A small home for many is a right of passage. Whether it’s during the early years of university when you’re squeezing your entire life into a box-size dorm room or your first city apartment with its only storage as a suitcase kept under the bed, these homes are hallmarks of life. Slightly cramped but filled with love, it always tends to be in these small spaces where people have their fondest memories.
Now, because of housing affordability and lifestyle convenience, many are choosing to live in smaller homes, making the most of confined living spaces. For those embracing a cosy house, however, it can be challenging to fully know how to get the most out of the space without over cluttering it. With these handy tips and tricks, you can truly maximise your space to live large in a small house.
How Do You Make Storage in a Small House?
A lack of storage is arguably the biggest issue people face when it comes to small houses. An extremely frustrating ordeal, storage limitations will have you stumbling over golf clubs in the kitchen and shoving clothes into a wardrobe that is already bursting at the seams. Thankfully, creating new storage spaces does not have to be as complicated as you may think as long as you're willing to get creative. With a finite amount of floor space, the trick is to look elsewhere around your home to find those extra spots of storage.
Ways to Create New Storage:
- Add in floating shelves or cupboards - if you can’t expand out, expand up and look to wall space and above doorframes for extra room
- Place hooks or hanging storage to doors - perfect for coats, bags and shoes
- Work with what you’ve got - smaller nooks and crannies can be perfect for built-in cupboards or storage
- Add malleable storage - Woven or linen baskets are perfect for excess blankets or soft items
Space-Saving Furniture
Furniture is obviously one of your biggest space thieves within a home, which is why being strategic with the furnishings you choose is very important. Finding transformable furniture such as fold-away tables and chairs, is perfect for those with less room that still like to entertain and eat with family and friends.
Additionally, combining storage with furniture is a clever way to maximise space. Items such as ottomans or lift-up storage beds amplify storage space, whilst doubling up as essential furniture. It is this kind of strategic selection that can transform small spaces by decluttering and opening up rooms.
How to Make a Small Space Appear Larger?
The strategic use of light and colour can transform a small space from cramped to cosy. Strategic mirror placement is one of your most powerful tools to do this. By positioning mirrors to reflect natural light you create the illusion of depth and visually open up the space. The colour scheme within a home can also play a crucial part in making it appear bigger. Opting for a light, cohesive palette throughout your space creates a sense of flow and openness that darker colours might interrupt.
In areas where natural light is limited, consider installing strip lighting under cabinets or along baseboards. This type of lighting not only brightens dark corners but also adds a modern touch to your space while taking up virtually no room.
Investing in Storage Solutions
When all is said and done, one of the simplest and smartest ways to maximise space within a small house is by investing in good storage solutions outside of the home. With only so many mirrors you can hang or ottomans you can add, eventually it is time to take away from the space rather than add. A home that is cluttered with stuff will inevitably appear smaller, because of the absorption of light from all of the items. After decluttering, a storage unit is the perfect way to open up your house and give the appearance of a larger space once again. However, before you go rushing off to place all your belongings in storage, make sure to have a complete understanding of the different types of storage available and what is the right one for you.
The Bottom Line
As this article has shown, small-space living doesn't have to be all about living with less but actually about living smarter. With some creativity and ingenuity, your compact home can feel spacious and organised in no time. Utilising the space you are in is key to breathing new life into your small house. Just remember, it's not the size (of the space) that matters, but how you use it.
