This little gem in Portland’s Pearl District needed some defined living areas, without sacrificing the natural light from the windows along the far wall.

These windows are the only source of natural light here. With the dreary, gray Portland winters, we needed to do everything we could to leverage the light.

Small Space Design Solutions

The partition preserves the natural light from the windows while creating a bedroom of sorts. We created two more living spaces using a large rug to delineate the living area and visually separate it from the dining and cooking space.

We used low-profile chairs in the dining room and open kitchen shelving to create the feeling of spaciousness. To keep it from being visually overwhelming, the color palette was kept simple. Gray, white, black, and a warm tone that came from wood, leather, and carefully selected ceramics. The retro fridge, funky light fixture, and whimsical artwork give an offbeat, slightly masculine feel.

In the bedroom, we built the perfect bed: layers of cozy fabrics, textures and colors. With so many neutrals everywhere you look, these fun colors are some eye candy! We took the no storage “problem” as an opportunity to include a fun statement piece with the armoire.