Help me make my small apartment cosy instead of cramped

July 24, 2009 10:10 AM

Why are some small spaces cosy while others make you feel claustrophobic?

In some small spaces, I feel claustrophobic. In others, I feel lovely and comfy and cosy and safe, like I'm tucked away in my own special little private place. I just moved into a small apartment. It has a bedroom and a living room, a little less than 100 square feet. I haven't moved any furniture in yet, and it already feels very claustrophobic.

Can anyone give me a clue as to what makes certain small spaces feel so cosy instead of feeling like the walls are closing in on you? Why is it that in certain small spaces, I actually love that I'm in a tiny area? Ease of mobility must be part of it. I imagine you would feel cramped if you had to step over and climb over things, but there definitely must be more than that.

Some examples:

- Years and years ago, I used to go to a night club. There was a little alcove there that you could turn into, just big enough for the loveseat there. I loved to go there to talk to someone, because it felt so cosy!

- There are two restaurants in my city that are tiny. One feels cramped and the other feels lovely and cosy. I cannot for the life of me figure out what the cosy one has that the cramped one doesn't.

- When I was in college, I had a friend who had an apartment which I would guesstimate was about 30 square feet. There was literally zero floor space except for the little bathroom. The entire room was taken up by the bed and a long closet across the wall with sliding doors. You had to just crawl onto the bed as soon as you came in or else you would be standing outside the door. I absolutely loved that apartment. I felt so warm and safe as soon as I stepped in.

- Libraries that are arranged in such a way that you can sit in a little nook or cranny to read something while surrounded by books are absolutely wonderful.

How can I reproduce this feeling in my home?

posted by giggleknickers to home & garden (18 comments total)

I think it has something to do with how much control you feel you have over your surroundings, and how many other people you're sharing them with. That's why alcoves in an otherwise crowded nightclub can feel cozy, while small tables in a hectic restaurant leave you feeling overexposed and unable to breathe.
posted by hermitosis at 10:12 AM on July 24

I've noticed a few things that change this for me - I don't know how universal these things are:

1: Ceiling height. This seems a little obvious, and is unchangeable in your current space, so...

2: Wall color. I'd imagine this is a bit of personal preference, though I know there's research about how different colors are "supposed" to make you feel. For me, something not-white but still quite light so that there's lots of light is important. I'd imagine some people prefer darker spaces, but I don't know.

3: Clutter. I HATE clutter. By this, I don't mean stuff I use so much as tchotchkes and decoration. Plain walls are pretty important for me to feel cozy and comfortable. Not that I'm a minimalist -- I own really a lot of stuff, especially for the size of my living space, I just don't have all the sort of "extra" stuff. Again, I'd imagine some people prefer lots of decoration and stuff.

4: Comfy furniture, arranged in a useful way, in nice colors. Again, this seems kind of obvious. You're not going to feel cozy on a metal bench in your living room... I have an enormous super-comfy couch that basically I live on, and probably if my apartment were just that couch in a room big enough for only that couch I could be happy.

5: Windows. Lots of them. Open.

Note that an empty space often will feel weird and claustrophobic in a way that a furnished, lived-in space doesn't, so don't despair!
posted by brainmouse at 10:19 AM on July 24

I think it has to do partially with air. If there is no air moving and it feels stagnet I get that smothering feeling.
posted by meeshell at 10:20 AM on July 24

You would probably be interested in reading Sarah Susanka's The Not So Big House, in which she explores the very questions you're asking. One of the concepts that she talks about is something you already identified--"shelter around activity," as in the alcove at your night club or the nook at a library. She also talks about changes in ceiling height and floor level, interior views, and the use of lighting in making small spaces feel cozy and not claustrophobic.
posted by HotToddy at 10:20 AM on July 24 [1 favorite]

I built a blanket fort over my bed that's like the goofiest canopy ever.

The reasons why it's not claustrophobic:

-light shines through the fabric

-the light jersey fabric has an airy feel; I chose not to use heavy blankets

-the sheets ripple in my fan's airflow

-I can sort of fold the sheet back up onto the rope they're strung from, thereby opening it up for easy access in and out of bed.

The reasons why it's cozy:

-it's darker and easier to sleep in there

-it's hidden

-it's got a childhood vibe
posted by Juliet Banana at 10:21 AM on July 24 [1 favorite]

Good question! Sarah Susanka has a collection of books called "The Not So Big House" that deals with this very subject. I found the The Not So Big House really helpful in making my fairly small house feel roomier, yet cozy.

One thing I do notice, in my case anyway, is that I respond much better to spaces that are properly lit -- either with natural or well-planned lighting. Nothing brings out the claustrophobia like bad lighting, imo.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 10:27 AM on July 24

In addition to what others have said, for me it also has to do with general intensity of the space. I can feel claustrophic even in large spaces if there are a lot of people, bright lights or fluorescent lights, and loud noise. Stagnant or smoky air definitely makes it a lot worse. Conversely, dimmer lighting and clean air or a breeze tend to make even small spaces feel cozy.
posted by lunit at 10:36 AM on July 24

It helps if there is soft light, either good daylight exposure or nice lamps. It also helps if there is something cozy to curl up on, like a really comfy chair or loveseat. I also feel cozier when I am in a clean space. There are also certain objects that make me feel cozier, like books. But I think this might be something that depends largely on you and your own preferences. Perhaps you can experiment a bit!
posted by prefpara at 11:09 AM on July 24

Why are some small spaces cosy while others make you feel claustrophobic?

It all hinges on having or not having the ability to be able to exit quickly.
posted by Zambrano at 11:13 AM on July 24

Sound cues provide our brains with a lot of subtle information about the space we occupy, too. A small space with walls that wrap around it on two or three sides can isolate that space sonically a great deal from general room noise, providing an auditory relief from the noisier, larger room.

