds.
Double the Pleasure
“With smart storage, thoughtful planning, and the right materials, even the smallest rooms can be both beautiful and functional,” says Amy Fischer of Rosehill Design Studio. She embraced this philosophy when she designed and built a clever mudroom/home office with Keystone Design Build for a family of five in Falls Church.
Fischer took a miscellaneous room and turned it into a dual-purpose mudroom/home office that takes full advantage of its footprint. On one side, built-in storage runs up to the ceiling, with a locker for each child equipped with hooks for backpacks and coats. The lockers also have integrated electric outlets for charging electronics and a lower pullout drawer.
On the opposite side, a built-in desk provides a dedicated workspace. “The desk was scaled to the space with a clean polished background behind [the lockers] for Zoom calls,” adds Fischer.
The two areas are bridged by a window seat. On either side of it, additional shelves hold sundries in baskets, and everyday shoes stack up in cubbies below.
“We selected 3-inch tongue-and-groove panels to keep the vertical detail from overwhelming the walls while drawing the eye up. And our scaled checkerboard floor tiles create pattern and charm without visually shrinking the space,” Fischer says of the design materials executed in a soft neutral palette that extend to the ceiling.
Beauty and the Bath
Older homes often come with smaller rooms. When this 1917 50-square-foot Federal Revival bathroom needed an update, Doma Architecture & Design principal Katharine Scott undertook the refresh. “We kept functions in their original locations, but selected fixtures appropriately scaled to the small floor plan,” she says.
Scott also chose classic finishes in a timeless palette to reflect the home’s historic character. The flooring is hexagonal mosaic tile in a scale suited to the smaller space, while handmade ceramic tiles adorn the wainscot wall and shower surround for easy maintenance. A contrasting pencil trim runs horizontally, visually widening the room.
“The classic console sink is airy and open, while offering an integrated glass shelf and towel bars for space-saving storage,” adds Scott.
The medicine cabinet, doubling as a sink mirror, does the same. The glass partition above the knee wall, separating toilet from tub, also provides support for the shower rod, while keeping the bath enclosure feeling open.
“When designing for a small space, a clean, well-curated palette is key to unifying the space. I also like to look for pieces that are multifunctional, offering storage as well as adding visual interest, like the standout decorative sink in this bathroom. It establishes a focal point and sets the tone,” says Scott.
Perfect Powder Room
“Historic homes, with quirky spaces, really get our wheels turning,” says Anne Marie Hauer of Choux Designs. “We love to revive architectural elements but add modern details to make them feel and function like they are part of the 21st century.”
This 17.5-square-foot powder room, located in an 1852 Old Town Alexandria rowhouse that Hauer was renovating with builder William Cromley, was certainly quirky. It had a dated corner sink, random adjacent cabinet, and pink toilet. The walls were a mishmash of white tile and green paint.
“Our client had a love of aubergine, so we decided to have some fun in the space with an expansive yet bold large-scale patterned wallpaper on a white background, and purple wood trim,” says Hauer.
The brass-based vanity features exposed plumbing, an integrated hand-towel rail, and a custom-designed marble top, shallow enough that, “You didn’t hit your head on it when getting up or down from the toilet,” Hauer says.
The new toilet is the smallest depth available. The teensy window features a clever inside-mount Roman shade for softness and privacy. A slim-framed mirror adds brightness above the vanity, and a pair of dainty sconces complete the look.
“We love to design spaces that are small on space but big in style, while being timeless and well-curated,” says Hauer.
Feature photo by Robert Radifera for Stylish Productions
This story originally ran in our December issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
