Small Space Living: Design ideas from Dalí, Kahlo, O'Keeffe & Pollock

It's hard to imagine the monumental personalities of Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí living in the quarters of a tiny apartment like many emerging artists do today, but you'll be surprised to find their takes on interior design are still applicable to small space living. We explored the homes of world-renowned artists, and discovered some creative ideas for designing a tiny home today.

1. Georgia O'Keeffe - Forgo a sofa for a storage bench.

Courtesy of: The Library of Congress.

The last 40 years of Georgia O'Keeffe's life were spent in this gorgeous adobe - known as The Ghost Ranch - in New Mexico. While she was inspired by the desert landscape, we're finding major inspiration from her built-in bench in lieu of a sofa. Built-in benches make for  the ideal living room design for small space living, as they take up minimal space and can offer additional storage. 

2. Salvador Dalí - Add more storage pieces wherever possible. 

Courtesy of: The Dalí House-Museum.

Salvador Dalí's home in Cadaqués, Spain cannot be compared to a tiny home, or any kind of home imaginable, at that. However, we love his creative bookshelf idea of raising it above the floor, so that it doesn't take up precious living space. While building a bookshelf into the ceiling like Dalí's is difficult- this concept can be achieved with open shelving along the upper parts of your wall. Might we recommend TORTUGA's Pyramid Shelving Collection for the task?

3. Frida Kahlo - Surround yourself with those you love.

Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Archive, Bank of Mexico, Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museum Trust.

While Frida's Casa Azul is far from a tiny home, the time she spent bedridden there due to poor health and multiple painful surgeries must have made the world feel much smaller. Frida surrounded herself with photos of her loved ones to bring warmth into her small space. 

4. Jackson Pollock - Great things come from small spaces.

Robyn Lea, Dinner with Jackson Pollock, 2015. 

Jackson Pollock is well known as a major abstract artist, but many don't know that he was also a prize-winning baker! In fact, his apple pie recipe consistently won the grand prize at his annual local fair. By the looks of the tiny oven in his Long Island home, Pollock proves that a world-class kitchen is not necessary to cook elaborate recipes.