Small homes pose certain challenges that can be best met with certain design options that make the most of their small size.
Much of the “size” of those homes is not about finding the smaller pieces of furniture people may think they need – it is about design options that prioritize function over comfort and even purpose within the available feet that these homes have.
Perhaps the biggest challenges that small homes face come from the design “mistakes” people make by attempting to fit within those small spaces the same things that larger homes may possess.
Certain design options and strategies that minimize clutter can maximize the space in a small home, making it possible to feel comfortable in even small spaces.
Furniture For Functionality
Every piece of furniture in a small home should be multi-functional. Storage ottomans can provide both seating and storage for books, blankets, games or seasonal decorations. Dining room tables that include drawers can eliminate the need for a side table. Bed frames can provide storage, making dressers unnecessary.
Desks can fold down if they are wall-mounted. Murphy Beds are still the best option for beds that save space in studio apartments or guest rooms. They may cost more than traditional beds but they work in ways that traditional beds still do not, often replacing living rooms, and even offering storage of their own (the frame) as well as often providing a built-in headboard.
Coffee tables and end tables can still provide clever storage solutions. End tables with drawers can store an even greater amount of items without occupying more floor space. Lift-top coffee tables can provide surfaces for work or dining.
Heating That Doesn’t Overwhelm
Traditional radiators can overwhelm small spaces, taking up valuable wall space and dictating furniture placement.
Modern heating solutions work around these constraints rather than forcing rooms to accommodate bulky equipment. Slimline Radiators offer effective heating while taking up minimal wall space, allowing furniture to be placed more freely and rooms to feel less crowded.
Underfloor heating can help to free up wall space for furniture placement or storage solutions. While installation can be complex in existing homes, the space-saving benefits often justify the investment in small properties where every square foot matters.
Electric panel heaters can be hung on walls at heights that make it possible to avoid using wall space while still providing enough heat to a small room. These individual heaters can all be managed separately, offering controllable warmth that prioritizes comfort as well as visual appeal.
Kitchen Design Options
A small kitchen may face many of the same challenges a small bathroom does; often tiny areas along with a desire or need to store a multitude of often larger items. A few thoughtful design options can make even tiny kitchens usable.
Pullout kitchen drawers can help kitchens make the most of cabinet depth rather than requiring shelving which requires additional area.
Magnetic knife strips or metal spice containers mounted to walls can avoid taking up counter space (which can be used to prepare food) and free up a little more counter space for that purpose. Cutting boards that fit over sinks can provide additional counter space when needed yet easily be packed away into storage when it is not.
Bathrooms also suffer the same spatial challenges as kitchens but even less storage areas, making them less comfortable for users or requiring more cleaning cycles. Standalone cabinets that fit over toilets can minimize clutter on sinks and the floors by using height to their advantages and avoid the need for cleaning sinks and floors.
Recessed medicine cabinets can avoid protruding into bathroom areas while still offering additional storage areas that are easily accessible for cleaners, hygiene items and medicines. Hanging caddies or suction cup racks can help keep cleaning products handy even when they are in use for bath time activities.
Floats and Pedestals
Floats and pedestal wraps that fit around existing pedestal sinks can provide much-need storage areas that do not disrupt existing bathroom plumbing while wrapping around those sinks with little effort but offering maximum organizational functionality. Increasingly tight towel holder areas can be avoided by fitting towel rods on doors rather than crowded walls.
Lighting Design Options
Lighting design options can also maximize spaces rather than making small spaces feel claustrophobic. Positioning mirrors on opposing walls from windows can bounce light around rooms.
Pendants and lamps placed at different levels can avoid making certain corners feel cramped without light while additional light sources can enhance visual elements and avoid making spaces feel closed. Under-cabinet lights in kitchens can create the illusion of longer counters without taking up any space at all.
A sleek coat of paint on walls can also avoid taking up space while enhancing visuals, bouncing light around, and keeping a room feeling clean without dust build-up (light colors reflect more light but finishes matter too; slick paints reflect more than matte finishes).
Floors that maintain consistency among connected rooms can also make small rooms feel larger than they are.
Storage Solutions
The most successful small homes integrate storage into unexpected places. Stairs with built-in drawers, window seats with lift-up tops, and headboards with built-in shelving all provide storage without requiring additional floor space.
Successful small-space design requires discipline and creativity, but the results can be surprisingly comfortable and functional. The key is making deliberate choices about what to include and ensuring every element serves a clear purpose in the overall design strategy.
Make Small Spaces Work for You
It takes effort to design small spaces, but it can be done and with great success. Small apartments are often quite cozy with a great deal of the furniture in the apartment being multifunctional in nature. The trick is to decide what to design and place the designer’s element there.
If planned properly and with the right furniture pieces that have been properly designed, these small areas can be just as functional and comfortable as any larger living space.
