Wednesday 23 February 2022

A beginners guide to living in a small home

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

It's been a while since I wrote a post for my Beginners Guide series, so I thought I'd go back to basics and put together something on one of my favourite subjects - how to live comfortably in a small home. Lots of clutter makes me feel anxious, and this can be exasperated when you live in a home with tiny room sizes, two built-in cupboards, and a whole heap of toys. 

So here's my top 8 tips for living in a small home - from clever ways you can decorate to give the impression of space, to furniture choice that doesn't overwhelm floor space, and the all-important keeping on top of the clutter. 

Storage is key 

The only way I can cope with living in a small home - making sure you have enough storage, and more importantly, that it's doing the best job it can! Almost every piece of furniture I have is something that doubles up as hidden storage, from my TV cabinet to above wardrobes and below beds - no space is safe! When choosing a new piece of furniture, I always consider its potential as a home for 'stuff'. It doesn't have to look cluttered either - all the storage is 'hidden', meaning I can hide away clutter without things feeling too cluttered. My dresser in the conservatory is the perfect example for this - I've styled pretty items in the top, visible half, whilst hidden behind the doors lots of storage tubs and baskets hide a multitude of sins. 

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

Use clever decor choice

Large mirrors cleverly positioned in a room will instantly give the impression of more space, and make a room feel less cluttered. If you want to go one step further, place your mirror opposite a door or window to ensure light is bounced around the room, which will make the room feel brighter and lighter too. 

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

Keep on top of decluttering

It's one of the most taxing chores I take on all year, but it really makes a difference. Every Spring I take a couple of months to sort through every single drawer/cupboard/shelf in the house, making sure I'm brutal when deciding what we need to keep and what can be donated or sold. I have to be realistic about what I need, and have accepted I can't have lots of things stored away in my home. I've shared lots of decluttering tips before, but I really do feel that doing a little and often means you can easily keep on top of it, and you're not faced with an overwhelming amount of spring cleaning. 

As part of this, I try to keep any accessories and 'clutter' to a minimum - when buying anything I consider where it will live beforehand, and if I don't have a clear space for it, I won't buy it (great tip for saving money and preventing unnesescary purchases too!). 

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

Give everything its own space

On that note, giving everything its own space is really important for making sure tidying up is quicker and easier, and preventing things getting too cluttered. Once everything has a home, its easy to get things back to neat and tidy quickly - and getting the kids involved with tidying up after themselves too! 

Put thought into your floor plans

When decorating and styling each room, put a lot of thought into where your furniture will sit, and don't go for anything that's too large or will overpower the space. For example, my dining table came with six chairs, however I store two away in our cloak cupboard, as only having four out means we save vital floor space at either end. In addition, we chose a sofa and armchair rather than two sofas as our small, narrow lounge just couldn't cope with it.

Choose slimline furniture 

Another great way to save floor space is to choose bits that won't take up too much floor. In our narrow hallway, the super slim shoe cupboard and bench means I can still have furniture or pretty things, but they don't take up vital floor space. In our bathroom, we were faced with a really awkward small space between the bath and door which felt very wasted, especially as we had one small medicine cabinet in there. This ladder shelf was therefore an amazing find, as it fitted into this slot perfectly! 

Additionally, choosing furniture on legs will give the impression of more space - so try to stay away from bulky pieces which can overpower a small space.

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

Store away seasonal items 

If you find you're struggling for clothes storage, it can make a big difference to pack away seasonal bits and only store what you currently need in your wardrobe. I have a couple of storage bags, which live under the bed and during the summer are home to thick woollen jumpers and coats, and then summer dresses and sandals during the cold months. Vacuum packing these bags means you can save even more valuable space. 

Utilise the storage space you do have 

Finally, decant dried food such as pasta and spices into storage jars - you'd be surprised at how much space this saves. This also has the added bonus of making things look neat and tidy, and not too messy to the eye. As a side note, doing this made me realise how much I was spending on things I already had but couldn't easily spot when the cupboard was cluttered (think three bags of opened flour, and at least two tubs of each spice). 

Tips and advice for living in a small home, from decluttering to making the most of storage space, and spring cleaning. Small space living inspiration

How do you tackle living in a small home? 

Thanks for reading, 

Sam Xx


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