remodel

Making a Big Statement With a Small Space

 You’ve probably seen them while visiting a friend’s home or scrolling through social media… little rooms with a BIG impact! Whether it’s a laundry room or a powder bath, small rooms provide an opportunity to do something daring and bold that you may be afraid to try in a larger space.  Some rooms should have that special touch just for your personal enjoyment, while others are meant to show guests your style!

Everyone loves designing big dramatic spaces with limitless possibilities, but I’m not exaggerating when I say that our team loves designing and executing small, intimate spaces just as much.  You know what they say about “good things and small packages”!

Which small spaces provide great opportunities for big design?

  • Powder rooms

  • Closets/Dressing Areas

  • Laundry Rooms

  • Butler’s Pantries

  • Reading Nooks

  • Small Studies

LED edge lighting around the mirror, large modern artwork, and a floating vanity add visual impact to this Afton Oaks powder room. -Interior Design by StudioMET, Photo by Curtis Lawson

LED edge lighting around the mirror, large modern artwork, and a floating vanity add visual impact to this Afton Oaks powder room. -Interior Design by StudioMET, Photo by Curtis Lawson


Here are five design tips for maximizing the impact of your small spaces:

High-Impact Wallcoverings

Experiment with an unexpected texture on the walls created by handmade tiles.  Wallpaper comes in thousands of patterns, ranging from classic to whimsical.  Plaster finishes bring a level of sophistication.  Dark, brooding paint colors can really set the mood for a dramatic effect.  

Hand-painted wallpaper, a wall mounted faucet, and 17th century stone washbasin from France provide high impact to this Memorial Villages powder bath. -Photo courtesy of Lauren Haskett Design

Hand-painted wallpaper, a wall mounted faucet, and 17th century stone washbasin from France provide high impact to this Memorial Villages powder bath. -Photo courtesy of Lauren Haskett Design

Lighting as a Statement

Lighting doesn’t necessarily have to come from overhead. Wall sconces or hidden lighting behind a mirror provide a much softer, more flattering light.  A small chandelier or pendant can sparkle in the natural light pouring in from a window. In the absence of natural light, consider embracing a moodier atmosphere with more subtle, dim lighting.

This Garden Oaks powder bath comes to life with turquoise wall tiles, handmade copper sink, and coordinating hardware! -Design by Crafted, photo by Curtis Lawson

This Garden Oaks powder bath comes to life with turquoise wall tiles, handmade copper sink, and coordinating hardware! -Design by Crafted, photo by Curtis Lawson

Oversized Artwork and Accessories

Large pieces of art can bring big personality and energy to small rooms. Artwork can also balance out or bring contrast to bold wallpaper. 

Stay Away From the Ordinary

Mix old and new by integrating antique furniture as a cabinet base, a slab of wood from the family farm as a countertop, or a 14th century stone basin for your sink!   If you have a modern home, continue the “clean look” with a wall-mounted commode, sink, and faucet.  

Don’t Forget The Top and Bottom!

The 5th and 6th walls in a room (ceiling and floor!) are often neglected.   Intricate flooring brings personality to a small space.  Consider patterned cement tiles, antique brick, wood flooring in a herringbone pattern, or vibrant tiles.  Ceilings can be highlighted by wallpaper, wood moldings, or a splash of color.

This small butler pantry in a Friendswood custom home really pops with a deep blue color and mirrored backsplash tiles! Design by Brickmoon Interiors, photo by Curtis Lawson.

This small butler pantry in a Friendswood custom home really pops with a deep blue color and mirrored backsplash tiles! Design by Brickmoon Interiors, photo by Curtis Lawson.





If you’re considering upgrading your small space (or building a big one!), give the design and construction experts at Crafted a call at (713) 664-7131, or visit us at www.craftedhome.com.  






Briargrove Park Second Story Addition

Architecture:  Brickmoon Design

 

This young family living in west Houston’s Briargrove Park neighborhood was growing, and needed more bedroom and play space for their three children.  The existing one story ranch style home was 2,008 square feet and contained three bedrooms and two and a half baths.  Our architectural partners at Brickmoon Design created a fantastic second-story addition which would increase the overall size to 3,334 square feet providing four bedrooms PLUS a study, gameroom, and space for a future 5th bedroom.  The new second floor also allowed us to create a fully covered rear porch for outdoor living.

