Hello Friends, I have fun news! I'm starting a new design series on my blog all about small space design, simply titled: Small Home Style. After getting so much fantastic feedback from my first ever blog survey and hearing that the majority of you my dear readers were interested in small space design ideas & solutions, the series was born. Every Monday, I'll share small space design ideas & solutions to incorporate into your home. Being a small home dweller myself, I know first hand that small home dwelling can be a challenging but also rewarding in so many ways. Along with sharing design ideas, I'm also sharing how my family of four lives in 1100 sq feet, and all the things about small space living I love, and have learned along the way and am learning.

In addition, if there's a small space in your home your having trouble whipping into shape, feel free to send me and email and I can help you tackle your space send emails to Hello@chiclittlehouse.com for design dilemmas.

Now for today's post: 9 Ideas to Maximize a Small Dining Small & Give it Style. My dining room is by no means large, in fact I'd label it very small. Our dining room isn't even its own room, its an eat in kitchen type dining room some would even refer to the size as a breakfast nook. However, even with its small size we can comfortably seat 8 and even have room for a bar cart and our dining room doesn't feel cluttered or cram packed. And honestly, that fact that my little dining room can seat eight is a dream come true, the beauty is all in the laout and design I choose to maximize my dining room to its full potential!

As I mentioned, my dining room is an eat-in style dining room and has three 'points of entry & exit,' from the living room, kitchen and into the mudroom, with all ways to enter our dining room, I had to make sure I utilized in the best way. To maximize our small dining room, we have a banquette that seats 3, opted for an oval dining table with pedestal. I bought a vintage table on Craigslist and refinished it glossy white, the white table helps our small space feel 'light and airy' since white is reflective. To create a focal wall in our dining room and draw eyes up and out, I used 6 18x20 frames hung in grid style on the wall, each frame has B&W family photos. I love how stylish and inviting my small dining room is!

ONE. Dining Room Table Selection: When choosing a dining room table, consider the shape of the room. For long narrow rooms, opt for either and oval or narrow rectangle table instead a round table. Rectangle & oval tables will take up less space for place chairs around the table. If you dining room is square, a round table is perfect to breakup all the boxiness of the room.
TWO. Banquette Seating: Banquette Seating is a ideal in small spaces! You can opt for either a built-in banquette seating, that goes from wall to wall or corner seating depending on the layout of your dining room. This can be a fun DIY project, if you use upper cabinets for the base, it will give you additional storage. Corner style banquette seating looks amazing in eat in kitchens, where the dining room and kitchen 'but-in' to each other. For example in the kitchen / dining room below. Another option for banquette seating is a free standing using a new of vintage settee.

Banquette seating looks best, looks amazing filled with an array pillows. Mix and Match pillow sizes and colors to add visual interest.

THREE. Mix up Chair Styles: Skip heavy upholstered chairs like parsons chairs (I've had them in the past and they're way too bulky for small dining rooms) Instead, mix up your chairs with mixture of chair styles formal & non-formal.
FOUR. Create a gallery wall. Cover your walls with a mixture of personal photos and original artwork.
FIVE. Hang a Picture ledge and layer in photos and artwork. In the dining room below, there's a mixture of artwork on the walls and picture ledge above. Hanging artwork high, draws your eyes up and out.

SIX: Storage options: When it comes to storage in a small dining room, think clear open storage. Bar carts provide excellent storage and double duty in small spaces!
SEVEN: Upgrade Lighting: Choose statement lighting, that will be a showstopper in small dining room.

EIGHT: Go Bold with Pattern: Small spaces can handle big pattern, consider wallpapering your walls in a bold fun colorful print!
NINE. High & Wide: Hanging drapes in your dining room high and wide, will help your windows look larger and ceilings taller. My eight foot ceilings in my home feel taller, because my drapes are hung high.

Remember a small dining room, doesn't mean it still can't be stylish, with the design tips I've outlined you can transform a basic dull small dining room into a 'wow' space.

In what ways have you maximized your small dining room and given it style?

Before, I get started with today's blog post, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to answer the 1st ever Chic Little House Survey! I love hearing all your feed back about what you love and what you want to see more of on my blog. Now for today's post!

I've been really wanting design to my master bedroom for the longest time and finally give it some style that feels like my husband & dwell in there. In the past, I've added pretty bedding, updated some sad vintage nightstands I found on CL. However, no artwork was hung and it lacked personality and calmness that I'm so seeking in our bedroom. I plan on using a mixture of items we already have: headboard rug, lamps, dresser etc. and seamlessly incorporating them into my designs plans. Finally after months of gathering ideas, and saving my coins for a few big pieces, I'm ready to share my design plans and get everything executed!

Here's a list of my plans

Layer subtle pattern with new bedding
Update Drapery Hardware, with clean modern hardware
Sew Euro Pleat Drapes for bedroom window & french doors
Replace White Wood Blinds with Roman Shades
Replace Ceiling Lighting with Semi-flush mount option
Hang large scale artwork & Mirror(s)

I'm happy to say, I've already check off a few items from my above list (fabrics & bedding!) Below are some of the textiles and colors I plan on using in my bedroom. I'm getting so excited.

Below is my design plans for my bedroom. I was inspired by my blue crackle lamps to add in several shades of blue in my bedroom. The ikat fabric will be turned into Euro Pleat drapes for my french doors and bedroom window, hung on rings. A few months, back I fall in love with mudcloth fabric and plan on turning the fabric into pillows for my bed. One of the items, I'm most excited about adding into our bedroom is a chair. I love the idea of being about to have a spot to sit on to read, other than just out bed. I love the clean lines of the mid century chair below. I can so picture a pretty mudcloth pillow on it! I'm also really excited about getting some artwork on our bare walls, seriously our walls are a blank slate! I plan on hanging a mixture of abstract and family photos on the walls.

As I mentioned before, I want our room to feel unfussy and light and think with my design plan, I'll be able to execute everything. Below is a quick reminder of how my bedroom looks (total blank slate, with some good pieces). The pictures of a mixture of old and recent, since not much has changed since we moved in, sad but true.

In this spot below, I would love to have a chair + a small side table and either a large mirror or artwork. This spot is screaming for some style, this also where our former closet was before we re-built our home.

Over weekend, I began to tackle some projects in our bedroom. Hasani and I took down our old curtain rod and replaced it with a new one and adding a curtain rod above our french doors. I also began the process of measuring and cutting fabric to transform into drapes. I'll have a progress update our on master bedroom next week along with some how to posts!

Do you also have a room in your home, like I do that's been neglected or the design process is at a standstill? I'd love to hear more!