Inspiration can come in all shapes and sizes, and I’d argue that it can also come from any time. Architects and designers look to the past all the time, if to varying degrees, but generally the 21st-century tendency is to reward the new and the innovative. Publications, both print and online, cover trends that seem to be displaced as soon as they’re written about, meaning that books and magazines 10, five or even one year old are often obsolete and forgotten. I think that’s a shame. A case in point is a book I found at a used-book store recently, titled Small Spaces, recently republished as a new paperback edition. It was written by Azby Brown and originally published by Kodansha International in 1993, and I was surprised to see how fresh (or is it timeless?) the ideas and projects inside were. It prompted me to considering taking some its 15 chapters and creating an ideabook focused on the book’s theme: “Limitations imposed by lack of space can largely be overcome by intelligent design.” Not surprisingly, Brown lived in Japan while writing the book (and still does), having moved there from New Orleans. With space constraints that boggle Americans, Tokyo and other places require creative solutions for living in small spaces. Some techniques Brown discusses are: • Horizontality, so small spaces feel larger • Lighting, colour and pattern, to make small spaces bright and light • Taking small spaces seriously, so every bit of space is considered important • Compactness and flexibility, so small spaces are used throughout the day My interpretations of Brown’s inspiring chapters include Western architecture and interiors. Admittedly, ideas from the East and the West go back and forth fairly seamlessly; cultural norms (for example, sitting on the floor versus sitting on sofas) play a part in defining spaces, but not as much as they used to. I hope the ideas that follow (and the links to past ideabooks with similar themes) will resonate with you, whether you live in a small space or not.

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