Smaller homes can easily check off the same boxes on your wish list that a larger house can. A few of these small house design ideas and organization tricks can make you feel like you’re really living big. When space is limited, it’s important to be resourceful of what you do have by making the most of your square footage. Follow these tips and tricks to organize, declutter and open up your home for comfortable small space living.
Maximizing Space in the Living Room
Buy Exposed-Leg Furniture
Add more visual space to your living area by furnishing it with pieces with exposed legs and chairs without arms to give the room an open feel.
Mount Your TV
An entertainment center can be a big waste of floor space in your family room. Mounting your TV above your fireplace, or on the wall, will save space while offering a modern, less cluttered look.
Choose the Right Art
Choose an oversized piece of art to anchor the room and make your space appear larger than it actually is. A general rule of thumb is that the frame should take up two-thirds or more of the wall.
Keep It Neutral
Maximize your room’s brightness by keeping the wall colors neutral, in light or pastel shades. You can also brighten things up by adding mirrors to reflect your wall colors, especially if the space is lacking windows or natural light.
Build Strategic Storage
Avoid bulky storage pieces and go with floating shelves or built-in bookcases to give yourself organization options without taking up floor space. Multipurpose furniture pieces that can be both a seat or table and a storage solution are also helpful, such as a bench, trunk or ottoman.
Think Big With Your Rug
Picking a large area rug is a great way to make the room feel bigger. One that sits under the couch, coffee table and other furniture will draw the eye wider.
Maximizing Space in the Kitchen
Hang Magnetic Strips
Save counter space by hanging your knives and other stainless steel utensils from a magnetic strip stuck underneath your upper cabinets. You can also use these to hang your most-used spice jars.
Use Open Wall Space
Floating shelves are great for storing pots, pans and other light appliances. You can also use pegboards or racks with hooks to hang your coffee mugs and use a larger cup to hold your silverware.
Declutter Countertops
Keep your countertops and other kitchen surfaces clear to use strictly as a workspace when cooking or baking. Follow our tips for decluttering kitchen counters to maximize space.
Pick the Right Color Scheme
Similar to your living room, using lighter, bright colors can help reflect light and make your kitchen instantly seem larger. Keep your wall color light, and use your countertops to add in a pop of color.
Maximizing Space in the Bathroom
Make Use of Over-the-Toilet Space
Purchase a shelving unit that fits over your toilet, or add some floating shelves to help with maximizing space in a small bathroom.
Free Up Floor Space
Choose a pedestal sink or floating vanity to add floor space and make your bathroom feel bigger. You can place baskets under your floating vanity or next to your pedestal for storing extra towels and washcloths.
Add a Mirror
Mirrors reflect light, making a room feel larger and more welcoming. Whether you add a bathroom mirror or a medicine cabinet with a mirrored front, this simple touch will brighten up your space.
Install a Pocket Door
Having a pocket door can save space, versus a traditional door which swings into the bathroom and takes up room. Check out additional space-saving ideas for small bathrooms here.
Maximizing Space in the Bedroom
Buy Multifunctional Furniture
Consider choosing a headboard with built-in bookshelves or a bed frame with drawers. This is a great way to add storage to your bedroom, without compromising on style.
Mount a Mini-Shelf
I2stead of bulky nightstands, add a floating shelf to the wall on either side of the bed. You could even use an old crate turned on its side, with the top for a nightstand and the inside for storage.
Brighten It Up
Another small space living hack is to hang wall sconces on either side of the bed. This adds functional lighting that won’t take up floor or nightstand space as traditional lamps would.
Pick Light Window Treatments
Embrace natural light to open up the room and choose white or light-colored gauzy curtains to accent your windows. If you prefer blackout shades for sleeping, use those under your curtains and keep them raised while you’re awake.
Clean Out Your Closet
Smaller rooms tend to have smaller closets, so to stay organized, make sure to revisit your wardrobe every season and rotate your clothes. Learn how to declutter the bedroom in 5 steps for more insights.
Add Additional Space by Decluttering
Decluttering is the best way to add additional spaces to your home. When you tidy and throw out unwanted rubbish, appliance and broken furniture in the house, you will yourself with a lot of new spaces that you can do amazing things to do.
The best way to declutter is to fix a time that you are free to complete a project. Then bunker down and get on with the job. Do one room at a time. Allocate a space around the house you can move the rubbish to. Be sure it’s a porch or balcony that can be covered in case it rains.
Once you have collected enough rubbish, call a skip bin hire company in Sydney like Tangoskip and arrange for them to drop off a skip bin. Load the bin. Call the company. It’s taken away. And voila! You have new spaces to decorate.
For all your skip bin needs, call the professionals at Tangoskip.
Tangoskip is Sydney’s leading skip bin hire. We have a wide range of skip bins for hire from small 2 cubic metre bins to large 10 cubic metre bins. To book a bin, call us on 0422 222 468 or email us: Tangoskips@gmail.com
