The Modern Sophisticate

Canyon Crest: Boy's Bedrooms

2012-09-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

More little boy's rooms today! We all know how I feel about using 'themes' in kids rooms

(well, any room for that matter) and in the

CANYON CREST BOY'S BEDROOMS

we incorporated elements of sports in one and transportation in the other.

We did this all through small accessories which can be easily be replaced with little to no cost.

Remember to keep the basic elements classic and bring in character through accessories.

You will get a whole heck of a lot more mileage out of your room!

The hooks are from Anthropologie and we sprayed them in navy.

Don't forget what a little spray paint can do to customize your pieces!

Can I tell you how much I adore knit stuffed animals? So vintage-y chic, I could die!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Quick Inspiration

2012-09-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

{via 1stDibs}

3 Wallpaper Remnant Projects

2012-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, wallpaper is expensive. I'll be the first to admit it. Initially wallpaper doesn't seem quite so spendy as most papers are priced in a single roll. Most vendors make you buy double rolls, though, even if you just need one. In my experience, this leads to a LOT of leftover wallpaper, up to a full roll, that can cost $30-100+ in waste. The Ms. Frugal in me just can't handle that kind of loss, especially when the paper is so beautiful!

Here are

3 WALLPAPER REMNANT PROJECTS

used in the Canyon Crest nursery suite:

PAPER INTERIOR OF CLOSET

I especially love this idea for kid's closets, as their clothes are so small, you'd actually be able to see and enjoy the interior of the closet. Unless you know how to install wallpaper yourself, this project may be best left to the professionals (which we did). If you want to try your hand at wallpapering, though, the closet may be a good place to start, because you can easily hide your mistakes!

COVER MATS IN READY MADE FRAME

This project is my personal favorite, maybe because I did this one all by myself. If I can accomplish a successful DIY, ANYONE can! I purchased four large square Ribba frames from Ikea, for $20 a piece. When I got them home, I popped out the ready made mat and sprayed the front of the mat with 3M SUPER 77. I can not stress how important getting the right brand of spray adhesive is. I spent years upon years trying to find an adhesive just as good as Super 77 but not so pricey. It doesn't exist. Trust me. I can't tell you how many of my projects would literally fall apart as I was turning them in... so frustrating. Many tears were shed. Just buy the Super 77.

Once the mats were sprayed, I laid them glue-side-down on the wallpaper remnant's backside. I waited a few minutes for the glue to dry, then I used an Xacto knife to cut out the wallpaper from the mat's opening.

I popped the covered mat back into the frame and wallah! Customized matting.

COVER LAMP SHADES

These lamps were purchased by my client at our local Home Goods, one of my favorite sources for affordable lamps. I adore the lattice-like ceramic base for a girl's room but paired with a cream colored shade, the lamps were... a little boring. Using a method similar to covering the mats, we turned the ho-hum shades into stunners! I'll admit, I didn't tackle this project myself, but when researching if this was possible, I came across this useful video:

(Sorry it plays automatically. Annoying.)

Again, I HIGHLY recommend Super 77 spray adhesive. It will save SO many tears.

HAVE YOU DONE ANY PROJECTS WITH YOUR LEFTOVER WALLPAPER?

I'd love to hear your ideas!!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith, Video via eHow}

Canyon Crest: Nursery Suite

2012-09-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Loverlies! I'm hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! I'll be posting pics of my explorations of Downtown Columbus I took over the weekend, but first,

we need to get through a few more reveals. Today's reveal is on the

CANYON CREST NURSERY SUITE.

This precious baby was my client's first girl so the client had two request:

PINK AND PURPLE.

These colors can be tricky to work with, as they can get too 'little girl' real fast.

There is definitely a fine line between chic and saccharine.

Our first jumping off point was the amazing Anna French wallpaper from Thibaut.

The pretty calla lily print on a light purple irridescent background is jaw dropping in person.

I paired this paper with Benjamin Moore's Pink Cloud paint and we had
the perfect background for this little princess's room.

A fluffy flokati rug and relaxed roman shades in a contemporary fabric help

keep this room youthful but not too childish.

