Small spaces are harder to design, not easier. In a Philadelphia rowhome, a city condo, or an apartment, every inch and every sightline counts, and the usual instinct, to add more, is exactly wrong. The rooms feel cramped because of scale, light, and flow, not because they need more furniture.
That is Julia's specialty. Twenty-six years of making small, tricky spaces live far larger than their square footage, working with the light and the footprint instead of against them.
How to make a small space work
Small-space design is about subtraction and precision, the moves that make a tight room feel open and intentional:
- Scale it right. The correct furniture size and placement makes a small room feel larger, not more crowded.
- Open the sightlines. Layout and mirrors pull the eye through the space and let it breathe.
- Chase the light. Rowhomes and condos are light-starved in the middle; the right palette and plan pull it deeper.
Spaces we make feel bigger
Philadelphia rowhomes and trinities, center-city and Fitler Square condos, apartments, and the tight bonus rooms in any home, offices, nurseries, guest rooms. Wherever the footprint is small, Julia makes it feel finished and far larger than the numbers suggest.
What it costs
| Service | Cost range | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Eyes Visit (walkthrough + written plan) | $350 to $500 | 90 min + 48 hr plan |
| Per-room design (fee only, no furnishings) | $1,500 to $5,000 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Full room delivery (fee + sourcing + install) | $5,000 to $25,000 per room | 6 to 16 weeks |
For the full breakdown, see what an interior designer costs.
Start with a Fresh Eyes Visit: 90 minutes in your home, a written, prioritized plan in 48 hours, one room $350 to $500. If you do not leave with clarity, you do not pay. Greater Philadelphia.
Serving Greater Philadelphia
Frequently asked questions
Design focused on making tight footprints, rowhomes, condos, apartments, and small rooms, feel larger, lighter, and finished. It relies on scale, sightlines, and light rather than adding more furniture.
Yes. City rowhomes, condos, and apartments are a specialty. Julia is expert at making small spaces feel far larger than their square footage.
Design fees run $1,500 to $5,000 per room before furnishings. A Fresh Eyes Visit is a fixed $350 to $500 for one room, with a written plan in 48 hours, the lowest-risk way to start.
Greater Philadelphia, with a focus on center-city rowhomes and condos, plus the suburbs. In-home visits from the Huntingdon Valley studio.