Living in a small home can be tough. You have to plan your life around every inch of space you have, and that’s especially true if you live in a space that was built for more people than you. By including personal touches, you can change the areas in your house without sacrificing their cosy, private atmosphere. When it comes to compact homes, design is all about making the most of your available space and square footage. By thinking laterally about space optimisation, you can create more space in a small house or home.
Whether you reside in a college dorm room, a shared house, a modest apartment building, a multilevel condo unit, or an opulent hotel in New York, we’ve compiled space-saving remodelling suggestions that will turn your home into a magnificent haven.
Try the open floor plan
Consider an open floor plan. An open floor plan maximizes the space in a small home while still providing you with privacy and comfort. You can achieve an open floor plan by using folding doors and walls, as well as adding bookshelves or cabinets with glass doors to create the illusion of separation without dividing the space. By removing walls and doors, you can create one large space that flows from room to room. This allows for natural light to filter in through windows throughout the house, making it feel larger than it is.
A small home with an open floor plan lets you make the most of every square foot. An open floor plan allows you to see the entire room at once, so it’s easy to move around and get things done. This design also makes it easy for family members or guests to help out with chores. This way they can see what needs doing and pitch in without asking.
Additionally, this plan means that air can circulate more easily and your house stays cooler in the summer. This saves you on cooling and electricity costs. Open floor plans are best for homes with large living areas, but few rooms. This design also works particularly well if you have an entertainment area, like a home office or library. These spaces often occupy most of one side of the house and may be used as an extension of your main living area. It also allows for easy accessibility from all areas of the house, which is important when space is so limited.
Use well-thought furniture and fixtures
One of the first few things you may think about when designing a small home is what type of furniture will work in your space. Consider the benefits of multi-purpose furniture. Choose furnishings that can be used as a desk, a dining room table, and seating. One of the best pieces of furniture to use as an ottoman. Ottomans can be used as a bench, a coffee table, and footrest.
Additionally, if there’s one thing that makes a big difference in how much value people place on their homes, it’s the quality of their furnishings and fixtures. If there isn’t enough wall space to hang all the pictures or clothes on display that you want, consider using high-quality display cases instead—they’ll save space while keeping everything organized!
Lastly, A small kitchen is an important part of your home design. Think about what type of space you have for your kitchen. What will work in that space? Consider using a micro or smaller refrigerator if room permits. As well as a stove that can fit in the space. If you are considering a range, consider whether you are willing to be limited by your cooking space. Decide how large or small you want to make your countertops. A simple way to think about what type of countertop best fits your kitchen is to ask yourself how many people you want to cook with at one time.
Create multipurpose rooms
If you have a room that serves multiple purposes, don’t be afraid to use it for more than one thing at a time. For example, turn your living room into a playroom for your kids by installing shelves beneath the window. And make them just high enough for them to reach without climbing on the furniture or standing on tiptoes. You can store toys in baskets and bins underneath the shelves. This way everything is within easy reach of little ones sitting on the floor or playing with their toys. If there’s a closet or other storage space that’s not being used, consider turning it into a pantry or mudroom.
Additionally, if you have a bedroom that doubles as an office or study, make sure the closet is big enough to store both your dress clothes and your business attire. A small room can quickly become cluttered when it’s used for more than one purpose.
Maximize your bathroom space
If your bathroom is too small for both a bathtub and shower (or vice versa), consider removing one of them. You could install a shower. You could also consider swapping out one for the other. This would mean more room to spread out while taking your morning shower. And just enough space for cleaning up afterward.
A tub or shower combination is a great way to save space. This is because the two can share the same drainpipe. So you don’t need separate pipes for your shower).
You could also add a walk-in shower instead of one that’s separate from the rest of the bathroom. A walk-in shower can save space because it doesn’t take up any room in your bathroom. You can also choose between an acrylic or glass door and a sliding model. This allows you to clean both walls and floors easily.
If you have a bathroom that’s not quite big enough for all your needs, try adding another mirror or sink instead of expanding into the additional square footage. This will give you an easy way to get ready in the morning without having to wait for someone else to finish up on their side of things! Read about tips to create a minimalist bathroom.
