Whether you’re living out your dream of living in a tiny house or living in a tiny home or apartment out of necessity, small space living presents unique challenges and wonderful opportunities. From design to storage and beyond, the usual rules don’t apply when it comes to tight spaces – small space living doesn’t have to mean constant clutter and cramming everything down. Take your small space from claustrophobic to comfortable with these essential tips.
1. Organize your stuff
Living in a smaller space is an excellent opportunity for you to reevaluate all of your possessions and get rid of everything except the essentials and the non-essentials that bring you joy.
From last year’s receipts and old magazines to clothes you haven’t worn in years, letting unnecessary items hang around can make your small space look cluttered and disorganized. The more you reduce clutter, the less you’ll need to store and organize, and the bigger your space will feel.
Of course, the larger your home, the more difficult it will be to organize. If your situation requires it – and your budget allows – you might consider renting a small storage unit to keep certain items (seasonal items like holiday decorations, beach umbrellas and camping gear) separate to ease the storage pressure on a smaller portion of your home.
2. Organization, organization, organization
While some lucky people are born with organizational superpowers, it can be a challenge for those of us whose abilities are average. Still, small spaces work best when they are highly organized, so it’s important that you find creative ways to organize your space.
For example, you might opt for open shelving to make your kitchen more spacious or move your bed higher to maximize floor space. Make this saying your motto: a place for everything and everything in its place.
3. Keep it neat
When your square footage is particularly small, leaving just two or three items out can quickly make your small space feel cluttered and disorganized. The good news: If you’ve already kept your belongings to a minimum and set up some organizational systems, keeping things organized should be pretty easy. And the insta-clutter effect that small spaces create is a great motivation to do a little cleaning every day, rather than waiting until things get out of hand.
4. Use colour to your advantage
Whether you rent or own your own small space, painting is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to dramatically change the look and feel of your home. Choosing light colors for your walls will create an airy effect that can make your space feel larger. Alternatively, a dark color such as black can be used to expand a space . Black walls add depth to the room, which can create the illusion of space.
When it comes to decorating, neutral tones work best to visually expand each room. Pops of color and texture add interest, but be especially frugal with large prints and loud patterns, which can dwarf your space and make it feel even smaller.
5. Make smart design choices
Aside from color, other design choices can make a big impact on your small-space living experience. In general, look for furniture that visually expands your home. Low-profile seating can create the illusion of higher ceilings. Tables, chairs, and cabinets made in glass, acrylic, and wire mesh are lighter in appearance, and open shelves feel less bulky than cabinetry. And, when it comes to upholstered furniture, pieces with open, slim legs (rather than slipcovers) subtly enlarge your space.
One last thing: Although small spaces generally require smaller furniture, break up the size of your space by including one or two larger items so as not to create a miniature dollhouse look.
6. Choose furniture that does double duty
Small space living requires furniture that serves multiple purposes or provides unexpected storage space. This could be as simple as using a trunk for a coffee table, using a large kitchen island as a dining table, or hanging hooks on the side of a bookshelf.
Sleeper sofas and fold-out desks are obvious and highly functional choices, but the general trend of downsizing has given rise to a huge range of creative and unexpected multifunctional furniture options that add functionality as well as style.
7. Use vertical space and corners
In small spaces, walls and corners are your friends. Look for extra storage space in the form of open shelves that can easily be mounted on the walls, and think of corners as bonus storage space where bookshelves, a makeshift closet or even a small office can be placed.
8. Get creative with kitchen storage
Living in a small space can be particularly challenging when it comes to the kitchen, especially if you’re an avid cook and have a large collection of tools and gadgets. While it’s important to organize your items in the kitchen, clever storage solutions can help you maximize your space.
Tilt-out trash cans, over-the-door storage racks, drawer dividers, and backsplash storage units, combined with DIY kitchen storage solutions, are all options that can give your small kitchen a big boost.
9. Maximize lighting
An easy way to make your small space appear larger is to maximize natural light. Choose something light and airy or – if your home is quite private – consider adding window decorations everywhere except in the bedroom. If the windows are few, hang a large, decorative mirror in front of the window to multiply the effect.
10. Embrace the great outdoors
Whether you live in a village or a concrete jungle, spending time outdoors can ease the pressure of living in a small space (especially when you share that space with others).If possible, consider adding decks and other outdoor “rooms” to effectively expand your living area . If that’s not an option, visit a park or local trail regularly. This won’t make your space feel larger, but it may help you enjoy it more once you get home.