Libby’s Favorite Paint Colors L A celebrity designer offers angLIB simple, smart solutions to dB oY n small space quandaries W Moody Maroon Brown Mauve Heart Dream Cream hen someone says they live in a small house or apartment, the image that comes to mind is all too often negative—“cramped,” “cluttered,” L or “confining.” But america’s leading small space I B designer, Libby Langdon, knows just how to counter B that stereotype. In Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions, Bedroom Blue Good as Gold Mellow Yellow Y she offers a practical, user-friendly guide to deco- L rating small spaces so they look stylish, beautiful, A and larger than their actual dimensions. N Libby provides hundreds of tips—or decorating G “tricks of the eye”—for solving all small space D challenges. Setting out from the premise that an Citron Drop Polite Pink Icy Blue O inviting and yet functional space is achievable even N on a tight budget, she delivers practicality and “Whatever Libby Langdon takes on, whether it be designing “Like having a high energy designer and personal organizer by ’ LIBBY LA NGDON’S inspiration that’s affordable. She covers it all— S a New York City restaurant or decorating a Hampton’s hide- your side, with this book Libby offers chic and stylish solutions from how to find the “theme” of your room to away, you know the end result is going to be done with style. for all your decorating needs. It is a must read if you are seek- S styling and arranging items in a wall unit, from M Navy Night Entrance Hall Gold Lovin’ Lavender This instructive book is no exception.” ing to simplify, organize, and bring beauty into your apartment how to go green (using plants) to layering your bed —BoBBY FLaY, chef and cookbook author, owner of or small home. Sure to become a style book staple, this is one A SM A L L SPAC E SOLU T IONS linens for a luxe look. Mesa Grill, Bar americain, and Bobby Flay Steak reference guide you will turn to again and again for practical L With step-by-step instructions, each chapter L advice and inspiration.” addresses the most common problems encoun- Secrets for Making Any Room Look Elegant “Libby Langdon’s book is absolutely packed with solutions for —BoB KerreY, President, The New School S tered in a particular space—living room, dining Gunmetal Gray Eye Popping Orange Spa Aqua small-space living, from high-end custom designs to clever PA and Feel Spacious on Any Budget room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, or and affordable ideas for every budget.” “We appreciate any woman who makes small things look a lot big- hall—and presents real solutions. Hundreds of C —SuSaN VICTorIa, Senior editor, ger. and Libby’s interior decorating ideas are awesome, too!” E stunning full-color photographs illustrate vari- Expert commentator and leading designer, HGTV’s Small Space, Big Style architecture and Design, Metropolitan Home —PeTer & BoBBY FarreLLY, Writers/Directors ous design ideas and transformed spaces. Libby S also spells out the top ten mistakes people make in O small spaces. Guest Room Green Magic Mushroom Gray Haze L U Whether you are an apartment dweller, first- time homeowner, or are just looking to downsize, T I Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions proves that living O with less doesn’t mean living without luxury. N S Comfy Khaki Mystical Mint Perky Periwinkle Libby Langdon is an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV’s hit show Small Space, Big Style. Previously she hosted and was lead designer on the FoX makeover Choc-o-holic Brown Seeing Red Backyard Rust TV show Design Invasion. Founder of Libby Interiors, Inc., she has completed numerous commercial and residential ™ design projects across america. a small space con- sultant for Woman’s Day and Better Homes and Gardens, US $24.95 / CAN $29.95 Knack Books is an imprint Libby divides her time between New York City and Year Round Tan Smart as Sage Green Safe Hunter Green TM of The Globe Pequot Press Guilford, Connecticut | www.KnackBooks.com Sag Harbor, New York. Cover image of author by Noël Sutherland Printed in the united States of america TM Tear off this sheet and take it with you to the paint store! C L E A N H O M E , G R E E N H O M E DELANEY Libby’s Favorite Paint Colors L A celebrity designer offers angLIB simple, smart solutions to dB oY n small space quandaries W Moody Maroon Brown Mauve Heart Dream Cream hen someone says they live in a small house or apartment, the image that comes to mind is all too often negative—“cramped,” “cluttered,” L or “confining.” But america’s leading small space I B designer, Libby Langdon, knows just how to counter B that stereotype. In Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions, Bedroom Blue Good as Gold Mellow Yellow Y she offers a practical, user-friendly guide to deco- L rating small spaces so they look stylish, beautiful, A and larger than their actual dimensions. N Libby provides hundreds of tips—or decorating G “tricks of the eye”—for solving all small space D challenges. Setting out from the premise that an Citron Drop Polite Pink Icy Blue O inviting and yet functional space is achievable even N on a tight budget, she delivers practicality and “Whatever Libby Langdon takes