A matter of perspective: Interior design hacks, tricks to enlarge small spaces

Dina Said, Wednesday 24 Jul 2024

Interior designer Raja Kabil spoke to Ahram Online about smart solutions to enhance limited-space areas.

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Interior designer Raja Kabil. Photo courtesy of Bassam Ismail

 

Carving her name in the design world during a long-year journey that began with her graduation from the College of Fine Arts, Department of Interior Architecture, in 1999, Kabil is now a name to be reckoned with.

After studying drawing and sculpture in Italy, she took vast strides in the interior design world.

Kabil received various local and international awards for some of her projects. 

These include the Luxury Lifestyle Award 2021 for Best Residential Design (for Lakeview Mansion), Luxury Lifestyle Award 2021 for Best Office Space (for Dr. Hazem Yassin Clinic),  Best Hotel Design (for Palais Aziza, Marrakech), and Luxury Lifestyle Award for Commercial Design 2023 (for Zouni bar and restaurant).

In 2016, she was listed among Andrew Martin’s Top 50 Designers of the World.

Kabil addressed the challenge of designing a small space to look like a large one in a micro-apartment of an owner who wanted it to be more comfortable, luxurious, and practical.

She tried to achieve the most appropriate design with practical solutions. Her first step was to change completely the layout of the place.

Stepping inside, you will immediately find yourself at the entrance leading to a narrow path, the main corridor to the apartment’s emptiness. Kabil made that corridor appear as a single space extending between all its parts.

This apartment's small space was maximized through three basic tricks and smart design choices.

First, mirrors were placed in opposing directions to create a depth illusion and open the space.

Second, she achieved the idea of ​​communication and extension between all parts of the house, giving the feeling of depth and deceptive breadth of the real space of the place.

Third, she used high-quality, durable modern materials everywhere, creating a cosy yet luxurious atmosphere.

Here we go through a demonstration of the solutions she opted for.

 

 

She used three materials for the wall behind the sofa: wood, stone-like, and on the sides some mirrors that give the feeling that this wall has another extension, making you feel the movement and depth.

The artwork behind the sofa is by artist Dina Fadel, who inspired Kabil to choose these fabrics and colours. Adding a plant in the corner in front of the mirror was necessary to give greenery nature to the place.

In small spaces, function is important  how to maximize the number of people without using a lot of furniture.

 

 

A stunning marble feature wall serves as a TV display and a partition separating the dining area, adding visual interest and functionality.

The presence of a copper library with a mirror behind it gives the space a feeling of depth.

 

 

The open kitchen layout further contributes to the sense of airy spaciousness.

Kabil chose the kitchen materials to match the dining and seating areas for more harmony.

She used the golden colour on the ceiling above the dining area. The golden stainless steel and grey colour match the copper in the library at the seating area giving the feeling that the kitchen is part of this session.

Rather than a traditional wall, a wood partition was installed in the entryway, leading directly into the open-concept kitchen area a clever usage of the limited square footage.

 

 

The use of mirrors on both sides of the headboard to feel the depth when entering the room, combined with the wood and quilted fabric, created a wonderful design from the materials used practically and aesthetically.

 

 

In front of the bed, we see a marble wall beside a storage cupboard covered with mirrors.

The glass wall varies in colour from black at the bottom to transparent at the top. It is a separator between the room and the bathroom. Kabil used it as a smart trick to give a feeling of extension between the two spaces, without the users of one place seeing those of the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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