Space-Saving Tips for a Cramped House

It can be tough sometimes living in a house without enough space to move around freely. Many people in the world make do with living in smaller spaces to cut down on everyday costs, but it’s also becoming a trend to discover a quirky, tiny place to call home. Just because you live in a small house doesn’t mean you can’t have some personal space! Thankfully there are tons of clever space-saving hacks out there that will help you make the most out of the home you’ve claimed.

Some of the tips we will go into include furniture configuration, furnishings, color palette, and using natural light to open a room up. Making a compact living area more spacious can sometimes seem tricky, but with a little planning and some DIY magic, you can make it work! Consider if there are any unused nooks and crannies in your house, empty walls with space you can use, or creative ways to redesign your home to maximize storage.

The key is to think vertically. Avoid the “bowling alley effect” and focus on increasing the height of each room in your house. Take an empty wall and start building upwards. Add shelving over areas in the kitchen to store utensils, mugs, knick-knacks, or spices. Just imagine all the food cupboard space that would save you! Install a few floating cabinets in your bedroom or living room to store and tastefully arrange your things.

Is there a room in your house that barely has enough light? Consider your room-to-wall ratio and try adding a window to that room to bring in some natural light. Having more windows in a room is known to eliminate the feeling of being “boxed in” as it enables you to enjoy the outside world and adds to the illusion of more space. If adding a window isn’t an option, try hanging a large mirror so the light can bounce around the room and add a little depth to the place.

Having the illusion of more space is just as important as creating physical space. Painting a room the same color as your furniture visually enlarges the area because the furniture appears to blend into the room around you. Rooms that are mainly white do the best job of creating the illusion of space. Adding a glass coffee or dining table as the centerpiece of a given area makes it seem like nothing is there at all. Is the weather where you live mostly great year-round? Don’t try to cram everything into your little house if you don’t have to! If you have a porch, patio, or a good-sized backyard, you can create a social space with outdoor furniture. Doing this will make it feel like there is more square footage on your property without the extra cost.

A popular space-saving strategy is to increase storage space by utilizing the dead zone under your stairs. Simply install a few custom-made drawers with racks and you instantly have more room to get rid of some clutter. You might even try adding a drawer underneath each individual step for a similar effect. Built-ins are handy that way. They are a stylish solution to saving space that small homeowners should take advantage of! Get yourself a convenient floor-to-ceiling bookshelf or build a few cubbies in your mudroom or foyer. Build your couch into the wall for a dash of modernism that will ensure no space goes unused. These clever ideas are great for adding the right touch of charm to any room as you display your treasures and live comfortably.

Do what you can to fill in the gaps and use every corner. Look for small spaces where you can implement some sort of storage system. Shelves are a must-have when trying to save some space in a packed closet. With everything organized and efficient, you won’t feel stressed when it comes to getting dressed every morning. A great concept to try out is to think about collecting furniture that has a space inside it for additional storage. Increase the functionality of your kitchen island by building a shelving unit within it to store things like kitchen appliances, pet food bowls, a trash can, and maybe even your microwave! Take it a step further and make it a reflective island that will help add more perceived space to the kitchen. Find an ottoman for your living room with a hollow cavity inside to hold all your comfy throw blankets.

Place furniture along the walls to keep the surrounding area wide open and ready for activities. Try replacing your doors with sliding walls, room dividers, or curtains to let your space breathe a bit more. This keeps each room from being visually sectioned off and, again, adds to the illusion of more space. If you still need more room, get rid of that pesky dining table and build a breakfast bar into the wall to sit and enjoy your eggs when you wake up.

There are so many creative ideas and unique home products out there that can add more space to your tiny home while increasing efficiency and decreasing clutter. Whether you prefer a more minimalist design or want multiple compact storage spots in your house, there is something for everyone. You may have to rethink how you approach furniture, get rid of some bulky pieces that don’t get used often or downsize completely. If you truly want to save space, you’ll have to think about how all these elements work together and come up with a few new concepts to make it a reality.

Living in such a small space can be a challenge, but it can also be a fun ongoing project that turns out to be very rewarding in the end. Not only will you enjoy your living space more, but you will also be able to boost your productivity in the home and feel clear-headed and more independent. What are you waiting for? Start reinventing your space to live a more compact and organized life today!

Sources:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/morganshanahan/tiny-house-hacks-to-maximize-your-space

https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/07/17/10-ways-to-make-your-place-feel-more-spacious/#4c059d536045

https://propertyonly.com.au/landlord-tips/top-10-space-saving-ideas-small-houses/

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/storage-space/13-clever-space-saving-solutions-and-storage-ideas-pictures

https://www.sunset.com/home/architecture-design/room-ideas#think-vertical