How did you enjoy our first installment of the new Small Space Squad? If you have no clue what I’m talking about, we launched a new series where I interview small space bloggers and influencers, then share their tips for making the most out of their small spaces! For our second installment, we’re featuring the super-unique and beautiful space of blogger and designer Mallory Fletchall of Reserve Home. Not only does she make the most stunning decorative poufs and pillows, she also knows how to make her small space stand out. Come along as we tour Mallory’s bright, airy, and colorful home.
Home Tour: Inside The Beautifully Boho Apartment of Reserve Home (aka Mallory Fletchall)
Who: Mallory Fletchall
Where: Brooklyn, NY
Years spent living small: 3.5 years.
To start, tell me your story about how you ultimately ended up choosing a small space?
Well, to be honest, we didn’t have much of a choice. In moving to NYC, we knew we would have to live in a small space. Still, we were excited for the challenge, and our apartment has made us fall in love with small space living!
What is your biggest challenge in your small space?
I think our biggest challenge has been creating a painting studio for David, my boyfriend, in our small 1.5 bedroom apartment. Going into the apartment search, I knew that he wanted to make sure whatever place we chose had enough space for him to have an in-home studio. Our place is a railroad style apartment, with a strange middle/walk-through room. For the first 2 years that we lived here, our bedroom lived in this room and his studio was in our now-bedroom. I actually think the biggest challenge was talking him into moving his studio to the cave-like middle room. I ultimately won that battle… ha!
What is your favorite part about living small?
So many things! For one, I love that it has forced us to choose furniture, art, and decor that we absolutely love. We used to thrift all of the time, and our house in Kansas City was chalk full of random pieces we bought “just because.” Those days are long gone!
I also really appreciate how much closer it has made us feel to each other in both the obvious physical sense, but also emotionally. It’s just us, our cats, and one small apartment. We’ve created our ideal cozy space that we look forward to returning home to every night. There’s no where to hide from each other, which I think has helped us build an even greater sense of respect for each other and the space we share.
What is your number one hack for living small?
Multi-purpose spaces! Our dining room is also my desk AND our music corner.
Do you ever feel pressure to be “minimalistic” or feel guilty about buying things you don’t “need” for your home?
Luckily I haven’t felt any pressure in that way thus far. While we love our “stuff,” we’re in no way maximalists, which would definitely be tough in a small space.
What have you learned about yourself by living small?
That we really don’t need a lot of space to be happy at home. That it’s possible to make a small space feel large when you fill it with the things you love and make the best out of the space you’re given. Also, I’m quite worried that I would be overwhelmed in a large space now. How does one fill all of those rooms?!
What’s your number one storage hack?
We lucked out with a lot of storage space in our current apartment. One of our walls in the main room is all cabinets and we have an additional hallway off our kitchen that we’re able to use as storage. We try to be super efficient when using these spaces. Believe it or not, we have two large couches and multiple chairs in our back hallway right now! It’s like a game of Tetris, but if the space is utilized correctly, SO much can fit.
Who is your biggest small space inspiration?
For inspiration, I love to scroll through Pinterest for various small space hacks, as well as stalk @brookandpeony and @jojotastic (of course) on Instagram.
What do your friends and family say about your choice to live small?
Once they saw our space in person, they were super supportive! I think they were just thrilled we didn’t move into a tiny one-room apartment in Manhattan.
Thank you so much to Mallory Fletchall for sharing your small space wisdom today! Be sure to check out Mallory’s blog, her stunning Instagram, and Reserve Home!
Stay tuned for even MORE Small Space Squad Home Tours! Also, if you have any other tiny home owners you’d like to see here, let me know. I’m totally open to more submissions for this series.
