People are moving into smaller houses for many reasons. Some don’t want to spend unnecessarily on a bigger place. Others live in areas where apartments are common, or smaller houses are the only option. Without a bit of strategy and creativity, a small house can feel even smaller when it’s crowded with furniture or walled off excessively. However, there are many ways that we can not only maximize space in a small house, but take advantage of some underutilized spaces in ANY type of house. So how do you maximize space in a small house?
Here are six strategies we can use to make the most of the space we’re given at home.
1. The Area Under Beds & Couches Can Be Valuable Storage Space
Even a small home features a living room and a couple of bedrooms. Items like off-season clothing, sporting goods, hobby stuff, miscellaneous accessories and even paperwork can take up corners of the room, counter space and more; gathering dust and being an eyesore in the process.
A double bed, also known as a full-size bed, measures about 75-inches long x 54-inches wide. That’s a little more than six feet by a bit less than five feet. In a two-bedroom home with two double beds, that’s about 60 square feet of storage space just underneath two beds.
Flat under-bed storage containers are a great solution to maximize storage space in a small home. Here’s a couple top-rated bins specifically made for storing clothes, linens and shoes:
If you need something more general, flat plastic storage bins can hold the variety of loose items that are floating around the house. Here are a few different types to choose from:
If you need even more storage, space under the couch can be used, too. Some couches don’t have a gap large enough to fit a storage bin, while others might just not look right, depending on the room’s layout.
On a related note, do you feel drained of energy or bad vibes coming from the mess in your home? If that’s the case, you can try to…
2. Incorporate Feng Shui Principals
Feng shui literally translates to wind (“feng”) and water (“shui”). In Chinese culture, both wind and water are associated with energy. The power of these elements can be harnessed to our benefit, or work as a force against us. Feng shui is all about balancing out energies to achieve perfect harmony.
In the context of maximizing space in a small home, we’ll focus on a few key principals of feng shui:
- Managing the flow of Qi or Chi (pronounced ‘chee’), which is believed to be an ever-present energy in our universe.
- Yin & yang polarity – balancing an energy with another complementary energy.
Related: For more information, check out our recent article “What Is Feng Shui And What Is Its Purpose? | The Five Key Components“
Since Qi is considered an energy, it’s important to know what allows it to flow smoothly (good) and also what blocks it:
- Remove anything that blocks Qi in hallways and doorways. An easy way to check how well Qi flows throughout your house is to walk from room to room. What is your attention drawn to? Is there a pile of boxes or a cabinet obstructing part of the hallway? Any other eyesores? These are not always noticed consciously, but are noticed subconsciously. This can build up negative energy within that gets worse and worse with time. This is particularly important around the entrances of your home!
- Position desks and beds so they don’t directly face the door, but are rather oriented diagonally from the entrance to the room. This creates a larger space that feels ‘less stressful’; the concept is that by directly facing the door, one will feel constantly distracted by it, even during sleep.
Most people have heard of the terms yin and yang.
Yin energy is considered feminine energy, which is calm, soothing and soft. Yang energy, on the other hand, masculine energy that is bright, warm and vibrant.
Different rooms in any house are associated with one of these two energies.
Spaces where families gather, such as the kitchen and living room, benefit from warm, bright colors. These accentuate the already high energy given off by people in congregational spaces. While painting walls and trim goes a long way, here are some simple and popular home decor ideas that can bring some vibrant, warm energy to these rooms:
Spaces where we rest and recover, like the bedroom and bathroom, benefit from relaxing & cool colors. This includes blues, greens and deep purples.
While feng shui principals somewhat save space, balancing out energies in your house will make it feel more comfortable and generally good in addition to maximizing space!
3. Get Rid Of Some Walls…
This one is short and sweet, but a must-mention if you’d like to maximize space in a small house: hire a contractor to remove some walls.
Watch any home improvement show on TV – the types where a professional comes in and revamps someone’s house. Notice how the ‘after’ photos always seem like the house got bigger, with more open, bright space? I guarantee you that in almost every episode, they removed walls to do so.
Non-load bearing walls – that is, walls that aren’t supporting a load from the roof or floor above, are built as a glorified separator and can be removed with little effort. This doesn’t mean that ‘load-bearing’ walls can’t be removed, either. They’ll just require adding a column to support the load the old wall was carrying.
In a small home, space is already tight. There’s no real purpose to having a kitchen, living room and dining room as three individual rooms. Not only do these walls block Qi (in terms of feng shui) but they close off space and make the house seem even more cramped. Consider opening up the entire first floor, with the exception of bedrooms or bathrooms, to create a more open, versatile, larger space.
As always, consult a contractor or design professional if you don’t have training or education on home improvements!
4. …And Use The Wall Space That’s Left
Ever notice how many homes – big and small – have bare walls? Meanwhile, most ceilings are at least 8-feet high. That’s a lot of unused storage real estate!
Just like cities require us to build up (skyscrapers), rather than out, so do small homes.
Lining our walls with shelves or hanging shelves from the ceiling is a great way to make use of this valuable space. Here are a few top-rated shelves presently listed on Amazon.:
Have some large or regularly used items? Consider storing them on the wall, rather than on a desktop or floor. Here are a few ideas:
In terms of maximizing space in a small home, utilizing wall space is a must!
5. Choose Functional Furniture
In a smaller house, there is little room things that don’t serve a purpose. Luckily, there are so many functional furniture options that we’ll break it down by room.
Many coffee tables and footstools feature hidden storage compartments. Here are some top-rated functional furniture ideas for a living room:
In the kitchen, you have many options to save space, ranging from rolling islands, hanging racks and more. Here are a couple ways you can make a smaller kitchen a lot more roomy:
In the bedroom, there’s plenty of options too, including bunk beds, trundle beds, furniture with hidden storage compartments and more.
Lastly, there are plenty of space-saving furniture solutions for the bathrooms as well.
Choosing the right furniture is essential for maximizing space in a smaller home or apartment.
6. Avoid Unnecessary Spending & Donate Unused Goods
Last but certainly not least – the best way to maximize space in any home is to avoid unnecessary purchases in the first place.
We recently wrote an article titled “15 Biggest Unnecessary Wastes Of Money“. Many of the items on our list are things that take up space, such as unused exercise equipment, extra clothes and random gadgets. In fact, one of the biggest wastes is paying for TOO much space – a good reason to have a smaller home! Keeping these purchases in check not only saves money, but space too.
One great way to do this
In terms of living a minimalist lifestyle, the most important principal is to live for experiences, rather than for having things. There are challenges when it comes to living this way, but once we become aware of societal tendencies and pressures, we can begin to untangle ourselves and live happier, more fulfilling lives.
Thanks for reading! If you’re living in a smaller place presently or will be soon, we hope you have some ideas on storage space, bringing good energy to your space, making the most of the space you have and generally how to maximize space in a small house!