Making the Most Out of a Small Space
Scarlett Fiona Reed of Saffron and Genevieve talks quality over quantity
“I could almost tent it here and be happy,” says Scarlett Fiona Reed, referring to her quaint cottage, which overlooks Schwan Lake in Santa Cruz.
The founder/owner of local home furnishing shop Saffron and Genevieve moved into the cottage in January of last year, and has been documenting the ongoing process of designing its interior on her store’s website ever since.
Scarlett Fiona Reed’s living room in Santa Cruz. Although she admits that it’s taken time to adjust to living in a small space, she now has lots of helpful advice for others with limited square footage.
“I think it’s an adventure,” says Reed. “If you can part with your things, that’s so nice to do: to live with what you absolutely need. It’s more than just moving—it’s a sort of life change.”
Feeling at ease within one’s home, regardless of size, is central to Reed’s interior design philosophy. When asked if she keeps others’ opinions in mind while decorating her place, she reveals, “I want my guests to be comfortable when they come over—so I think about them in that way—but I’m the one who’s mostly there, just me, so I need to make me happy.”
She is most pleased with how her living room has turned out because “all of her favorite things are in it,” including work by local artists Michelle Stitz, Jody Alexander and Brian Rounds.
Besides sentimental pieces and an attractive view, especially one that lets in sunlight—natural features can also broaden the appearance of a space—Reed says there are numerous inexpensive, temporary fixes that everyone (even short-term renters) can incorporate.
“I glued linen to my granite backsplash, and I can just wet that and pull it off when I’m done,” Reed says of her kitchen. “If you can get away with painting, that’s great. If you are not allowed to hang pictures, which I’ve never understood, hopefully there’s some wood, and some wood trim at the top [of the wall, so] you can make a picture rail.”
Don’t know where to start? “Find a furnishing shop that you love; you don’t necessarily need to hire the owner to come out,” says Reed. “Put things that are great from there in your home.” Pinterest is another tool she frequently uses with clients to communicate design ideas.
For Reed, the beauty of furnishing a small space is in the process. “The fun part is to move things around,” she admits. | Cynthia Orgel
Saffron and Genevieve is located at 910B Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Call 462-4506 or email Scarlett at scarlett@saffronandgenevieve.com. Visit saffronandgenevieve.com for more info.