on, whether it be designing “Like having a high energy designer and personal organizer by ’ LIBBY LA NGDON’S inspiration that’s affordable. She covers it all— S a New York City restaurant or decorating a Hampton’s hide- your side, with this book Libby offers chic and stylish solutions from how to find the “theme” of your room to away, you know the end result is going to be done with style. for all your decorating needs. It is a must read if you are seek- S styling and arranging items in a wall unit, from M Navy Night Entrance Hall Gold Lovin’ Lavender This instructive book is no exception.” ing to simplify, organize, and bring beauty into your apartment how to go green (using plants) to layering your bed —BoBBY FLaY, chef and cookbook author, owner of or small home. Sure to become a style book staple, this is one A SM A L L SPAC E SOLU T IONS linens for a luxe look. Mesa Grill, Bar americain, and Bobby Flay Steak reference guide you will turn to again and again for practical L With step-by-step instructions, each chapter L advice and inspiration.” addresses the most common problems encoun- Secrets for Making Any Room Look Elegant “Libby Langdon’s book is absolutely packed with solutions for —BoB KerreY, President, The New School S tered in a particular space—living room, dining Gunmetal Gray Eye Popping Orange Spa Aqua small-space living, from high-end custom designs to clever PA and Feel Spacious on Any Budget room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, or and affordable ideas for every budget.” “We appreciate any woman who makes small things look a lot big- hall—and presents real solutions. Hundreds of C —SuSaN VICTorIa, Senior editor, ger. and Libby’s interior decorating ideas are awesome, too!” E stunning full-color photographs illustrate vari- Expert commentator and leading designer, HGTV’s Small Space, Big Style architecture and Design, Metropolitan Home —PeTer & BoBBY FarreLLY, Writers/Directors ous design ideas and transformed spaces. Libby S also spells out the top ten mistakes people make in O small spaces. Guest Room Green Magic Mushroom Gray Haze L U Whether you are an apartment dweller, first- time homeowner, or are just looking to downsize, T I Libby Langdon’s Small Space Solutions proves that living O with less doesn’t mean living without luxury. N S Comfy Khaki Mystical Mint Perky Periwinkle Libby Langdon is an interior designer and expert commentator on HGTV’s hit show Small Space, Big Style. Previously she hosted and was lead designer on the FoX makeover Choc-o-holic Brown Seeing Red Backyard Rust TV show Design Invasion. Founder of Libby Interiors, Inc., she has completed numerous commercial and residential ™ design projects across america. a small space con- sultant for Woman’s Day and Better Homes and Gardens, US $24.95 / CAN $29.95 Knack Books is an imprint Libby divides her time between New York City and Year Round Tan Smart as Sage Green Safe Hunter Green TM of The Globe Pequot Press Guilford, Connecticut | www.KnackBooks.com Sag Harbor, New York. Cover image of author by Noël Sutherland Printed in the united States of america TM Tear off this sheet and take it with you to the paint store! C L E A N H O M E , G R E E N H O M E DELANEY LLFMCh1.indd 1 12/11/08 1:52:23 PM LLFMCh1.indd 2 12/11/08 1:52:25 PM Libby Langdon’s small space solutions Secrets for Making Any Room Look Elegant and Feel Spacious on Any Budget Libby Langdon ™ Guilford, Connecticut An imprint of The Globe Pequot Press C L E A N H O M E , G LLFMCh1.indd 3 12/11/08 1:52:28 PM R E E N H O M E DELANEY ™ Copyright © 2009 by Libby Langdon ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. C L Knack is a registered trademark of Morris Publishing Group, LLC, and is used with express permission. E A Text designed by Sheryl P. Kober N H All photos courtesy of Libby Langdon and Noël Sutherland O Noël Sutherland Photography/www.noelsutherland.com M Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. E , G ISBN 978-1-59921-424-5 R E Printed in the United States of America E N H 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 O M E DELANEY LLFMCh1.indd 4 12/11/08 1:52:29 PM This book is dedicated to my Mom and Dad, Mary Ann, and Fran, who gave me an opportunity at a young age to follow my dreams, find my voice, and spread my wings. Their ever-present love and support has allowed me to live many lives, re-create myself, and discover what I want to do and who I want to be. The ease in which they’ve taught me their incredibly positive outlook and enthusiasm for life has been inspirational, and I take that glass-half-full attitude with me everywhere I go. They created a warm and wonderful home for me to grow up in, filled with lots of style, love, and laughter, so it’s a natural path for me to want to help people create that for themselves. I will never be able to repay them for all they’ve done, but I will be able to take the gifts they’ve shared with me and pass them along to others who might need them. I also dedicate this to my late grandmother, Chickie, who got my imagination of “what could possibly be” up and running. She was a writer, teacher, volunteer, who had plenty of sass, wit, and showmanship, and the twinkle in her eye always let you know fun was just around the corner. She was strong willed and she was a survivor, yet her creative spirit taught me to believe in magic places where truly incredible things could happen. LLFMCh1.indd 5 12/11/08 1:52:30 PM Contents Libby’s Note to the Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Chapter One: The Nitty-Gritty of Design— Layout, Color, Light, and Organization/Storage . