The Tiny Away site is dedicated to helping people make the most out of their small living spaces. Whether you’re living in a studio apartment or smaller home, don’t give up hope on having your dream place. Consider these 10 small space living ideas for optimizing your tiny living area.
1. Buy furniture with storage
Storage is always an issue when dealing with smaller living spaces. Unlike with a larger apartment or house, you don’t have the luxury of stuffing all of your belongings into cabinets, drawers, and closets. In order to make the use of the space you have, consider investing in furniture with storage included. Tables with inner compartments, coffee tables with drawers, and couches with internal compartments are just a few potential options.
2. Build up
When you’re limited on space to the left and right, it’s time to look upwards. In a spacious home or apartment where you don’t need to maximize space, you probably don’t think twice about all the space available above your head. Whether you stack shelves high, build extra storage, or even install a loft, making use of the ceiling space can make your small apartment feel even bigger.
3. Invest in versatility
Versatility is one of the best ways to maximize the amount of space you have in tight living quarters. Any piece of furniture or decoration that you can find multiple uses for is going to save you a lot of room. A coffee table that doubles as an ottoman or a futon that doubles as a bed are some great examples of how versatility can save you on space.
4. Combine rooms
When you’re living in a small space, you might not have enough room to have an independent bedroom, kitchen, living room, and den. To save on space without sacrificing functionality, you should think about combining rooms. Maybe your living and dining room could be one area. Add a desk to your bedroom and it could double as the workspace.
5. Buy aesthetic cleaning equipment
Cleaning products are usually pretty ugly. But when you’re living in a smaller home or apartment, most of your belongings will be visible all of the time. While standard cleaning equipment is an eyesore, there are some aesthetic options available. It might be a good idea to spend a little extra to have a vacuum, broom, and trash can that doesn’t detract from your home’s aesthetic appeal.
6. Remove some doors
When living in a larger space, doors are a great way to block off certain areas. If you’re dealing with a tiny living area, these doors might do more harm than good. Doors can contribute to a feeling of being closed-off and claustrophobic. While you’ll still keep a door on your bathroom, you might want to remove doors to closets, pantries, and between certain rooms.
7. Take advantage of external storage options
Most apartments come with external storage spaces in the garage or basement. If you’re dealing with limited space, take advantage of these options and place some of your belongings in the storage space. Make sure you only place belongings in storage that you don’t use every day. You don’t want to have to make the trip there and back on a regular basis.
8. Have dividers double as storage space
A small living space and a lack of doors isn’t the best recipe for privacy. You might opt for a small divider or two in your tiny apartment to make it feel more like individual rooms rather than one large space. Instead of wasting space with these dividers, get creative and make them double as storage space. For example, you could have a bookshelf or pantry act as a partial wall.
9. Buy a foldaway bed
Beds take up a ton of room in small apartments and homes. While you might consider saving space by sleeping on the couch, there’s a more comfortable alternative. Investing in a foldaway bed is a great way to reclaim the space in your room during the day without having to suffer a restless night on the couch.
10. Declutter your home
You’ve probably heard it a million times, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Decluttering your home is the best way to make a small living space feel as big as possible. Go through all of your belongings and get rid of anything that you don’t really need. If you have a small apartment or living area you don’t need a full-sized fridge or table, think about hiring a service like fridge removal Sydney to take away your oversized furniture to be replaced with smaller substitutes. Having less junk throughout your apartment is going to make it feel so much more spacious and clean.