It’s true that a small living space can be a challenge. But, instead of looking at it as a hard, grueling challenge (like doing a high-intensity workout with your much more athletic friend), think of it as a fun challenge (like eating an ice cream cone before it melts on a hot day)!
These tips and tricks will help you tackle that small space of yours and make it into the cozy living area you have always wanted.
Get a media cabinet with storage.
I know home decor bloggers love to mount their TVs, but that just isn’t realistic for many of us — especially renters. Instead, opt for a media cabinet. You can store your media and non-media related stuff in it! Mine has blankets in it, tbh.
Try this one from Ikea.
Get your mattress off the floor to cheat some space out of your bedroom.
Seriously, you need a bed with storage built in, or a frame that goes up high enough to slide under-bed drawers beneath. That space is perfect for things you don’t use all the time!
Get a sofa bed to accommodate guests.
If you don’t have a guest room (let’s face it, many of us don’t), then this might be your next best option: a sofa bed! Pull it out when you have guests…or if you wanna sleep in your living room, I guess.
Maybe consider this one from Wayfair. It’s pink AND it’s a sofa bed!
Next option: invest in an inflatable bed.
Your other option for having guests stay over might be cheaper and easier than a sofa bed. Buying one good quality air mattress is an investment you can feel good about!
Check out this one from Wayfair.
Shrink your dining area down.
I think we all know this is a great solution if you’re young and not really a person who hosts dinner parties — or if you’re any age and prefer eating on the couch. I get it. Why not try this set from Wayfair?
Turn a corner into a workspace.
If you’re short on workspace but need to work from home (hi, 2020), then turning a small corner into that space might work for you. Bonus points: Have it double as a vanity.
Keep textiles out in the open.
Listen, sometimes we don’t get to choose where we store things, especially bulky blankets or towels. So, make them a decor moment! Roll or fold them neatly and store them in cute baskets, like this one from Wayfair.
You need under-bed storage.
I cannot stress to you how important it is that you add vertical storage to your space. Even doing decorative shelves with boxes that you secretly hide junk in will make a WORLD of difference.
Don’t buy huge furniture to compensate.
Let’s start with something I wish I’d figured out long ago: Big furniture is a mistake. Buy furniture according to the size of your space, not in spite of it.
For instance, the giant sectional I’m sitting on was a massive mistake that I’m replacing with a smaller, comfier couch. Compromise!
Use unexpected spaces to store the essentials.
The insides of your cupboards are seriously underrated in terms of storage. These mounted spice racks save so much space, and they’re also super handy!
Get more out of your bathroom.
Other than, like, bathing and using the toilet. Create a storage moment in there! It’ll free up the space under your sink for other stuff. I don’t know what you’d put under there, but I believe you can find a purpose.
Try something like this one from Amazon.
Keep cleaning materials close.
And enemies of cleaning materials even closer. This sink-mounted caddy suctions to the side of your sink and allows for easy access to tools you’d just rather not use. Get it from Umbra .
Add racks as many places as you can.
We’re talking on walls and over doors, specifically. They’re great places to sneak in storage, but they’re also really great ways to add a decor moment to your walls or doors!
Try this one from Urban Outfitters.
A place for everything, and everything in its place.
One of the most important things you can do when living in a small space is to have a strict, dedicated place for everything, especially kitchen appliances.
Utilize garment racks.
They’re cute, they’re low-profile, and they let you show off your clothes. What’s not to love about them? That’s what I thought.
You can get this one at Wayfair.
A rolling cabinet will seriously improve your bathroom game.
You know, if you have any. If you don’t, this might actually give you bathroom game. That’s something to aspire to, right? Right.
This work shelf does double duty.
Illuminate late night crafting, studying, or internet browsing with this two-in-one shelf from Workshop Goods Co. It comes in multiple colors and two different sizes! Get it here .
Nesting tables are your friends.
They’re the perfect solution for your coffee and side table needs. Keep them stored together when you don’t need them, and separate them when you do!
Try these ones from Wayfair .
Make a vanity in a small closet.
If you’re more of a dresser person, use the space in your closet for something else! A vanity fits perfectly in a closet, and saves the space in your bathroom from being subjected to all those products.
Make decor out of your own belongings.
Hats are an especially easy thing to turn into decor. Putting your things on display frees up storage and really allows for you to not only show off what you have, but keep track of all your stuff.
Hang kitchen items (if you can).
Doing this will save space in your cupboards for other, bulkier items that you can’t store anywhere else. We’re talking tupperware, big pots, and those pesky pot lids.
Consider this one from Amazon.
Disguise your pet’s needs.
Man, can you believe that’s a cat litter area? Me neither! I love this solution for a number of reasons, but my primary one is that the look of the plant pot is very, very in right now! People are loving terracotta everything .
Get it here .