We had a limited budget in the en suite bathroom so we used some budget-friendly tricks.

We swapped out the Tuscan rustic mirror for a chunky white framed mirror from TJ Maxx and

splurged on pink rose knobs from Anthropologie.

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Canyon Crest: Living Room + Half Bath

2012-08-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

For the

CANYON CREST LIVING ROOM

we had the task of using furniture pieces from my client's previous home.

This can be a challenge for many people. Lucky for us, the living room was

pretty neutral to begin with, so it was a matter of rethinking the floor plan

and adding in pillows and accessories.

The entryway into the living room had a long bare beam across the top. It was odd. Very odd. Every time I would visit the home, I would scratch my head and think "why in the world is that beam there?"

My solution? BARN DOORS!

Oh how I love barn door hardware and I was excited to incorporate the look in this space.

The half bath on the main level was SCAAARRRYYYYY when we started. It's a small space with no windows and a high wood paneled ceiling... and it was blood bath red. I'm not kidding. It looks liked someone was massacred in the half bath. Instead of spending hours upon hours trying to prime and paint over the dark dark red, we decided to cover it in a light grasscloth wallpaper. This ain't your momma's grasscloth either. It has a slight metallic sheen to it which reflects light and makes this little room shine! Add in a little quatrefoil mirror (from this post), some rustic sconces, geometric rug and art and this blood bath of a bathroom is transformed into a jewel box!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Canyon Crest: Family Room + Dining Room

2012-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to introduce you to the CANYON CREST home!

This home was purchased by my client a little more than a year ago and though it wasn't a total gut job, it was pretty darn close. The first time I stepped into the family room I thought to myself "this is where taxidermy goes to die." Almost every member of the deer family was represented on the walls: elk, buffalo, antelope... all staring at you from two stories up. CRREEEEEPPPPYYYYY...

(to see before shots of this space as well the custom furniture process, click here).

Needless to say, this home was a little more rustic than my client's personal taste. First thing we did was rip out worn shaggy carpet (can we PLEASE get over that trend?) and replaced it with a loop pile broadloom that resembled sisal (MUCH more tailored and timeless). We repainted the faux-plastered walls in Kwal's Old Washer and restained a lot of the stain grade baseboards. This proved to be the perfect facelift!! It did wonders. Once we had the base of the room squared away, it was just a matter of layering in a fun elements, like a rug from Anthropologie, a huge custom ottoman in a Celerie Kemble fabric, and lattice wingback chairs from Bassett Furniture.

For the kitchen and dining space, there were two existing stains: a honey tone on the knotty alder and a dark java. Since we wanted to add as much light into this space as possible, we painted out all the dark java elements, namely, the oven range area, island, and built-in china hutch. We replaced the dated Tuscan lighting fixtures with more contemporary glass pendants adding even more brightness to the space.

Add in custom designed wingback dining chairs, farmhouse table and bright rugs and accessories,

and you have yourself a fresh vintage rustic space!

To jazz up the built-in china hutch, we also wallpapered the back of the cabinet in a pretty blue geometric print. Having the colored background really makes the accessories pop!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Basement Family Room + Kitchen

2012-08-29T08:04:00.001-07:00

Today we're wrapping up the BERKSHIRE ESTATE with the

BASEMENT FAMILY ROOM + KITCHEN.

This area is right off the pool and hot tub and we new little wet feet would be trampling in and out to grab drinks and snack. To prevent the flooring from getting wrecked with water damage, we used stained concrete for the floor for the kitchen/pool table area.

We repeated similar materials to the main kitchen, as well:

Concrete counter tops, subway tile, industrial nickle pulls, etc.

So what do you think? Is the BERKSHIRE ESTATE a place you could call home?

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Bathrooms & Guest Suite

2012-08-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

I thought I could wrap up the BERKSHIRE ESTATE in just one more post.

Turns out, that would be one LONG post. Today we'll cover the remaining

BATHROOMS & GUEST SUITE.

You may have noticed we are using similar materials throughout this home. We used different versions of subway tiles, concrete counter tops with integrated sinks, pendant lights, frameless beveled mirrors, and contemporary chrome faucets to add consistency from top to bottom.

