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Homes are expensive, whether you own or rent, so living with less square footage is a good financial plan. Many homes have more rooms than needed, and if you can downsize into a tiny home, you will save money and lower your overall footprint worldwide.
The downside of living in a tiny home is that you have to fit all your stuff in, and if you have several family members, it can be difficult. Are there any effective ways to use what space you have more efficiently? Yes, there is. Let’s look at how to maximize space in a tiny house.
Use Multi-purpose Furniture
A small home doesn’t have the physical space for a large amount of furniture, so you must be creative and take advantage of pieces that can double for others. Multi-purpose furniture ideas include:
- A side table that turns onto a dining table
- Floating shelves with a fold-down desk
- Floor lamp with attached table
- Window ledge that converts into table bar
- A side table that becomes a chair
This is the best way to increase the functionality of your place without bringing in additional furniture pieces and will allow for more open space.
Storage Ideas
Having enough room to stow your personal belongings becomes a challenge with a tiny home, but there are some great options to take care of this.
You can use an ottoman to store games, pillows and blankets for guests coming over and staying the night. Under-bed storage is perfect for keeping out-of-season clothing and bulky items safely stowed. A storage headboard also works well and hides extra items with access from the side. Put in a bench for your dining table instead of chairs, and then use the inside for storage.
All these storage ideas will eliminate the clutter and make your place seem bigger.
Sofa Bed
A tiny house requires innovative furniture options; the more you implement, the better. If you don’t have enough bedrooms to house your brood or want a bed for an overnight guest, why not get a sofa bed to solve the problem?
A sofa bed is exactly how it sounds; a sofa that becomes a bed. You may have seen a sleeper sofa or day bed, but these may not fit with your limited space. Getting a sofa bed will fit, becoming one of your seating options in the living room until needed. There are several kinds to choose from, and they are very stylish. Get one and have peace of mind that you can provide an extra place to sleep without adding another bed.
Wall-to-Wall Shelving
Shelving solves many storage issues and can be incorporated into any room in the house. A full wall shelving unit or built-in is perfect for keeping:
- Kids toys
- Toiletries
- Books
- Office Supplies
- Kitchenware
- Pictures
You can have open shelving or add some cupboards and drawers to hide away items from sight. The best part is they don’t take up much floor space but maximize your walls instead.
Use aLoft Bed
While your chair bed takes care of extra sleeping space in the front room, you need a space solution for your bedroom. That is where the loft bed comes in.
A loft bed is a bunk bed without the bottom bed, so you sleep in a raised area just below the ceiling and gain use of the area underneath. For kids, it can be a play zone; for a teen, you can put a desk for schoolwork and gaming. Even adults can use this setup and have a couch underneath to watch tv at night before climbing into bed. Some even have built-in drawers, closets for hanging clothing, and other storage options.
Become a Minimalist
Sometimes the best way to gain space is by clearing out what you currently have. A tiny home requires sacrifice, and to be at peace, without a bunch of clutter, you may have to sacrifice some of your possessions.
Start by decluttering and then see how far you get. Access what you need daily and part with the rest by selling, donating or throwing away. Think about all your purchases and how they might fit into your place, and have a binding rule that if there is no space for the item, you don’t bring it home. In reality, embracing the minimalistic life is part of living in a tiny home.
There you have it, the best ways to maximize space in a tiny home. Implement as many ideas as possible, then enjoy your simple, uncluttered lifestyle.