Maximizing Small Spaces
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I have lived in a condo unit for more than ten years. That’s more than half of my life! My family had financial ups and downs, and yet we never got the nerve to buy a real house. I remember when I was still fond of drawing and of houses, I used to draw interiors of a house—engineer/architect style. I dreamt of designing the interiors of my home.
I’m not into big spaces because I have a crazy imagination. (That’s also why I don’t watch horror films.) So I google a lot on how to make every square meter of my home useful and pretty at the same time. Here are a few of what I learned so far:
1. THINK VERTICALLY.
My room is so small that it only takes three big steps to walk the length of it. I love that it’s cozy and cute but sometimes, it’s difficult to organize my stuff and all I want to do. Good thing I got my organize gene from mom so I try to make my furniture multi-task as much as possible. What most people forget is that you can pile up furniture to make things fit in one room. Of course you should always remember aesthetics but it can be done. My bed is above a compartment for my shoes and other stuff my family rarely use.
2. DOUBLE DECKING IS YOUR SAVIOR.
When my family was still living in a studio unit, we had to make sure that the first three meters of the unit will be a good environment for sleeping and the other three for cooking and eating. It was pretty easy for my mom because my brother and I were still a bit young back then. I used to sleep on the second floor of the double deck. On daytime when I don’t feel like taking a nap, my bed also served as temporary storage for bags and school supplies.
3. OUT AT DAY, IN AT NIGHT.
If you’re working a day job, you usually just come home at night to rest and just lie down on your lovely bed. If you lack a big space in your home, you can have these “hidden” beds that you can open up just before you sleep. This saves a lot of space in the morning when you want to entertain guests and don’t want them climbing up your bed.
4. CHOOSE FURNITURES THAT TRANSFORM.
The photos below are great ideas for double purpose furniture. The heated small space desktop can also be used as a warm place for your pets on the winter (or whenever it’s cold). I don’t think this is a good idea for a small space but it brings across my point of being wise when it comes to things in your home. On the other hand, the sofa that transforms into a double deck is awesome. You need extra space for it to do its thing but it’s a great investment. It’s also nice to have the doors of your cabinets as sliding mirrors. It’s easier to open that way and it saves precious space. Seeing your reflection is definitely a plus.
5. HIDDEN STORAGE.
There are a lot of hidden spaces that are just waiting to be discovered. Everyone has small stuff that we always use yet we cannot find a proper storage for them through the night. It feels wrong to just leave them on the floor. Good thing about stairs, they have a wide space under the steps. You can use those like school lockers or, if the space is huge enough, a bed!