That can work to your benefit in trying to create a cozy nook, if you can incorporate some sound management tricks inconspicuously. Generally, a "cozy" space is acoustically overdamped, whereas a large, empty room with flat walls, flat ceiling, and a hard floor, will reflect a lot of sound energy, even to the point of supporting short duration echoes, and is said to be underdamped.
posted by paulsc at 11:52 AM on July 24 [1 favorite]

For me, ceiling height makes a huge difference. If I don't feel like I have headspace, I feel cramped. My office has maybe 8 foot ceilings and it just feels oppressive, despite having huge floorspace. Narrow passages are another problem - if I have to squeeze past oversized furniture in a big room, I'll feel cramped.

In your position, I'd try things like: if possible, paint the ceiling a lighter color than the walls; use floor and table lamps instead of ceiling fixtures for light, and arrange pictures and such to emphasize vertical lines. I've also found grouping furniture around light sources adds a sense of space to rooms, and creates a feeling of coziness when I'm in one area with just the nearest lamp switched on.

When I was moving into a very snug studio apartment a couple years ago, one of the best things I did was create a very precise diagram of the floorspace on graph paper, with paper cutouts of the footprints of the furniture I wanted to include. It involved a fair bit of fiddly measurement, but it gave me a good idea of how much stuff I could expect to fit in the room comfortably, and gave me some starting points for furniture arrangements that would work in the space.
posted by EvaDestruction at 12:00 PM on July 24

Cosy = you can easily get out if you so choose
Claustrophobic = you feel trapped because a quick escape is inconvenient or uncomfortable (e.g. climbing over people, moving furniture).
posted by desjardins at 12:55 PM on July 24

The website apartmenttherapy.com and the corresponding book started me thinking more about home. They have an annual Small Cool Contest, which you may find inspirational.

Here are three things to think about:

1. Make sure your living space has good flow. Is it easy to move around and do what you need to do, or are you frequently having to turn sideways to walk past the corner of the couch or move a chair to get to a closet? You don't have to be a minimalist to make a small space comfortable, but it's easier. Make a list of the activities you do in your apartment, and try to find multi-function furniture. If you don't have room for a desk, make sure you dining chairs are comfortable enough to use the laptop at the dining table. If you don't have room for a dining table, get a height-adjustable coffee table.

2. Think about lighting. Keeps the curtains open and use natural light when you can. Make sure you have good lamps by your bed, next to your reading chair, and anywhere else you spend a lot of time. Have different kinds of lamps: bright directional task light for working/projects, diffuse ambient light for hanging-out, etc. Have light sources with a variety of color temperatures like a mix of cool, bright white compact florescents and warm yellow-orange incandescents.

3. Don't underestimate comfort. Splurge on a comfortable chair. Buy good quality blankets and sheets.

One hundred feet is pretty tiny. Think of yourself as a museum currator—there's only room for the very best stuff.
posted by paulg at 1:34 PM on July 24

I think multiple levels, or the illusion thereof, is handy for creating a cozy space. That's what some nooks and alcoves have in common. The other thing they have in common is that they make you feel contained and even embraced without feeling trapped -- maybe a half wall separating one space from another would help? I think texture and pattern are also important.

And check out this blog entry: Small Space Style: The Cozy Zone

Also:
Small Spaces: Dreamy sleeping space need not be big -- just cozy
and
How Stuff Works: Cozy Up A Small Space
and
just looking at some images of small cozy spaces might give you ideas
posted by mmw at 3:08 PM on July 24

High ceilings have a lot to do with it, I think. I've lived in a few spaces that were no larger than a good-sized walk-in closet, but they all had unusually high ceilings and they were incredibly cozy spaces.

Agreed with those who said that small table lamps create a cozier, warmer glow than overhead lighting, and a good squishy chair with lots of blankets to create a little nest.

Also, I apologize if this is blindingly obvious, but it seems to me that the cases you described above might have been made to feel cozier simply because you were doing activities you enjoyed in those places, or with people whose company you really loved. I'm wondering if the new place feels claustrophobic just because you haven't had a chance to make it yours yet through the aforementioned activities and people—I think as you do more of that, it will begin to foster a sense of coziness. I have a friend whose apartment is massively cluttered, low-ceilinged, and awkwardly laid out, but it's one of the coziest places I know, just because she unfailingly makes me feel so welcome and at home when I get there.
posted by anderjen at 3:58 PM on July 24

100 square feet? 10 feet by 10 feet? With both a living room and a bedroom?? Really?? I can't imagine anybody but a cat wouldn't feel claustrophobic. A very small cat.
posted by Salamandrous at 7:16 PM on July 24

Argh! I'm in Europe and working with metric, and I mixed up the conversion to feet. It isn't 100 square feet, it's 260 square feet. I fail at imperial.
posted by giggleknickers at 6:38 AM on July 25

A few ideas not above come to mind:

1. Build up to emphasize the height- curtains the full length of the ceiling to the floor.

2. Pick furniture with thin feet (i.e. chairs with skinny legs) so that there seems to be room on the floor.

3. Plan your storage efficiently and build it in if you can, whether that is bookcases, under the bed storage, under the couch, etc.

4. Be highly organized- everything in a place. Also, be really clean, because clothes on the floor, etc. will make the place feel smaller.

5. Unclutter so the place is easy on the eyes. You can do this in part by making the bed, putting up dishes, but also by being very choosy about what you own so that everything in your place is interesting and loved.

6. I also agree with the above idea of making sure it is well-lit.
posted by questionsandanchors at 6:35 PM on July 27