Tips For Moving Into A Small Living Space

Many people are downsizing their homes for various reasons. First of all, buying a big house in a city can be really expensive. So, many people compromise on space rather than location. Let’s not forget the different maintenance expenses that you’ll have to take care of if you have a big house. Whether you’re downgrading because you’re a minimalist or because your budget doesn’t allow you to get a big house, a small home is definitely a good option.

Worried about how you’ll accommodate your belongings in a small space? Regardless of whether yours is a studio-sized apartment or a small condo, you can still make your small home comfortable and beautiful. We’ve listed a few things that’ll help you maximize the space in your small home. Here are some of our best tips for moving into a small living space:

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1. Declutter Your Home Of Unwanted Things

If you have a small home and too many belongings, it’ll naturally make you feel like there’s not enough room in your home. That’s why the best way to make your small home look bigger is by decluttering all the unwanted things in your home. That’s when a checklist can help you segregate all your belongings. You can note down all of your possessions in different categories like necessities, most used items, rarely used items, never used items, etc. Depending on the usage and working condition of your items, you can choose to let go of things you don’t need or use.

There will be things like broken appliances, old furniture, old clothes and shoes, and the likes that you don’t use anymore. The items that are in a good condition can be donated to charity homes or orphanages. Otherwise, you can approach your relatives and see if they can use any of your stuff. You can also explore sites like Craigslist or eBay to sell any of your items.

Also Read: What are the Pros and Cons of Downsizing a Home

2. Find The Hidden Storage Spaces In Your Home

Most people would go for a separate storage room for storing different kinds of items like shoes, equipment, decorations, etc. Ever thought about getting creative with your storage? Yes, you can get creative with your storage and make your small living space look bigger and beautiful.

Just take a tour of your house and try to check every nook and cranny that can be used as a storage space. Haven’t found anything yet? Well, you can utilize hidden areas like the space beneath your bed, kitchen closets, etc. You could also purchase baskets of different sizes to accommodate things like your accessories, pet food, and blankets. This will help you keep the clutter away from the space in your house and maximize the area in your home.

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3. Choose Space-Saving Furniture

If you’re concerned about having space in your home, you’ll first need to find furniture that will fit in your home. It’s natural to get carried away by the wonderful large furniture styles that you may have seen in the Architectural Digest. Not always will large furniture make your home look stylish and beautiful.

Depending on the space in your home, you’ll have to find furniture that not only fits but also complements the style of your home. Some of the best choices you can consider are drop-leaf kitchen tables, wall desks, and compact chairs. These won’t take too much space. Otherwise, it’s best if you opt for multi-functional furniture. For instance, you can purchase a fold-out table if you need space to keep your books or other kitchenware.

Another great option for a small home is a convertible table that you can use for several purposes like dining, working, etc. Why invest in an extra guest bedroom if you want more space? You can instead go for a wall bed or convertible sleep chair rather than having a guest bedroom.

4. Utilize The Vertical Space In Your Home

If you’re a fan of Tiny House Nation or Amazing Interiors on Netflix, there’s no doubt that you probably have a dozen ideas about styling and decorating your home. But wait, have you thought about how much space it’s going to take to decorate your home? Even if you live in a small home with limited space, that shouldn’t stop you from styling your home. This is when you can unleash that designer inside you and go creative with designing your home.

One of the best ways of styling your home without using a lot of space is utilizing the walls and corners of your home. You can have a corner shelf to keep your book collection, antiques, or showpieces instead of purchasing a huge piece of furniture or desk. If you want to have a small nursery of plants in your home, you can just hang them on your balcony instead of keeping them on a table or shelf. You can also use artwork to decorate your home instead of buying huge fancy furniture that takes up a lot of space.

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5. Choose Light Colors For Your Walls

Have you ever visited a place and wondered how big it seems in spite of the limited space? Well, if you have encountered such a place, then you probably were visually tricked. One such thing that can make your home look bigger is the color of your walls. Yes, you read it right! Something as simple as the color of your walls can also completely change the look of your house and make it look bigger.

