Small Space? Thom Filicia says, Dont shrink from the challenge.

Thom Filcia is our guest this weekend.  We have introduced you to him in our last few blogs and we are excited for his talk, “A Conversation on Design” and the unveiling of his furniture collection this Saturday. If you haven’t already…sign up to attend! His work is well known. Whether you have seen him on Oprah, Ellen, Bravo’s "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", Style Network’s "Dress My Nest" or read articles about his celebrity interior design work for Jennifer Lopez, or the W hotel chain. He has a thriving interior design firm, authored an excellent book called, “Thom Filicia, Style", and has his own furniture collection. Wow! What a resume. Join us this Saturday, March 31st, you won’t be disappointed.

Thom’s design work doesn't shrink from a challenge. He designs all spaces large and small and he particularly likes to design small spaces. Here is what he says about an often ignored small space, the powder room.

"I love,  love, love powder rooms. They’re these exquisite little jewel boxes that you give to your guests, and they should be just over-the-top fabulous."

He believes that small spaces such as powder rooms, foyers, hallways, breakfast nooks, and pantries have “Wow” potential at a great price point. “These are the spots where you can be exuberant and maximalist and do expensive décor on a budget because you have less square footage to cover."

Furniture for a small space needs to be scaled to fit. An interesting chair from Thom’s collection could take a small space and make it a perfect reading nook or just a favorite spot to catch up on email or make a phone call to a friend. This chair from his collection is available at Belfort Furniture.

“Try turning a hallway into a gallery, with rows of artwork illuminated by picture lights. Paint the ceiling a saturated, notice-me color, like deep, deep, charcoal, or lay a look-twice antique runner with a graphic pattern. All of these can utterly change the feel and the mood of a room and make it seem much larger than its actual dimensions. It’s like the way a short person with a big personality seems taller—think Napoleon or Danny DeVito.”

Small furniture pieces with interesting lines and design features help to define a small space. Here is a great accent table, available at Belfort Furniture, from Thom’s collection that works well in any size space. (Shh...this "Spot table" will be given away at our event!)

Mirrors can also help make a small room look larger. In Thom’s Manhattan apartment he replaced a wall with safety glass to give his living room a larger look. Don’t be afraid to go large with your décor plans for small spaces. It can enliven an area in your house that may have otherwise been ignored.

Join us on Saturday for more of Thom’s tips and insights into the world of design. Sign up for his talk on design, “A Conversation on Design”. We hope to see you there!

Belfort Furniture is conveniently located in the Dulles area of eastern Loudoun County, Virginia, easily accessible from Loudoun and Fairfax Counties. Whether you live in Northern Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, or Washington DC, we have the selection, styles and prices that make Belfort Furniture worth the trip! Belfort Furniture was voted “Retailer of the Year, 2012”, by National Home Furnishing Association and has been voted best furniture store in Loudoun County for 17 years in a row.