Some people choose to reside in small spaces because it fits their lifestyle and helps them save money. For others, living in a small space wasn’t part of their plan but became a reality due to certain life changes like a growing family or a job change.
Either way, when space is a premium, making it work for you is important. In this post, we’ve gathered some tiny house inspired tips to help you take advantage of your square footage.
1. Use Your Walls Efficiently
There is a lot of valuable space all over your ultra-petite pad, not just on the floor. Your walls can help save space and be more functional when put to good use. Attach hooks and hang everything from hats, handbags, and headphones to cooking utensils and a foldable bistro table and chairs. Wall-mounted lamps, swing lamps, wall sconces, and a wall-mounted television are also big space savers for a tiny home.
Cabinets, shelves and simple pegboard racks can also get your items organized while freeing up your precious floor space.
2. Choose Light Colors
When you pare back on square footage, you need to be thoughtful with your home’s color theory. While dark, saturated colors create a cozy feeling, they have a “shrinking” effect on the space. Too many neutral colors, on the other hand, can make a space feel bland and lifeless.
To create a balance of coziness and spaciousness, go neutral on walls and choose a piece to make the color statement in the room. For example, paint the walls light colors like pristine white or sunny yellow, have lighter floors, dark furniture and a statement piece like a couch, an area rug or a bold piece of art that helps to put the color into balance.
3. Give Every Space More than One Purpose
Having limited space means adopting a mentality of multipurpose rooms and multipurpose furniture. Invest in pieces of furniture that can pull double duty in your tiny home. Think about investing in a large table that shrinks into a one-person desk, a kitchen table that folds into the wall, a dresser that can act as a nightstand or a multi-functional couch. Choosing the best sleeper sofa will help accommodate any type of overnight guest if you don’t have a guest room.
4. Don’t Forget about Storage
Small homes are starved for storage space and overcoming this problem takes some creativity. To squeeze as much storage as possible out of your tiny home, try under floor storage, Slatwall shelving, clever built-ins, cabinets with adjustable shelves and plastic bins or drawers to keep small items that may get lost or forgotten in the cabinet.
You’ll also want to go vertical in tiny spaces. Choose a tall dresser over a short one or use a tall vanity in the bathroom to maximize storage space.
5. Explore What Others Have Done
Tiny house designs change really fast as tiny homeowners constantly find new ways to make their homes more comfortable. While you may have your tiny dream house outlined in your head, don’t stop at that. Explore different options available to you through the internet and try something new once in a while.
Living small takes creativity, ingenuity, and flexibility. And if you want to live small successfully, reduce clutter and stay mindful of the physical objects you choose to live with.
