Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Tiago.

I just moved to a small apartment near to São Paulo's center, and I'm struggling to get something out of it. It has 1 very small kitchen that is opened to a living room, a bathroom and a bedroom. My main problem is the living room. It has 3,75mx3,75m and faces a 1,80m sliding door to a small terrace. There is a counter (30cm) that watches the kitchen, and it helps sometimes (to eat) but is very annoying in other (my computer doesn't really fits on it).  Right now I have a small table in the middle of the room with my TV on it and a 2-person sofa looking to it. But, as I'm a architecture student, I need somewhere to work, and it's very hard to find this space! Do you have any recommendations, photos or ideas?

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Sue May.

Hi! I wanted to share this dilemma with you guys. I have a set of two lovely fairly big windows but due to a recent break-in at my neighbor's house we decided to place these awful iron bars. I truly feel like I'm living in a concrete jail.

I've been trying to figure out how to make them less hideous. I'm going to make two plant boxes for flowers and herbs. But besides that I'm lost.

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Leslie and she really needs your help!

I am moving to a new 2-bedroom apartment - with no roommates - and I'm really excited about designing it the way I want. However, I came across a problem that plagued me in my old apartment as well, and which I am unsure how to solve. I have workout equipment - a treadmill, yoga mat, and exercise ball - and I don't know where to put it. Initially I wanted to sort of 'merge' it into the second bedroom, which will be a guest bedroom. But the square footage in there is small enough that I am worried the equipment would crowd and annoy any guest I had staying over in there. Not to mention mar the design. I want the guest room to be inviting. But I just don't know where else to put the stuff. Is there a solution for placing exercise equipment in an apartment where there is no dedicated exercise room? Could I put it in my main living area (a small double parlor) without ruining that design - which will be seen more often - as well?

Attached are pictures of the living room, dining room and bedroom. The living room and dining room are adjacent. None of the furniture in there is actually mine - it's the current tenant's. So we sort of have to imagine there's nothing in there yet. The items there now do help illustrate scale/size, though.

Many thanks in advance for your help!

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Mish, a woman of few words who feels the need for change.

Hi love your blog.  Can I send u some pics of my home? Am so bored with it. Hate try hard or suburban. Love modern. Can u and your readers help with an upgrade. It has good bones. Due for a change need some inspiration. Want to throw a bit of money at it.

I've bought a voucher for a glass picture and I don't know what to put in it.  It's 80x80cm and I don't want to get it wrong. Don't want any family pics.

(Jo says ... It's a customised glass display piece where the image is printed directly onto the glass like the one below.  Except remember no family pics.)

Design Crew

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem comes from Donnet who lives in South Africa.

So my boyfriend and I are wanting to make a little dead-space/old bedroom in our house into a home-office. We live in an awesome loft apartment, and it has one really unusual feature - a curved, corrugated roof. This makes it a little difficult fitting things into the mezzanine level. We want to keep the space simple and clutter-free as our mezzanine level is all open plan and our bedroom and 2 bathrooms are up there too.

About the space:
-The space is triangular in shape and approximately 3m along the window wall x 2.5m wide down the roof side.
-It has a beautiful curved window with an awesome view that lets it a lot of light. (If we could come up with some sort of blind system for this window we would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone!)
-One of our bathrooms is right next to the space
-We would need to fit 2 work stations in the space
-There is only one corner with wall space

We would love to get some outside perspective on the space.