Even when your home is well over 2000 square feet in size, it can feel like a much smaller, cramped space. This is especially true if you have an excessive amount of furniture, shelves, or junk just hanging around. There are good ways to utilize your space…and then there are wrong ways.
Do Use Shelf Space Wisely
If you place items on your shelf and there are several inches between the tallest object and the next shelf, rearrange the shelves so that everything fits a little bit tighter. It doesn’t have to look cluttered and messy, but if it looks tight and organized, you’ll be able to fit much more on your shelves.
Don’t Have Shelves Just Because
If you have a giant shelf in a room just to put a few knick-knacks on it, you aren’t using shelves the way they were meant to be used. Unless you have enough of these trinkets to fill an entire unit, find somewhere else for them to go. Unused shelves are a giant waste of space and make your room look bland or cluttered.
Do Use Sneaky Furniture
Foldable and hidden furniture is a great way to have a room fulfill several purposes. No one’s saying that you need to have a bunch of those tacky metal folding chairs. But consider how a futon might be valuable, especially in a loft or guest bedroom. Some tables are even able to fold onto the wall and hang as a piece of art.
Don’t Use Clunky Furniture
If your room is only 90 sq. ft., don’t use a giant, rounded couch that will fill up the entire room. This only works if the room is strictly a theatre room. Otherwise, it gives you very few options for activities in this space. Instead of a giant coffee table, consider smaller side tables. Wherever it is possible, go for the more compact option. Bigger is not always better.
Do Utilize Walls and Ceilings
Since we can’t actually walk on walls or ceilings, storing items there guarantees that they will be out of the way. In a child’s room, hang a small hammock to put toys, blankets, or stuffed animals in. Your kitchen probably has plenty of wall space for you to hang up pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, or anything else you might need handy right away. Additionally, if you are able to, you can gut a wall and put a shelf inside. This will be a great solution to that space problem.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Floor
Avoid adding shelf storage for objects that you could just as easily hang up somewhere on the wall. Shelves just take away a little bit of room that you could be using for something else. Avoid unnecessary furniture as well. If there is a chair that you think is ugly or uncomfortable, you’re better off getting rid of it instead of tolerating it and letting it dominate your room.
Do Use Outside Storage
If you have more than you need but you can’t stand to let it go, use a storage system that isn’t inside your house. Build a small shed in your backyard, or invest in a storage unit like this KW storage in Toronto. Storage units are everywhere and chances are that there is a commercial storage facility that offers affordable units nearby your own home.
Don’t Keep Everything at Home
Big, bulky items are space suckers. Sure, that bike in the corner of your apartment shows off how fit you are, but it doesn’t add much to your décor. And that trunk might be a family heirloom, but it doesn’t provide for much walking space in your bedroom. It’s okay to keep things that you love, but they don’t have to be in your sight 24/7.
Michael
David is a freelance journalist and blogger living in New York City. Michael loves writing about DIY projects, home improvement, and garden-related topics.
