Downsizing Tips for Tiny Spaces
Many people think about downsizing to a smaller home or apartment. A smaller home has less negative impact on the environment and can save the homeowner quite a bit of money on utility bills and on the real estate purchase itself. Smaller homes are also easier to keep tidy, provided you can reduce your possessions or find innovative ways to store items/possessions.
Interior design professionals, who are experts in creating practical living solution in homes of all sizes, are the best source of information about how you can meet the challenge of living in a small space. Here are some tips for creating a livable interior in a smaller space.
Tiny Homes Have a Fraction of the Space in Most American Homes
The average American home spans about 2,600 square feet. Tiny homes, however, range from 100 to 400 square feet. With such a reduction in space, homeowners need to find furniture and appliances that are suited to the downsized living space.
Multifunctional Furniture
Sofa beds that open up to reveal a bed at night, yet serve as a couch during the day, are an excellent idea in tiny homes. Storage ottomans are also a fabulous idea. Use the interior of the ottoman to store items, and then use the piece itself as a coffee table, a footstool, or for extra seating.
Use Innovative Storage to Make the Best Use of Space
Install plenty of shelves, including in your home’s rafters and over doors. Shelves are great to store kitchen items, bathroom items, or to house your book or CD collections.
Storage beds and freestanding wardrobes can reduce your need for dressers and closets. If you don’t have a storage bed, you may want to add a bed skirt and purchase some under bed storage containers to keep extra blankets, bed linens, and off-season clothing.
Keep Your Expectations in Line With Your Available Space
In a tiny home, you may not have room for both a shower and a conventional tub. You may only have room for a shower.
As for home offices, you may want to designate a corner of another room as an office area. Dual-purpose kitchen tables can also serve as office space. Just add some shelves or cabinets to hide the office equipment during meal time. Loft beds are also a great way to provide space for an office. Place your office equipment underneath the platform of your bed to create an efficient working space that doesn’t require a room of its own.
For more ideas on adapting your lifestyle to a tiny living space, contact an interior design expert to help you make design choices that work with your downsized home.
