Four Tips for Outfitting a Compact, Mixed-Use Space
Note: This blog post was sponsored by Pottery Barn, who donated goods to The RightWay Foundation as part of this partnership.
Our temporary space is working overtime these days. It’s a nursery for our 1 month old, a play room for our 4 year old, my office (at least while I’m nursing and closely monitoring the baby around the clock), and our bedroom. With 4 humans and 2 dogs bumbling around between these walls non-stop, functionality and wear-and-tear are just as important to consider at length as aesthetic.
While the room isn’t tiny, it’s not large either— plus it’s filled with tricky angles. There’s only one place a queen bed could fit (we opted for a Full), and the use of several walls is cut short by a diagonal closet door, a shelving-turned-nursery nook, a pair of low windows, and the door. As such, finding furnishings that were juuuuust right ended up being a delightful challenge.
STREAMLINE SEATING
As is often the case in a compact space, a bench (rather than a bulky-backed sofa or overflowing armchair) is practical for creating a combination seating area + drop zone. (Tip: A design with right angles and open legs is a bonus, as it almost always helps to maximize the look and feel of the room.)
This woven bench uses seagrass cord, which is handwoven around a wooden frame, to create a sturdy, texture-rich surface.
Pictured: The Malibu Woven Bench from Pottery Barn
DEFINE ZONES
A helpful way to define sections in a multi-use space is through the use of rugs. This Fair Trade, handwoven, indoor/outdoor rug was crafted from recycled plastic, and is particularly useful in a room that gets a lot of traffic, such as this one.
The runner’s fibers were made from up to 612 single-use plastic bottles, which are now living out their new life as our pups’ favorite spot for a mid-morning snooze.
Pictured: The Kian Eco-Friendly Indoor/Outdoor Rug from Pottery Barn
CORRAL THE CLUTTER
Bins and baskets are essential for organizing and concealing items within small spaces. This particular basket was ethically handcrafted to Nest standards (to support the workers behind it), with natural, sustainable seagrass. They are perfectly sized for use with such space-saving furnishings as this hall tree and this wall shelf. In our case, we’ve used them to corral our daughter’s cloth diapers— man of which are hand-me-downs from her big brother.
Pictured: A Savannah Handwoven Seagrass Utility Basket from Pottery Barn
FUNCTIONAL DECOR
It’s not just important to streamline clutter— it’s important to stop inviting it into your home in the first place. When outfitting a room of any size, decorating with living greenery and useful items such as books, clothing and lighting will add visual interest through serving more layered purposes.
Pictured: A Fair Trade bud vase from Pottery Barn
GIVEBACK
I want to thank Pottery Barn for sponsoring this post and supporting my small business. With every purchase of indoor wood furniture, Pottery Barn, the company plants a tree in an effort to restore vulnerable, critical forest ecosystems around the world in this time of climate crisis. Their goal is to plant 3 million trees in 3 years. (Click here to view Pottery Barn’s current sustainability commitments.)
Additionally, Pottery Barn has been an ongoing donor to one of my favorite non-profits, The RightWay Foundation. In support of Foster Care Awareness Month they generously sent numerous non-toxic, mindfully made comforters to the youth of this wonderful LA-based non-profit.