Who wouldn't want to do laundry in a tiffany blue laundry room?

We incorporated both open and closed storage to make this utility space as functional as possible.

We used beverage buckets from Target as laundry hampers

(I wrote about these babies here). Chic and cheap!

The hex marble mosaic tile dresses up the 12'x12' porcelain nicely, don't you think?

The guest suite is not your average guest suite.

With picture windows overlooking the pool and hot tub and positioned off the

2nd family room and kitchen (we'll see those tomorrow!),

it's more like a second home within the main house.

Who needs a vacation when you have a get-a-way in your backyard and basement?

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Family Room + Patio

2012-08-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

Outdoor patios of yesteryear use to be the last space to be designed in a home. Most people would buy a matching patio set (usually made of wrought iron), add an outdoor umbrella and call it good.

Today's patios are more like outdoor family spaces, with soft weather resistant fabrics,

pillows, sofas, end tables, etc. Take a look at the

BERKSHIRE'S FAMILY ROOM + PATIO,

and how similar the indoor/outdoor spaces are!

The fire pit was custom built by the same concrete company that made all the counter tops.

You can also buy similar fire pits at Restoration Hardware.

Recognize the brick on the fireplace? It's the same brick we used on the exterior. Using the brick was a great way to add a sense of age to the newly built space as well as consistency to the home.

We needed a 16x16 rug in the family room, so Flor tile came to our rescue again!

Tomorrow we'll wrap up the remaining spaces, including the guest suite,

the 2nd kitchen and family room, and a couple more bathrooms.

Whew! Almost done with the Berkshire Estate, then on to Canyon Crest!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Main Kitchen + Dining Room

2012-08-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

I can finally show off the

MAIN KITCHEN + DINING ROOM.

So far I've only been able to reveal the floating shelves (as seen on Studio 5)

but there is so much more to this kitchen! I can't decide what I love most:

The stained concrete counter tops? The coffer and bead board ceiling? The sleek stainless steel hood?

The TWO sinks and TWO dishwashers? The fridge that is the size of my first post-college apartment?

There's just too many goodies packed in this modern kitchen design!

The above cabinetry is actually a hidden door to the pantry.

I wish I could take credit for that idea but that was 100% my client. So clever!

You can see the hidden opening below.

Having a mismatched chair isn't for everyone, I know, but I love it in this space!!

We have so many fun pops of color throughout the floating shelves,

it's fun to have an unexpected pop in the chairs too.

I die over the wire dandelion pendants above the dining room table.

We loved them so much, don't be surprised if we see the mini-version in a few bathrooms coming up.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART
OF THIS KITCHEN?
I'd love to hear your feedback!

Tomorrow we'll tackle the hangout spots at the Berkshire, including the main family room and deck!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Kid Spaces

2012-08-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am a big believer in designing kid spaces for the future, not just for today.

Kids grow up, so if a space is designed around an age specific theme

(i.e. Winnie the Pooh, Super Man...) then you have placed an expiration date on the space.

Someday the kid will outgrown the theme and you will have some redecorating on your hands.

If you design kids spaces that are YOUTHFUL instead of YOUNG,

then the space will grow with your child.

Great examples of this concept are the

BERKSHIRE'S KID SPACES.

Though the boys of the house love Toy Story and Cars,

we designed their rooms around basic stripes and industrial finishes, like gunmetal and chrome.

The 'young'-ness comes in through their toys and easily replaced items, like shower curtain hooks.

Do you recognize the nightstands (or at least the corner of the nightstands)?

They were actually the master bedroom's nightstands that were made to the wrong measurements.

With the addition of a low profile gunmetal bed, though,

we were able to save these gorgeous pieces from the recycle pile!

The kid's desk area is open to the main kitchen (which I'll be revealing in all it's glory tomorrow) so we repeated the island's materials. We painted the desk a charcoal grey, added stainless steal pulls, installed stained concrete counter tops and hung three globe pendants in row.

Now for the envy of every kid in the neighborhood:

THE BALL PIT AND SLIDE.

