What to do When Your Space Feels Too Small
When restrictions and quarantine periods became the ‘new normal’ due to COVID-19, many households world-wide suddenly realised they didn’t have enough free space to accommodate everyone. It was the first time entire households had to stay indoors for several months, and the lack of freedom, especially with space, caused issues.
Usually, taking into consideration work, school and hobbies, families would spend a full day or two together during the week, and the space they had was enough. Now homes seem too crowded, and amenities such as the bathrooms, kitchen and living rooms feel too small to accommodate everyone at once. So how do you manage when your space suddenly feels small? Here are our top tips for when your ‘space feels too small’:
1. Create More Storage Units
Probably, your possessions such as clothes, shoes, toys and other small items take up considerable space in your home. To maximize space, create floor-to-ceiling storage units. To do this either hire a good carpenter, or do the designing yourself online. Take for example these chest of drawers on Tylko.com. You can customise your design to suit your preferences and design the storage units to fit any space, whether narrow, tall or small.
Use the cabinets and wall units to store away any possessions that don’t usually have a home, this instant tidiness will create more room for your entire family. And remember to encourage even the littlest household members to use them for their toys, books and blocks by designating a shelf or storage box to use.
2. When Your Space Feels Too Small – Declutter
You may still be holding on to things you no longer use or need, such as clothes, old shoes, appliances and toys. Old possessions take up a lot of space and cause the house to look untidy, and often unkempt. Go through everything you have and whatever you don’t need, keep it aside to either sell or give away. Decluttering should be a yearly exercise to ensure you only keep what you need.
Kids tend to outgrow toys and clothes fast, and if you don’t dispose of them, they pile up over time. They’ll take up your storage space, leaving no room for what you need. Decluttering is also a chance to clean areas you hardly do, such as the cabinets, behind and under the storage units and the garage.
3. Safely Store What You Can use Later
If you have a garage or shed that you consider safe or can be locked, consider using it as another room, a storage room. Setting up is key, and ideally you’ll have shelving units and space enough to designate to certain areas of your life. For example designate one area to excess kitchen appliances, that you can access whenever you need them. Or consider storing some of your children’s toys, rotating them every couple of months as your children tire of the ones they currently play with – they’ll be delighted with what feels like new toys!
If you plan to move into a larger house or keep some things for your children but don’t have enough space, talk to a storage service provider. You’ll have your possessions safely stored for as long as you need at an affordable rate. You’ll create more space in your home and, at the same time, not lose your possessions.
4. Get Smaller or Double Use Furniture
To maximize space, don’t buy huge furniture pieces that take up most of the room. Stick to smaller pieces customized to fit the space you have. Also, have flexible furniture that can be folded and safely stored away when not in use.
For instance, you can use an extendable table during meal times but shorten it when you don’t need it. Going for recliners instead of armchairs with separate footstools, or sofas and ottomans with hidden storage creates more comfort and increases their functions.
As you create more space for your family, accommodate more brightly coloured pieces and make sure there is enough light getting into each room. If not, create multiple sources of soft glowing light and avoid a bulk source such as one bright bulb. More light sources create the illusion of a bigger space.
For more on home styling, decor and design, visit our Home Style page.
Photo by Dominika Roseclay
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