Change-up your doors
Divide rooms with curtains or screens. Rooms that don’t get used often can be divided off with curtains and screens. If you have a hallway that doesn’t have much use, you can also add a curtain or screen there to divide it off from other parts of your home. This is a great way to make the space feel more open and inviting. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of building walls, curtains and screens are a great alternative. This will reduce the amount of space needed for each room. But it will still allowing you to see into the room from other parts of the house.
You can also opt to use French doors instead of traditional doors. This will give you a sense of openness that’s hard to achieve with solid doors, and it can also make your home feel larger than it is. It helps to create an illusion of separate rooms. This is a great way to make the most out of your space and create a unique look. Additionally, this will allow you to enjoy the outdoors while still being able to keep an eye on things inside.
Use high ceilings
If you have a high ceiling, there are lots of things you can do to make your space efficient and save space. You can hang things from the ceiling. Or use them to store items that you don’t have room for on the floor. If your ceiling is open and exposed, consider using it as storage for things like clothes and other items that can’t fit in closets or drawers—things like files or bookshelves are easy enough to install on the ceiling. If your ceilings are low, then consider building up instead of out by adding shelves or cabinets to create more storage space.
You can use the high ceiling to hang up lights, a chandelier, or other objects. For example, you could hang a light fixture in the centre of your ceiling and use halogen pendants to light the room. This will give the space a more open and airy feel that comes with lots of natural light.
Get innovative with your storage space
If you don’t have enough space for all of your belongings, try adding storage solutions like built-in shelves and cabinets. This will allow you to keep things out of sight but still accessible when needed. You can also opt for vertical storage solutions, like a wall-mounted shoe rack or hanging shelf. This will make the most of the space you have and allow you to store things that would otherwise take up valuable floor space.
For example, you can use a wall of built-in shelves to store books and other items that you don’t use very often. This will leave open floor space for things like couches and chairs that you’ll need regularly. You can also add cabinets under your kitchen countertops to store dishes, glasses, and other household items. You can also add storage to your home by using the space under your bed or behind doors. This will allow you to store things like extra pillows and blankets, seasonal clothing and accessories, or even books and magazines if you don’t have room for them on shelves.
More space, less stuff
One of the most common complaints about small apartments is that there’s not enough room to do anything. Make room for storage in your home by letting go of clutter and unnecessary items. This can be a daunting task, especially if you have a lot of stuff, but it’s well worth it in the long run. Having too much stuff can be a major waste of space, so consider getting rid of anything that isn’t necessary for your day-to-day life. Get rid of items that are rarely used and don’t have much sentimental value. If there are items in your house that you’ve never touched and have no plans on using, consider donating them or throwing them away so they don’t take up valuable space!
Additionally, remove excess furniture to make room for storage closets and shelving units. If you have too much furniture, you won’t be able to move around easily in your space so. You don’t need to get rid of all your furniture, but you might want to consider replacing it with more streamlined pieces that take up less room. This will allow you to make better use of the space that’s available in your home and make it feel bigger overall.
Keep everything in its place
If you live in a small home, then you will know exactly where to find everything and this will make your life so much simpler. Just keep everything in its place and your house will be easy to clean because you will know where everything is. You will also know where to find something if you need it. This makes it easier for you to keep your home organized and clean. The last thing you want is to spend all day looking for something that you know should be in the house somewhere.
If you have a lot of stuff that needs to be organised, then try using bins or baskets so that all items are stored together in one place. Just keep all belongings in their designated areas and you won’t have to worry about cleaning up after yourself or anyone else. This way, if you need something from your closet or dresser drawers, then it shouldn’t take long to find what you’re looking for!
Takeaway
In the end, the key to crafting a home that works for you is commitment and creativity. There are countless ways to make your small house into a productive and comfortable space. So, your job is an easy one. Design something that works for you and create space where you need it. Also, consider what will work best for you. And keep an open mind about changes that might give your house an extra boost of productivity or comfort. With these principles in mind, there’s no reason why small houses can’t be just as functional (and just as modern) as their larger counterparts.
You may also be interested in this previous post:
Interior design tips for making a small room look more spacious