You can choose light and airy colors to portray depth and large space in your small home. These light and neutral colors reflect the light inside your home thereby making it look bigger. Be mindful of dark and contrasting colors or bold wallpapers. These bold colors will just absorb the light inside your home and make it look even smaller than it already is. So to avoid your home looking cramped or cluttered, go for a light color to paint your walls.

6. Go For An Open Closet

One of the reasons why your bedroom looks cramped is because of your closet doors. These doors will make your room look small as they take up a lot of floor space. So it’s best if you go for an open closet.

You can have a built-in closet and organize your things in it to make it look elegant. Otherwise, you can just remove the doors of your closet and reduce the square footage to make it look spacious. If you don’t want to expose your things, you can just hang a curtain on the suspension rod to cover your closet.

7. Use Mirrors To Make Your Home Look Large

How would you like having a decor that will not just make your home look stylish but also large? If you’re wondering what decor you can use, let us solve the mystery for you. Just get a mirror of any size you like and place it anywhere in your home. Due to the illusion of depth created by the mirror, your home will look larger in size. Again, this is also tricky to the eyes as the color and light in your home are reflected back by the mirror.

If you don’t have windows in your room, kitchen, or living room, you can use a cut and framed mirror that will function as a focal point there. Ever thought about having mirrors in the kitchen? You can design your small kitchen using mirrors on the walls and turn your cooking chores into a delightful experience. In case you have any small hallway that leads to your bedroom or kitchen, that too can be creatively designed using mirrors. Just get different sizes and shapes of mirrors, like for example a set of hexagonal mirrors and make your hallway look artistic.

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8. Organize Your Kitchen Space

There’s no reason why your small kitchen can’t be stylish and roomy at the same time. All you need is a pinch of creativity and some organizing skills and you’re good to go. You can consider pull-out cabinets in your kitchen to store various items like your glasses, dishes, bowls and other kitchenware. If you want to show off your antique collection of dishes and plates, you can have an open shelving. That will make your kitchen look airy and spacious.

How about making your kitchen not just spacious but also glamorous? Yes, even small kitchens can be glamorous if you choose the right kind of materials. You can choose glossy cabinets, shiny floors, stainless steel appliances, etc. that will add a touch of glamour to your kitchen. When styling your kitchen, see to it that you don’t overdo the designing. Even simple things like clean kitchenware and a tidy kitchen platform will make your kitchen look bigger.

Conclusion

Feeling cramped in your small home? All you have to do is declutter the unnecessary things and get smart with organizing and designing your home. Even embracing minimalism will help you live comfortably in your home. In the end, it’s your creativity and imagination that can really help in making your small home look big and beautiful.

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FAQs

How Do You Deal With Moving Into A Smaller House?

If you’re moving into a smaller house, you first need to carefully plan your move. You can first create a floor plan of your house that can help you get an idea of how your home would look like. Before you move any furniture, see to it that you measure it to know whether it can really fit into your new home. Lastly, get rid of unwanted things so that you can make your small house look spacious.

How Do You Maximize Space In A Small House?

The first thing you do to maximize space in a small house is getting rid of things that you don’t use or need anymore. Other than that, you can get creative with your designing like considering open closets and using vertical spaces for your decor. You can also choose to have space-saving furniture, light colors, and mirrors to make your home look spacious.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Tiny Houses?

One of the biggest disadvantages of living in a tiny house is that you don’t have the liberty to expand your kitchen or living room. Because of the limited space, you can’t really have any luxurious rooms with lots of stuff. You’ll also fall short of storage space to accommodate different household items.

What Color Floor Is Best For Small Rooms?

For small rooms, you can consider light colors for the flooring. You can choose between light shades like blue, teal, blonde, or light brown. Otherwise, even whitewashed hardwood flooring will make your small room look spacious and big.

Also See: Living in Micro Homes