(the concept of keeping kids spaces timeless kind of went out the window with this one...

But come on, it's a BALL PIT with a SLIDE!)

Such a cool idea to use up the awkward space under the stairs.

Chucky Cheese who?

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Master Bedroom + Master Bath

2012-08-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

If I had a master suite like the

BERKSHIRE'S MASTER BEDROOM + BATH

I may want to hide out forever and never see the light of day again.

Out of every room I have ever designed, this space reflects my personal style the most.

After searching high and low for large scaled bed and nightstands, we decided to go the custom route.

I sketched up the upholstered wing back bed for my upholsterer and my client worked

with her cabinet maker to create the substantial sized nightstands.

(Can you spot the lucite pulls? I mean, I die...)

Anything ready made would have looked under scaled under this vaulted ceiling.

The rug was a design obstacle as we needed something around the 12'x16' range.

The solution? Flor tiles!! Not only were we able to get the size that fit the room,

we were also able to customize the color palette and design.

You'll see a lot more of these awesome Flor tiles throughout this home.

For the MASTER BATHROOM we

decided to go a little more glamorous than the rest of the house.

Beveled mirrors, crystal knobs/pulls and amazing light fixtures.

I could just lie in the tub and stare at the Capiz shell chandelier for hours.

We used a mix of materials throughout this space. The free standing tub surround is limestone,

the counter tops are stained concrete, with porcelain tiles for the back splash and floor.

Add in some dark stained cabinetry for contrast and you have yourself one rich looking bath!

Tomorrow we'll take a tour through the kid's spaces
(did someone say ball pit with a slide?).

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Berkshire Estate: Exterior + Pool

2012-08-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

This week I'll be revealing the

BERKSHIRE ESTATE.

The client wanted a home that reflected her personal taste and lifestyle.

When she couldn't find a home on the market that fit her needs, she decided it was time to build.

And build she did! The client is an amazing interior designer on her own but

with a job on this scale, she called me in for reinforcements.

Both of our personal aesthetics are clean, clean, clean,

so it working with her was a natural fit!

We decided the term for her style of home was

MODERN CRAFTSMAN,

as we couldn't go too contemporary in a neighborhood surrounded by ginormous

Tuscan villas. We received our inspiration from East coast style homes: Cape Cod, Shaker, etc.

We then mixed it all up with natural materials, like stone and wood, to make it more

fitting for the Rocky Mountains, and here's what we got! Take a gander at the

BERKSHIRE EXTERIOR + POOL.

Out of every detail in this home, the exterior lanterns just may be my favorite element. Did you know white exterior lights are impossible to find?? Which makes no sense to me, considering how popular white trim is for exteriors... Anyway, we looked into manufacturing our own lights but when the quotes came back ($$ CHA-CHING!!$$), we decided a little DIY was in order. We found lanterns where we liked the shape, spray painted the oil rubbed bronze out white, replaced the dated yellow seeded glass with clear panels and topped it off with a round clear light bulb. We did this for every. lantern. on. the exterior.

Good thing they turned out so gosh darn beautiful!

(P.S. Exterior lighting manufacturers:

HIRE ME TO DESIGN NEW STYLES FOR YOU! I'll make you rich, I tell ya.)

Now on to Paradise, a.k.a.

THE BERKSHIRE BACKYARD:

It's hard to show scale from these shots but the striped lounge chairs are kid-size.

How fun is that?

Stay tuned... we'll be heading inside tomorrow!

{Exterior material selection + poolside design by Brooke Jones Design,

Photography by Jylare Smith}

Sneak Peek: Canyon Crest Family Room

2012-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today's preview is of

THE CANYON CREST FAMILY ROOM.

How do you liven up a large beige box to fit a young spunky family?

Inject a lot of color and pattern!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay tuned for the

FULL REVEALS NEXT WEEK!!

{Interior design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

The Modern Sophisticate on FaceBook

2012-08-16T12:31:00.002-07:00

The Modern Sophisticate is now on Facebook!

Ok, so I've been on Facebook for awhile,

but I've had some spare time on my hands to actually do something with it.

