Building Small Houses: Making Small Rooms Seem Larger

    This is the view of the main living area looking down from the loft. In small spaces, several techniques can be used to visually expand the size of a room. This main living area functions as both the living room and dining room in a space that would normally be the living room alone. The Japanese technique of changing floor height to delineate different rooms is used here. The space below the raised floor is storage that is accessed through two panels that lift up in the recycled oak floor. Also note that a low wall and a bookcase are used to further define the separate spaces without the need for a full-height wall. Architecture that is small in scale can still be very liveable. The lower floor is the acid-stained concrete mentioned earlier.