Super excited for Shelby’s first post on the blog! She’s sharing her top tips for small space living – we’d love to hear your ideas, too!
I am a seasoned mover. With 7 moves in 7 years with my husband — from Texas to Colorado and now California — I’d like to think I know what I am doing as well as how to adjust from a 1,400 square-foot home to a 900 square-foot apartment. There are days where I miss the “extra” space, having a chair in the bedroom for reading when my husband is watching one of his shows or my dog having his very own room.
In our last move, we really did downsize and living with that can be hard. But the best way to live in a small space is to use each and every inch as effectively as possible. And here are some ideas how.
Furniture.
Minimize the amount of furniture you have in a room. In bedrooms, I recommend putting dressers and drawers in closets and get unnecessary furniture out of the way. Also, organize that space or else you will spend hours looking for your sandal’s mate.
Shelves.
Add shelves and shelf units to your rooms. Now I know I just told you to hide and minimize your furniture, but adding sleeves and shelf units allows you to display and store items with out the weight that dressers add to the space. Adding shelves above doorways is a great way to display favorite items, store extra blankets, or even extra towels in the bathroom.
Hooks.
Add over the door hooks to give clothes, robes and towels a space to be hung. When things have a place to go, your home will feel less full and more spacious no matter how small.
Clean + Organized.
Keep your small space clean of clutter and unnecessary items. Clutter makes the space feel smaller and demands attention. By keeping spaces clean and tidy, you make the space appear larger.
Baskets and Boxes.
These are a great way to keep things available in small spaces without leaving them out. Personally, I love a nice clean space, my husband not so much. Balancing that can be hard. Make sure everyone has space to be themselves in your home.
Multipurpose.
Give rooms like the guest bedroom and dining room more purpose. Make the guest room into an office/guest room or add a computer desk to the dining room. If you have the space, be sure you use it to the best of your abilities. If you have no need for a guest room, don’t have one. Turn it into a craft and office space!
Minimize.
I know it’s hard – we have a storage unit and still struggle. We have too much of everything: books, movies, clothes, art, pillows, furniture, you name it. Sell the things you can go without and store those things you simply must keep and cannot replace like art, china and books.
what are your small space living tips?