Come follow along, if you'd like.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Modern-Sophisticate/166629130028489

Sneak Peek: Berkshire Main Kitchen

2012-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be lovely to have two kitchens? Well, in this home, they have just that!

Here's a preview of

THE BERKSHIRE MAIN KITCHEN.

Again, you may recognize this from my Studio 5 segment.

I seriously can't wait to show you more of this amazing home!

Sneak Peek: Canyon Crest Master Bedroom

2012-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

You may recognize today's sneak peek of

THE CANYON CREST MASTER BEDROOM.

My super fabulous sister photographed this room a few months back for

my floating shelf segment on Studio 5.

I can't wait to show you more of this home, especially the kid's rooms.

The nursery alone may be more glamorous and chic than my entire home... jealousy.

Again, a million thanks to Jylare for her exceptional photo skills!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Sneak Peek: Berkshire Master Bedroom

2012-08-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to get a few detail shots of my projects back!

Today's preview is of a newly constructed custom home where I assisted in

designing details from the custom upholstered bed down to the doorknobs and hinges.

Here's a sneak peek at

THE BERKSHIRE MASTER BEDROOM.

A lot of sweat and tears went into this project.

Totally. Worth It.

My photographer, Jylare, was amazing. I mean, AMAZING.

The girl has some serious talent, as you will see in upcoming posts.

Stay tuned for the full reveal next week and for more sneak peeks of another project tomorrow!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Grey & Peach: Happy Pinning Accident

2012-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you Pinners out there ever noticed sometimes your pins

look absolutely amazing together? It has happened a few times to me, actually.

I'll just be pinning unrelated pieces and when I review my pin history I think

"holy crap, those look good together!" I created a board from my latest "AHA" moment.

We all know I'm a fan of gold and grey but I would never have thought to add some

golden peach tones into the mix, if it weren't for this

GREY & PEACH

happy accident.

I die over the pair of abstract paintings. The layering of different mediums

(oil, pencil, pieces of checks and invoices, etc.) is stunning:

So pretty and feminine with a little edge. Perfection.

And those chairs?? BANANAS. They remind me of the

Milo Baughman's classic lounge chair but updated with a sleeker more slender frame.

1. Brass Thin-Frame Chairs via Lawson-Fenning

2. Sparkling Brass Sputnik Chandelier via Joseph Anfuso circa 1950's

3. Mixed Media Diptych via Stripe Vintage Modern circa 1970's

4. Grey Walnut John Stuart Credenza via Stripe Vintage Modern circa 1950's

Ohio Instagram Dump

2012-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies! After a week of packing and cleaning and

driving through corn field after corn field, I am

FINALLY RELOCATED IN OHIO.

Whew! Remind me how awful moving is next time I get the itch for a change of scenery, will you?

That was rough but I made it through.

Here's an Instagram dump from my travels:

(This pic pretty much sums up I-80 between Utah and Ohio. Nothing but crop fields BOTH ways.)

Moving across country kicked my butt into gear a bit and I actually had my

UTAH DESIGN PROJECTS PHOTOGRAPHED.

I jumping out of my skin with excitement! I will be posting sneak peaks through this week, so stay tuned.

Also, I'm going to working on a little blog design remodel and I'd love your help!

I will be asking your opinions throughout the week, so get those creative juices geared up.

This should be a good week!

Small Space Solution: Puzzle Tables

2012-08-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Besides nesting tables, another great solution to add more flexibility to a small space are

PUZZLE TABLES.

To me, they are all about the cool factor.

These are the not-quite-as-functional but super stylish cousin to the nesting table.

Puzzle tables can be bunched together for a large surface area or broken up into small sections.

Quite the conversation starter, no?

1. Twin Side Tables via Oly

2. Regina Andrew Gold Leaf Puzzle Table Set with Travertine Top via Candelabra

3. George Tri Side Tables via Oly

Urban Archaeology Architectural Salvage Drafting Table

2012-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

HOLY CRAP. HOLY CRAP. HOLY CRAP.

I have fallen in love again.

With a

DRAFTING TABLE.

Don't judge.

