Whether you live in a smaller home out of choice or necessity, making the most of every square foot is the key to making the space livable. In this piece, we’re going to look at some clever techniques for making even the smallest spaces as functional as possible.
1. Downsizing Material Goods
While we like having “stuff,” there are only so many items crucial to our happiness. Living in a smaller home or apartment makes minimizing the number of items we have a necessity. Start downsizing your belongings by getting rid of duplicate and single-purpose items. Fortunately, we live in an age when selling these items has never been easier. Using Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for local transactions, remembering to always practice safety by making transactions in a mutual space — never giving out your address or location.
“But how do I begin to tackle downsizing?”
- Don’t tackle your entire house in one go. Go from space to space.
- Don’t think “will I use this?” but rather “when was the last time I used this?”
- Ask yourself “do I like this item?” or “does this item bring me joy?”
Some find the act of downsizing stressful, but the end result is often quite liberating. For additional questions to ask yourself when deciding what to keep, Apartment Therapy has offered up their 5 questions to ask yourself when deciding to keep or purge.
2. Go Vertical With Storage
Many homes have walls that stretch higher than we can humanly reach. Why not put this space to good use? By creating storage in the form of floating shelves or cabinets in higher places, you can free up a lot of living space. A good rule of thumb is to store items according to the frequency of use. Store frequently items where they can be easily accessed with lesser-used items stored in higher places. You may need to get out a step-stool to retrieve these items, but this also helps keep clutter out of eye-level. Out of sight, out of mind.
3. Use Double-Usage Furniture
Furniture can quickly clutter a smaller home and lead to usable space. Maximize the usefulness of every cubic foot in your home by using furniture that serves multiple purposes. Look for nightstands with lower shelves, desks with large storage drawers, and bookshelves that can be used as room dividers. If you’re in the market for a bed frame, look for frames with large storage solutions underneath either in the form of drawers, shelves, or space for items. Consider a comfortable sleeper-sofa in guest rooms or even in living rooms in houses where guest room options aren’t available. Give your furniture multiple jobs.
4. Only Use Furniture That Fits
Oversized furniture can have a luxurious appeal in larger homes but quickly fills up smaller homes. When shopping for sofas, consider appealing sleek mid-century styles that don’t fill up rooms with extra unused fluff. Massive dining room tables may give off the vibe of elegant dining, but if you’re not actually using that amount of table space for dining on a regular basis, go with a smaller option. Smaller dining tables also mean less space for clutter to accumulate.
If you can only declutter and organize your small space so much, perhaps it is time to consider upgrading to a larger home. Let the home building experts at Perry Hood Properties help you build your next dream home.