The local wildlife (neighborhood watch?) was very interested in what was going on, and checked in on a daily basis!

peacock.jpg

One thing we have learned from doing second story additions that we tell all customers in advance:  with our unpredictable weather you should automatically assume that the entire first floor is getting remodeled when adding a second!  Fortunately for us, the only part of this home that was going to remain intact was the master suite, which was not getting covered by the addition.

When adding a second floor (or when building a new two story home) it is extremely helpful to frame using open web trusses instead of traditional 2x lumber or I-beams/joists.  The webbing allows us to freely pass HVAC ducts, water pipes, drains, and electrical to whatever location is needed and not have to drill holes which weaken the framing members.

The floorplan was completely reconfigured on the first floor to create an open floorplan.  The focal point of the kitchen is the large island which flows into the family room.  The dining room is also open to the living space, and the dedicated study is just steps away.

Upstairs, the spaces now include two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gameroom, and a gameroom extension intended to be a future 5th bedrooom.

Our goal in doing these second story additions is to create a home that blends seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood. We want it to seem the home was designed that way from the beginning, and not be an obvious addition. I think we achieved that, don’t you?

If you’re looking for a Design-Build contractor in Houston to do a project like this for your family, please contact the Crafted team!

Brookesmith Heights Modern Bungalow

Architecture and Interior Design:  KinneyMorrow Architecture

Our client wanted a compact yet livable home near downtown in this transitional Houston neighborhood consisting primary of 1920's bungalows.  The original 842 square foot home was relocated to the existing site by a prior owner and contained only two bedrooms and one bathroom.  The architect had a vision for a very modern styled home which still retained the charm and simplicity of the original "shotgun style" structure.  A master suite addition and kitchen extension increase the square footage to 1,599. 

In order to pack so many features into a small footprint, several cantilevered areas were added: three to access a side deck off the living space, and one to allow the master bed to move outward for better flow around the bedroom.  The ceilings of the living/dining/kitchen areas and master suite were vaulted to the roof’s ridge and skylights were added to create the feeling of space.  Natural light flows through nearly every area of the home.  

One of the biggest challenges for this home was creating a space for the mechanical systems.  A tankless water heater was installed on the exterior to free up attic space.  In our region we cannot place the HVAC equipment or ducts under the home, nor can we mount registers in the floors.  The architect designed a mechanical platform over the master closet/laundry room which have dropped ceilings.  This provided a central location for all equipment and short runs for the ductwork.  Adjustable Seiko spot diffusers were used to direct airflow as required, and a thermostat was integrated into an electrical “dummy panel” on one side of the kitchen cabinetry. 

Minimal millwork was used; in fact there is no interior trim other than baseboards.  Kerfed drywall returns were installed at the door jambs.  Other modern touches include flush-paneled white oak cabinets stained a matte black, simple floodlight lamp holders for up-lighting, suspended LED task lighting, and flush-installed Bosch appliances.  Switches and receptacles were integrated or concealed wherever possible.  Bocci Series 22 receptacles are flush-mounted into the soapstone backsplash and are hardly noticeable. 

The original home had no storage to speak of, so closets were added to the front bedroom rooms.  In order to maintain an open feeling, the closet walls do not extend to the 9.5 foot ceiling height.  Instead they are framed to 7 feet, and pivot hinges are utilized to allow full access the space.  This also provides an area for storage or display on top of the closets.

The original home only had one bathroom, so a powder bath was added near the kitchen and the existing bath was made to service the two guest rooms at the front of the home. The powder bath has a small footprint (only 3x6) but maximizes space with a wall-hung vanity sink and storage over the toilet. The hall bath has an alcove soaking tub, freestanding vanity, and linen cabinet.

An ensuite master bath was created as part of the addition, which is separated from the bedroom by the master closet/laundry room. The master bath has a floating vanity with stone countertop and integral sinks, and is separated from the shower area by a freestanding wall which is wrapped in brushed aluminum. The oversized shower is open (no glass enclosure) and slopes to a linear trench drain with tile inlay. The toilet area is tucked away for privacy while still maintaining the bathroom’s open feel.

The bungalow’s exterior appearance was updated while still retaining the feel of the neighborhood.  Original wood siding was retained, matched as needed, and painted a gloss black color.  A standing-seam metal roof replaced the shingles and matching galvanized metal wraps the cantilevered extensions housing the Western door units.  On the front porch, board-formed concrete columns with inset house numbers replace the original spindles and gingerbread details.  A galvanized steel handrail was installed for the porch and stairs and the tongue-and-groove porch floor was stained an opaque grey. 

This project is a great example of how you can maximize use of a small space and integrate many luxury features and finishes into a simple bungalow!