You'll fall in love too.

But I saw it first.

It's mine.

The polished finish...The thick acrylic top... The sheer scale and mass....

Is it getting hot in here? Just me? WHEW!!! I'm shvitzing.

The only reason it is not in my shopping cart is because I am moving across country next week.

Ya, that's it... nothing to do with the $17K+ price tag.

Nothing at all.

Check out more of this gorgeously

restored 1910 cast iron drafting table,

and some of its siblings, at Urban Archaeology.

(By the way, if you buy this table, they will also give you the original wood top,

free of charge. Aren't they nice?)

The Copper Onion

2012-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I'm preparing to leave my home state, I am looking around and

realizing all the things and places I'm going to miss

(don't even mention the mountains to me... I don't want to think about leaving those yet).

One of my favorite places I have only recently discovered is

THE COPPER ONION

in Salt Lake. I'd describe it as an American take on a Parisian Bistro.

If you have multiple food allergies like I do, they are more than accommodating, too.

I took what may have been my last brunch there this weekend,

which was great timing as they just wrapped up a little interior face lift.

(please excuse the Instagram pics. I'm NOT a photographer...)

The lighting was PHENOMENAL.

I mean, I didn't shut up about it the entire time we were there.

It was CRAZY good lighting.

Next time you're in SLC, I highly recommend dropping by and ordering yourself some Huevos Rancheros.

They are life changing. Literally.

Here are some sources to get the Copper Onion look in your home:

(sources listed clockwise from left)

1. Thonet Era Chair via DWR

2. 1890's La Mere Germaine French Menu Sign via 1st Dibs

3. Jean Pelle Bubble Chandelier via PELLEshop

3. Barn Light Radial Wave Flute Pendant via Barn Lighting Electric

4. Orbit Wall Sconce Clear via Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

5. Franklin Wall Sconce via Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

6. Solomon Dining Table via Pottery Barn

I'M MOVING TO OHIO!!!

2012-07-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

That's right, I'm packing up my little family and heading to the Buckeye state. My plans change day-to-day but as of right now, we'll hopping in the U-Haul on August 8th. Until then,

I'M SELLING MY FURNITURE!!!

If you are local here in Utah, take a gander at what I have available:

(FYI, this is all designer furniture which I'm GIVING away at these prices)

Bassett 5th Ave Dining Table, $500 (retailed for over $1200)

Becca Dining Chairs (2 available) $100 each

Candice Olson 100% Hand Tufted Rug 5x8 $75!!! (retailed for $1300+)

(small area of discoloration on one corner due from cleaning)

Bassett West End Bureau $500 (retailed for $1600)

Bassett West End Queen Sleigh Bed $350 (retailed for $1000)

Email any inquiries to brookeherd@yahoo.com

Small Space Solution: Nesting Tables

2012-07-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Some people find it surprising I would rather design a small space than a larger one.

In fact, I personally would never want to live in a space more than about 2,500 square feet.

Large McMansions just eat up furniture and it's hard to create a

warm inviting environment that's on a human scale. Living in a smaller space

doesn't mean living without, though, one just needs to know how to optimize the space you have.

One of the best ways to optimize a small space would be to utilize

NESTING TABLES.

These versatile pieces can be scattered about the room when extra surface area are needed

(cocktail party anyone?) or you can store them nestled together to free up valuable space.

Check out some killer options I've been spotting lately:

The king daddy of all small space end tables would be a set of lucite nesting tables.

The clear waterfall form would virtually disappear and take up no visual space.

The above set is vintage circa 1970 but you can find some screaming deals on look-a-likes

(check out the Peekaboo nesting tables from CB2 or these cuties from Amazon).

1. 1960s White Lacquered John Widdicomb Nesting Tables via 1stDibs

2. 1950s Italian Set of Brass Nesting Tables via 1stDibs

3. White Lacquered Nesting Tables via Jonathan Adler

4. 1970s Brass and Glass Nesting Tables via 1stDibs

5. Made Goods Liela Nesting Tables via Clayton Gray Home

6. 1970s Lucite "Waterfall" Nesting Tables via 1stDibs