Love the home you live in while keeping life simple!

I don’t know about you but I love watching HGTV and reading articles about design, especially anything related to downsizing.  There are many reasons why minimalism is growing but I will save that for another blog.  In this blog I have compiled a few fun ideas on space planning.  To live in a small space, you have to possess a minimalist gene (or at least an organizational one).  Furniture placement and space planning are the most important factors in creating successful flow to any room.

1. Utilize Vertical Space

One of the keys to designing a small space is to not dwell on how small it is. Instead, embrace what your room has to offer and work with it. One of the best ways to do this is to make use of your vertical space.

With square footage at a premium, vertical space is a great way to add some practical functionality to your room. Wall shelving maximizes storage without taking up a ton of floor space and can multitask as a place to house books, clothing, storage, and decorative objects – adding both function and personality to your space.  If you think you don’t have space for a night stand, try replacing your nightstand with a bookcase. This will triple your available storage without taking up any more floor space. Not to mention, replacing your nightstand means one less piece of furniture to buy!

2. Stay Organized with Hidden Storage

Clutter instantly makes any space feel claustrophobic – but the effects are especially noticeable in small rooms! Keep clutter at bay with creative storage solutions.

In small spaces, we love furniture that does double duty, like a bench with interior storage. Three-drawer nightstands also offers that extra little bit of storage that a small space needs!  Storage baskets are good-looking storage solutions that allow you to tuck things out of sight but within reach.

3. Draw the Eye Up

Hang your curtains high! A good 6 inches above the top of your window frame is an easy rule of thumb.

Why does this help? Because when you hang your curtains too low, your room will look smaller and more cramped, but hanging your curtains high will create the illusion that your space is taller and will make your ceilings look instantly higher. Just make sure you get curtains that are long enough, so they still hit the floor when you hang them extra high!

4. Save Floor Space

You don’t want to over-stuff a small space with furniture. But on a practical level, you want to make sure you have what you need to accommodate both day-to-day living and entertaining. The last thing you want is a bunch of extra seating that you never use crowding your small space.

Instead, look for clever ways that you can tuck extra seating into your space that won’t take up valuable floor space. Try tucking a few stools under a console, or placing a storage bench behind your floating sofa. Seating that you can pull out when you need it, and tuck away when you don’t, is a great way to make use of dead space.

5. Go for Clear Furniture

When all else fails, a good old optical illusion is a great way to make your small space seem larger. Clear furniture in glass or acrylic is a great way to open up a small space.

These pieces serve their functional purpose, but they have the added benefit of not taking up visual space or adding weight to the room. It’s a small space win-win!

6. Choose Leggy Furniture

Bulky furniture that sits on or close to the floor adds a sense of visual clutter and makes your room feel heavier. On the other hand, furniture perched on elegant, tapered legs makes small spaces feel more open.

Even if they take up the same amount of floor space, furniture on long, spindly legs create more of a light and airy feeling. And the extra floor space under a couch or bed that’s perched on legs offers a place for easy storage

7. Layer Your Lighting

In a smaller space, you may be tempted to minimize your lighting so you don’t add more to an already small room. But multiple lighting sources are actually your friend in a small space. Don’t be afraid of an overhead light, wall sconces, and a few table lamps. These varied light sources create depth and make a room feel larger. It’s also a great way to soften the lighting if your space doesn’t get a lot of natural light.

8. Add Mirrors

Just like clear furniture, mirrors create an optical illusion that makes small spaces feel more open. They trick the eye into thinking there’s more space and they bounce light around, which helps create an open, bright feel.

9. Floating Shelves

Floor space is always important and even more so if your home is lacking in square footage. So, if most of yours is already taken up with essential furniture, floating shelves are the perfect option. They’re not only a fraction of the price of a standard desk, but they also take up barely any room. Skip the bulky desk and opt for a sleek shelf with a chair and some standard office decor to tie the look together.

 10. Multi-Purpose Furniture

A desk doesn’t have to technically be a desk in order for it to function as you need it to. Have a console? That’s the perfect surface area to double as a place for you to work from home. Keep everything you normally would on the shelves, just leave some room for your computer. Furniture with more than one function is a must when it comes to small spaces, and something you will learn to love in no time.

 11. Use Your Corners

When you’re not working with a ton of space, you’ll quickly realize that it’s essential to utilize every corner of your home. This literally includes the corners of your home. There are desks that you can purchase — or if you’re feeling ambitious you can try to DIY your own — that will fit perfectly into a corner slot. These angled desks are the ideal choice when you have minimal unused space in your home. Since most furniture and decor won’t fit in tight corners, go custom and you’ll be satisfied in the long run.

 12. Barely-there desk

If you don’t have anywhere in your home to put a barely-there desk — don’t worry. You can still put a desk in your bedroom without it turning your sacred space into a full-on office. Choose a desk with a design you actually like, then decorate it and the surrounding area as you would a dresser or a vanity. Flowers, frames, books and other trinkets can and should be displayed here. This will turn your workspace into a place to display your favorite things while meeting those deadlines.

Words from my favorite minimalist Joshua Becker- “A home filled with only the things you love or use is a home you will love to use!”  Click Here for a link to our wonderful studio apartments available within walking distance to restaurants, Baxter Arena, Keystone trail and Stinson Park in Aksarben Village.