by John Folding | photography by WILLIAM COLGIN

There are so many “don’ts” about decorating small spaces. Don’t use dark colors because they make a room look small. Don’t use big overstuffed furniture because it will overfill the space. Don’t hang super-heavy or ornamented draperies because they will look gaudy. Don’t over-accessorize or the rooms will look cluttered. Well, don’t be daunted by the “don’t’s”!
Divine inspiration comes from tempering those Design 101 rules. Yes, a large pillow-steeped sofa and ornamented draperies may overwhelm a room, but a smaller sofa in a single color paired with those fancy drapes could work. It’s all about using proper scale, color and selectivity. If one larger-scaled item is selected for the space, make other elements complement that item instead of competing with it.

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GAIL and JIM LOWRY

The design concept “less is more” does not apply to Gail and Jim Lowry’s Gulfport condo. More, in their case, is just right.
Gail, an interior decorator, collected pieces from design shops from Jackson to Mobile to New Orleans and lots of places in between and far beyond. The large antique doors purchased while on a trip to France are one of the more exquisite showpieces. They have been repurposed in the pantry area to enclose the wine collection. Each surface, piece of furniture and lighting fixture was carefully chosen. So as opposed to looking crowded, their home is like a piece of artwork perfectly composed.

What Works:

• The height of doorframes was increased from a standard 6-foot-8 inches to at least 8 feet tall. This opened the space, giving it a sense of spacious grandeur.
• An outdoor “room” was created by decorating the balcony with comfortable seating overlooking the Mississippi Sound.
• Destinations — a reading nook near the pantry, a floor-to-ceiling slab of onyx at the entrance to their bedroom and his and hers dressing spaces — were created throughout their condo. These destinations improve visual interest by providing layers of decor for the eye to rest on as the rooms are viewed.
• A mixture of contemporary and antique pieces were used. Sometimes the story behind a piece is the best accessory. The antiques spark conversation and enhance the mood of a space. Instead of the main living areas feeling cramped, the space gives the sense of a great room in a large mansion.

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DENNY SHAUGHNESSY and KATHY HEWES

Denny Shaugnessy and Kathy Hewes both work for their printing company, which happens to be in the same building as their living quarters. They wanted their home to feel nothing like the industrial space downstairs where they work.  
“Coming upstairs,” Denny says, “is like coming to a different world.” Their approach to decorating the space was inspired not so much by a theme, but by the things they love and have acquired in their travels. The color scheme was chosen from two stained-glass panels hanging in the kitchen. The cat scratching post in the living area is an assemblage of various pieces of driftwood and parts of Denny’s father’s desk chair. The art is all local and coastal in nature, which also influences the decor and color choices.

What Works:

• Living plants are always great accessories, but in a small home, they can take up too much space. Denny and Kathy worked out a pulley system to elevate gigantic ferns. Getting the plants up in the air in a room with high ceilings is a great way to draw the eye up. This lends to the sense of a larger space.
• Chrome racks house dishes, spices, pantry items and other kitchen implements. Instead of adding more cabinets, which could have been blocky and space consuming, they used the racks to keep the space feeling open.
• The walls are painted with a metallic paint. In this case, even though the paint colors are dark, the metallic sheen keeps the light moving around the room. The lack of contrast keeps the eye moving as well. Painting the ceilings a few shades lighter than the walls diminishes contrast and keeps the space feeling open.