How Sarah Bronstein Merges Style and Function in Tiny Homes
In this interview, we’re joined by Sarah Bronstein, a skilled realtor and interior designer from Asheville, North Carolina, who has carved a niche in optimizing tiny living spaces. Living in a vintage traveler trailer herself and hosting the “Nomadic Spaces Podcast,” Sarah brings a wealth of practical experience to tiny home design.
Sarah discusses the ingenious balance of functionality and aesthetics in small spaces, emphasizing the use of multifunctional furniture, sustainable materials, and clever storage solutions. Her approach not only maximizes space but also ensures that these compact homes reflect the personal style and emotional well-being of their occupants.
Join us as Sarah shares her expert tips and strategies for transforming tiny spaces into comfortable, stylish, and efficient homes.
Maximizing Storage in Tiny Homes
Trendey – How do you optimize storage solutions in tiny homes without compromising design aesthetics?
Sarah – It’s all about balance and creativity. I look for opportunities to utilize vertical space, such as installing shelves or utilizing wall-mounted storage units. I’ll also try to utilize creative storage options like hanging organizers, over-the-door hooks, and storage baskets.
I also seek out multifunctional furniture — sometimes that means designing it myself. For example, a dining table can double as a workspace, a sofa can have built-in storage, and a Murphy bed can transform a bedroom into a living area during the day. Flexibility is key in a tiny house, so choose versatile pieces that adapt to changing needs.
Organization is also important to keep a clean aesthetic and prevent the small space from feeling cluttered or overrun.
Designing for Dual-Purpose Spaces
Trendey – What strategies do you use to make small spaces serve multiple functions effectively?
Sarah – Multifunctional furniture is a great option. It’s important to understand which functions are most important and most frequent and incorporate them into the design plan.
Sustainable Practices
Trendey – Can you elaborate on your choice of sustainable materials and practices in your designs?
Sarah – I am LEED-certified, so I incorporate a lot of those standards into my designs — sourcing responsibly sourced wood, recycled materials, organic textiles, and low-VOC paints are some of the most common ways. Additionally, sourcing second-hand furniture and decor can be more challenging and time-consuming but I love the character and richness it brings to spaces.
Enhancing Natural Light
Trendey – What are your tips for maximizing natural light in compact living spaces?
Sarah – Natural light is incredibly important in interior design. Some of my go-to tips are:
- Use light colors that will reflect light and make the space appear brighter
- Arrange your furniture and décor to maximize the amount of sunlight that enters your home
- Don’t block windows if possible
- Consider using light and airy window treatments that allow sunlight to filter in while maintaining privacy
- Incorporating mirrors can also help bounce light around the room, creating a brighter and more cheerful ambiance.
Incorporating Color Psychology
Trendey – How does color psychology play a role in your tiny house interior designs?
Sarah – Color psychology plays a significant role in interior design. It’s not just about aesthetics; color can affect how we perceive and feel in a space. Generally, light colors tend to make rooms feel larger and more open, while dark colors create a sense of coziness and intimacy. Understanding the space and the owner’s aesthetic preferences and functional goals for that particular space is key.
Personal Style vs. Space Limitations
Trendey – How do you help clients balance their personal style with the limitations of a small space?
Sarah – I love to help folks incorporate a sense of themselves into the space. This may involve incorporating mementos, photographs, art, and collections into the decor or finding ways to integrate meaningful materials into the design. For example, a client had a beautiful embroidered tablecloth that had been passed down in her family for generations and was living mostly in a drawer waiting for the occasional event she may take it out. We were able to have it turned into curtains for her bedroom window which not only made it more functional but she also gets to see and touch it everyday.
Design Principles for a Spacious Feel
Trendey – What are your key design principles for creating a cozy yet spacious feel in tiny homes?
Sarah – Intentional space planning, color selections, and lighting (natural and fixtures) are key. It’s important for a space of any size to have a proper flow and feel cohesive yet comfortable.
Integrating Greenery and Outdoor Elements
Trendey – How do you incorporate greenery and outdoor elements in tiny house living?
Sarah – Houseplants are a classic way to introduce greenery and outdoor elements into a tiny home. They bring a touch of nature right into your living room, bedroom, or even your office space. Research on these biophilic design principles has shown that this approach can support physical and mental well-being. Being surrounded by nature, or elements that remind us of nature, can reduce stress, improve mood, and even boost productivity. In small spaces, I like to look at adding plants to shelving or hanging pots. Even if you aren’t able to manage real plants in your space, science shows faux plants have the same impact on our brain as real ones.
Budget-Friendly Design Strategies
Trendey – How do you approach designing a tiny home on a tight budget?
Sarah – This is a really common challenge for spaces of any size and the answer really comes down to a deep understanding of available options and priority. If someone can identify alternative options to cut costs in some areas, they can prioritize spending in the spaces that are most meaningful. Understanding priority can allow you to take on projects as budget allows. What needs to be done, and what could be done in time? There are still updates I’d like to make in my own tiny home trailer that I am saving for and will implement down the line. I prioritized the things I’d need to make my space livable and tackled other projects as I’ve been able.
Transforming Small Outdoor Spaces
Trendey – What are some creative ways to transform small outdoor areas into functional spaces?
Sarah – Seating around a firepit or small dining sets. Benches can be a great alternative to chairs, allowing you to fit more seats with less furniture. If there is room I love to incorporate hanging egg chairs or hammocks. Adding outdoor rugs and lighting goes a long way, too! I am personally a sucker for string lights outside — it just creates such a vibe!
Emotional Well-being and Interior Design
Trendey – In your design process, how do you consider the emotional well-being of the occupants in tiny homes?
Sarah – This is by far the most important consideration that goes into my design process. Understanding my client’s goals, personal aesthetic, and functional needs for each space is key. This is completely unique to each space and client so I spend a lot of time early on asking questions to get a really clear grasp on how we need the space to feel. I believe interior design should support and enhance the mood and well-being of the occupants. I wrote a thorough blog post about this very topic if you’re interested in learning more.