5 Tips to Make a Small Home More Functional

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Feature photo for how to make a small home more funtional. This is a photo of a bedroom space with ivory color linens with a three cubby white shelf that serves as a side table with plants and neutral decor.

Our family of four moved into a much smaller house last year, and we love it. Our new home is cozy and functional.

If you’ve recently moved into a smaller space or you’re thinking about downsizing, keep reading to see how we maximize the space we have and my top five tips to make a small home cozy and functional.

1. Create Dual-Purpose Rooms

Our 1950s Cape didn’t have an extra room that we could designate as an office. To make things work, we added a desk area to our living room and relocated filing cabinets to a nearby closet to keep things tidy.

With the right furniture and storage mix, even a small room can pull double duty without looking overstuffed!

Looking for more home office ideas, check out my post and an update on how we’re currently handling home schooling and home office space for our family of four: Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces.

2. Add Shelving

Add shelves in rooms where you can. And, you don’t have to run out and buy pricy shelving units. We made a table and two media shelves (above) out of wood we had left over after renovating a 4-seasons room.

Wood pallets work great too. If you’re handy (or your significant other is), then you can make custom shelves to fit your space and needs.

3. Simplify Your Decor

When decorating a small space, don’t overdo it. Select accent pieces and artwork you love, and don’t try to fill every nook and cranny of your space. I gave a lot of my artwork and furniture away because we didn’t have space for it in our new home. This was difficult, but it made me appreciate the pieces I chose to keep even more.

Related Post: 6 DIY Interior Design Tips to Decorate Like a Pro.

4. Get Rid of Stuff Weighing You Down

This point is related to #3. I put this one last, but you’ll probably have to address this sooner rather than later. If you want to function in a smaller space but are still trying to keep everything you had from a larger space, I can tell you it won’t work.

I’m a bit of a minimalist, so decluttering comes easy to me, but even I still have things I’m holding on to (for now). It’s perfectly normal to hold on to things for a season—especially if you’re renovating or getting used to a new home.

Looking to declutter? Here are a few down-to-earth tips to simplify your space.

5. Get Creative

Don’t be afraid to do a little problem-solving to make the space you have work harder. Sometimes even small changes can make a huge difference. Here are a few creative space-saving ideas to get you started:

  • Open up an entryway by turning a closet into a mudroom. Remove the closet doors, add a few hooks, and a small bench. We did this in our previous home, and you wouldn’t believe how this can open up an entryway.
  • Spend some time planning out your bedroom closets, and buy organizer systems to maximize closet space.
  • Need more space in the garage? Try hanging seasonal items overhead to free up floor space.

If you have a great small-space solution you’d like to share, leave a comment below!

Star divider used has two hand drawn lines with a star in the center, used as a content break and signals new or different content below. This doodle style illustration is in a medium charcoal gray.

– MORE TO EXPLORE –

Repurposed Furniture Ideas + Tips on Painting Interior Stairs + Decluttering Tips

Closeup of a small side table with vintage books and a tetley tea tin filled with succulents. The cabinet is painted black with some of the paint sanded away to show the wood. The drawer was sanded and stripped of the old white paint and purposely left rustic and raw wood with a clear coat to let the woods beautiful imperfections show through. The pull is a vintage metal oval with a simple metal handle. This pieces has beautiful carved vertical lines on the legs and a rope detail under the drawer.
Square feature image of a before and after staircase makeover.
Square photo of a leather chair and side table.
Closeup of a small side table with vintage books and a tetley tea tin filled with succulents. The cabinet is painted black with some of the paint sanded away to show the wood. The drawer was sanded and stripped of the old white paint and purposely left rustic and raw wood with a clear coat to let the woods beautiful imperfections show through. The pull is a vintage metal oval with a simple metal handle. This pieces has beautiful carved vertical lines on the legs and a rope detail under the drawer.
Repurposed Furniture Ideas
Square feature image of a before and after staircase makeover.
Tips on Painting Interior Stairs
Square photo of a leather chair and side table.
Decluttering Tips

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Penny July 8, 2023 Reply

    We built beside our fridge a little area to house our cutting boards and trays and below that our brooms.
    We find it very handy.
    Our fridge was smaller than the space alloted for our fridge.

    1. Dawn Stewart July 8, 2023 Reply

      That’s a great idea and you don’t have to take up valuable cupboard space for the cutting boards and the broom is always handy. Thank you for the great tip.

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