'Make small spaces do double-duty': Bobby Berk explains his mantra for maximizing your rooms

Bobby Berk may be a globally recognized designer, but he's still no stranger to compact urban apartments – meaning he's a master at styling small spaces that are functional and good-looking. 

The Los Angeles-based design expert & Emmy-nominated TV host moved to the West Coast via New York, where he lived in compact apartments that, he shares, have influenced design decisions in homes of every size. 

'I lived in New York for years, and I always made sure that whatever I was putting into my space did double duty,' Bobby says in an exclusive interview with H&G. The designer recently teamed up with Tri Pointe Homes to design units located in Arroyo's Edge, Las Vegas. The project allowed him to revisit the art of decorating small spaces – something that he mastered from experience. 

'If I were looking for a coffee table, I would go with storage cubes that had storage in them that I could use as a coffee table, but I could also use it as extra seating when friends would come over,' Bobby explains. 'If I had a desk, I would also use it as something that could fold out to become a dining table.'

Bobby Berk

Bobby Berk is a design expert & Emmy-nominated TV host known for his work on Netflix’s Queer Eye, where he brings change to people's lives by teaching them that a happy home means a happy life. Bobby also hosted Netflix’s Blown Away: Christmas and was a semi-finalist in the sixth season of FOX’s The Masked Singer.

According to Bobby, the most impactful thing you can do in a small home is to buy double-duty furniture – and avoid (where possible) investing in pieces that only serve a single job. 'Try to buy things that do at least two things, and you’re going to be much better off,' he says. 

Double-duty furnishings makes organizing small spaces easier, as you can use items such as your coffee table to store things you would prefer to keep out of sight. But Bobby's tips for organizing a small apartment (or home) don't end there. 

'I lived in a tiny home, so I always had to think about that, even when designing larger homes. If you have a small bedroom, you should get a bed that has drawers underneath or buy a platform that raises the bed so that you can use it for other things,' Bobby says. 'Make sure you’re using the space from side to side and also top to bottom.'

Naturally, Bobby has the same ideology for small kitchens and bathrooms, too. 

'Really over-utilize the areas underneath the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom cabinets, and organize them. Go out to a store and buy an extra shelf for your small cabinets,' Bobby says. 

'Make sure you're maximizing that space because there are so many spaces in our homes that can really do double duty – that can really make our homes more organized, but we're only using them the way they are built instead of thinking about the way they could really be used. Utilize your space from top to bottom, not just side to side.'

You can learn more about Bobby's model homes in Arroyo's Edge by visiting the Tri Pointe here. Or, learn life advice from Bobby by picking up the book below. 

Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life | $11.05 on Amazon
This book, written by Bobby and his Queer Eye co-stars, shares a look behind-the-scenes of the show – and offers a practical guide to living and celebrating your best life. 

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