Vancouver Fall Home Show: Think Big with Small Spaces

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Space has become more important, and more multifunctional, than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, as homes have been transformed to become a residence, office, sometimes gym, as well as areas for home entertainment and games. children’s. Maximizing space has become crucial, particularly for people who live in small houses.

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One of the places to find inspiration and solutions to make the most of a small space is the Fall Show at Vancouver Home at the Vancouver Convention Center – West October 14-17, where exhibitors like QLiving Furniture will feature innovative storage options, furnishings that enhance homes with limited square footage, as well as help with space planning.

With a newly developed online store and locations in Richmond, Abbotsford and Victoria, QLiving is a stalwart at the show where the company has shared its vision of how quality furniture elevates a space and creates a comfortable environment for five years.

The team is excited to be back after a year-long hiatus from the program, says the company’s sales and marketing manager, Nicaela Wiegel. Attendees can expect to see a larger than usual display of QLiving furniture with a focus on patio and outdoor furniture. The booth will also include a variety of indoor furniture, many of which feature additional storage, she says.

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One of the most versatile pieces of furniture is sofa beds that have come a long way from those not-so-comfortable early models, says Wiegel. She notes that with bedrooms now often doubling as office space, the sofa bed is a popular choice. Ottomans often do double duty too, and in addition to sitting, their extra storage capacity makes them useful in small spaces.

The company’s space planning service is a great option for people looking to furnish their homes and is particularly helpful when designing for a small space.

“Moving a space too much can make it seem even smaller. Consider options like sofas with higher legs that create negative space under the seats, or a model with slimmer arms so that the footprint of the sofa is as small as possible while still offering the same seating space, ”she says.

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This advice also applies to bed frames, adds Wiegel.

“Beds with thicker wings or rails and stirrups will take up more space. Keep the frame as small as possible to maximize the usable space of the item. “

While the company imports all of its dining tables, it supports the local furniture industry by having at least 50 percent of its inventory made in Canada, much of it in British Columbia, Wiegel says.

Most of QLiving’s inventory made in Canada is sofas and modular furniture – “the bread and butter of our business,” she says.

Popular locally made sofas include The Whistler. Its oversized depth, plush cushions and seats have made the sectional a top seller at the domestic show over the years, while the “2013” is currently the most sought after sectional with a slimmer profile. and available in several different configurations.

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Lori Steeves, founder and creative director of Simply Home Decorating, a boutique interior design firm in North Vancouver, agrees that scale is important.

“People often think that a small space requires small-scale furniture, that’s not exactly true,” he says, noting that it is preferable to have fewer slightly larger pieces than many small pieces of furniture, resulting in a space that is feels messy.

The same principle applies to decor like art, where a single large piece of art in a small space is better than a gallery wall.

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“You want to minimize the eyes that move around a space; that makes him feel too busy, ”says Steeves.

Color is also an important component of a well-considered interior design scheme for a small space.

“You don’t need to keep colors neutral, but high contrast – a dark wall and light furniture – can make the room feel smaller,” he says.

Steeves advises considering how color can affect the mood of a room.

“Cold colors recede while warm colors draw closer to you. If you are looking for a cozy feel and want a dark color, consider a cool navy blue; if you use a warm color like red, it will have the opposite effect, “he says. In general, lighter colors are preferable in a small space, he adds.

One of the other surfaces to consider is the floor.

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“If you’re going to place a rug in a small area, opt for a larger rug in the middle of the room rather than one that’s the size of a postage stamp,” he says. For example, if the space is 10 by 10 feet, a 9-by-9-foot rug will create a sense of space, rather than a 4-by-6-foot option that will make the room feel even smaller.

Adjusting the height of curtains can also mislead the eye into thinking that a space is larger than it is.

“Curtains that reach up to the ceiling instead of hanging from the top of a window will expand the space,” says Steeves.

Although the use of vertical space is essential, it does not recommend creating “heaviness” on the surface.

If you have light walls, a large recessed unit in a darker color is a bad idea, he says, while a slim recessed unit with a color that contrasts little with its surroundings will expand the space.

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Built-ins maximize space, Steeves says, noting that one of his most commonly used design solutions in dining areas is incorporating a recessed stool.

Instead of leaving a three-foot space around the table and chairs, you can build a bench against a wall. This allows you to place the table to one side of the space, seating multiple people on the bench, which may include storage, allowing more circulation around the table and more room for chairs when they are away from the table. ” He says. .

the Fall Show at Vancouver Home will be held at the Vancouver Convention Center – West from October 14-17, 2021.