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter Two: Living Rooms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Chapter Three: Dining Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Chapter Four: Kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Chapter Five: Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Chapter Six: Bedrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Chapter Seven: Home Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Chapter Eight: Hallways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Epilogue: The Grand Finale! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Appendix: Libby’s Greatest Color Hits: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Libby’s Glossary of Design Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 LLFMCh1.indd 6 12/11/08 1:52:34 PM Libby’s Tricks of the Trade Announce Your Personal Style—How to Find the Theme of Your Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Forget “Matchy-Matchy”—How to Use Contrast in Your Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Styling Like a Pro—How to Style and Arrange Items in a Wall Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Go Green—How to Effectively Use Green Plants in Your Space (Real or Fake!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Don’t Break the Bank—How to Affordably Change the Look and Feel of Your Small Bathroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Luxurious Beds—How to Layer Your Bed Linens for a Luxe Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Clean Your Space and Clear Your Mind— How to Declutter Your Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Get the Hang of It—How to Install Art in Your Home. . . . . . 150 LLFMCh1.indd 7 12/11/08 1:52:37 PM Libby’s note to the Reader Hey!It’s so fantastic you picked You’ll see that this book is chock- up my book. You probably full of things you can do yourself to make want to know what this book is all about. I changes to your home that will work have so much I want to tell you! First, some whether you’re in a tiny studio apartment, questions. Do you live in a small space? a compact condo, or a little house (or you Do you want some fresh design ideas and just want some cool, cost-conscious ways inspiration that won’t cost you an arm to create your own chic space). You won’t and a leg? Do you want great tips on how need a custom carpenter or loads of cash to make your space function as well as how to implement my ideas, which range from to make it look beautiful? (It must seem ways to visually trick the eye and make your weird that I’m asking all these questions, rooms seem larger, to easily incorporating because you can’t answer me. And even if systems of storage and organization that you did answer me, I am not where you are will let you capitalize on the space you do right now, so I wouldn’t really be able to have. In addition to helpful hints, there hear you.) Okay, at this point if you’re still are loads of great pictures that will illus- reading, you might think I’m a little crazy, trate, illuminate, and inspire the redesign but you also must be looking for some of your space (some of them aren’t teeny- hard-and-fast information that you can tiny spaces, but I believe you’ll be able to use to create the space you envision your- use the images as a springboard to discover self living in and loving. I just so happen to the best way to announce your own per- know how to help you do that! sonal style). Maybe you love your bedroom, but you Take a flip through of what I have in can’t get a sense on how to make your living store for you. I think interior design should room work; or your kitchen area is great, be fun, easy, and accessible. Most of all I and you really hate the vibe of your bed- want to give you the tools, support, and room. I’ll help you identify and rectify the encouragement to design the most beauti- problems by figuring out what you like and ful, comfortable, and practical house that don’t like as well as encourage you to think you can call home no matter how small it about the room in your home that you like is! I’ve really loved our time together just the least (you know the room that made now; let’s do this again real soon; you’re so you go into the interior design section of much fun! I feel like I’ve done all the talk- the bookstore and look for some solutions ing . . . now it’s time for you to read which- in the first place) and how to convert it ever chapters speak to your most urgent into your favorite room! It’s not all about small-space interior design needs and get starting from scratch (unless you want to) cracking on your small space! but more how to transform, rework, and incorporate your existing furnishings into your new design scheme as well as add some simple solutions to update your overall look. viii LLFMCh1.indd 8 12/11/08 1:52:38 PM