How to Make the Most Out of Cramped Living Spaces

Most young adults live in a studio or a 1-bedroom apartment, limiting the amount of furniture or niknaks you could bring into space. However, a smaller home or condo doesn’t have to feel cramped. There are plenty of ways you can create a comfortable environment without sacrificing utility, including the following tips often used by interior designers to maximize space.

Use All of the Corners

The corners of a room can be the hardest to work as most store-bought furniture is too big to fit nicely in the space. Instead of working around the corners of your home, find furniture that’s suitable for it. There are plenty of places to buy sectional sofas to help you find 4-8 seat sectionals to U-shaped sectionals appropriate for corners.

Purchase Multi-Purpose Items

Expandable or drop leaf tables, stackable kitchen chairs, and murphy beds were created to maximize space in smaller homes. However, you can indeed save on space by buying furniture that serves a dual purpose. For example, tables with built-in storage compartments offer more space to keep your things, while a sofa bed could turn your living room into a spare bedroom. For smaller space adult bunk bed can be the best option.

Get Rid of Clutter

Go through your home and sort through your belongings to find objects you can live without. We often keep books we haven’t read and clothing we haven’t worn for years, but these items can be easily donated or sold. Decorative items that don’t go with your new vision should be presented to free up shelving space. If something doesn’t bring you joy or it’s broken, throw it out.

Place Mirrors Around the Home

Mirrors trick the mind into thinking a space is more extensive on both a visual and psychological level. Visually, mirrors bounce light around the room to make it brighter. Psychologically, mirrors make us think space was added within their reflection. For this trick to work, the mirror must be in your general line of sight and stay clean, or you’ll minimize their room-expanding impact.

Only Buy Furniture With Exposed Legs

When you buy furniture with its undersides exposed, it can make space appear more significant because you see more of it. Open-legged furniture also gives the homeowner a chance to tuck things underneath, like a tray on wheels. Some savvy carpenters can even build shelving underneath tables, chairs, or nightstands that shows off their prized possessions. 

Start Using Wall Space

Walls are often underutilized in tiny homes because they want to remove clutter. While it’s true that hanging plants, artwork, or decor could close the room inward, a vertical storage system will draw the eyes upwards to create the illusion on large ceilings. Vertical storage will also free up space on your furniture and make each room look cleaner and, therefore, bigger.

Never Use Dark Colors

Dark paint and bold wallpaper can make the room look more cluttered. Whereas darker paint will capture natural light and diffuse it, bold wallpaper will create a busier-looking space. Neutral colors reflect more light, and airy colors, like light blues or pinks, open things up. If you want to use wallpaper, try vertical stripes to elongate the room upwards and keep the tones pastel.

Double Up the Beds

If you have more than two kids or you plan on having multiple guests over, buy or create bunk beds that are tucked up in the corner or against the wall. One-child households can still use the bunk bed idea but instead put a desk underneath. Called “trundle beds,” these small-room furniture staples let you operate the whole room while still providing a comfortable place to sleep.

Turn a Closet into a Room

If your closet is looking a bit empty after you’ve thrown a few things away, convert it into a nursery or an office. Some studio apartments won’t give you any privacy from your other housemates, but closets will almost always have a door that separates the noise. If you have a newborn, you could convert the closet into a small nursery using a miniature crib.

Related Article:

• How to Choose the Right Furniture for Your Living Space
• Improve Your Living Space With These Easy Suggestions