Small Home - Big Storage

Seriously...where do you put all of your stuff in a small home?

Let’s face it—we live in a world of overindulgence and consumerism. One of the simplest ways to control clutter is to stop accumulating more stuff. In the same way that you can only be in one room at a time, you can only wear one pair of shoes at once! Moving into a small home is the perfect opportunity to declutter and reassess what you truly need. Trust us—this process can be life-changing. If you’re struggling with the idea of tossing out your collection of novelty egg timers, check out these resources dedicated to the art of decluttering.

How to Declutter Your Home

Decluttering Your Life

Storage Design Tips

Every area in your small home offers unique storage opportunities. Unlike tiny homes, we don’t suggest turning your place into a real-life game of tetris or stacking storage like matryoshka dolls! Instead, use the space and furniture creatively to optimise storage. You'll see that most of our layouts favour open-plan living, minimising walls and doors wherever possible. We also rarely include entranceways, as they eat up valuable square footage. Getting to know your space, both horizontally and vertically throughout the design process will enable you to utilise every inch of space effectively.

Lets break this down space by space

Kitchen:

• Galley kitchens work well in small spaces and don’t consume too much footprint, which might otherwise become cramped or awkward to use.

• Maximise your walls for cupboard space—go high and wide.

• Think carefully about who will be living in the space. Do you need a dishwasher? A microwave? These appliances take up valuable bench top and cupboard space.

• If you lack cupboard space, consider hanging pots and pans.

• Utilise the insides of cabinet doors for extra storage with racks or hooks.

• Use drawer dividers for utensils and cutlery.

Living / Dining Space:

• Scale furniture - Choose furniture that fits the scale of the room to prevent overcrowding and wasted space. Single chairs might suit a space more than a sofa for example. Dining tables can take up a lot of space - we love using a drop leaf table with storage for chairs in our small homes.

• The TV - If you have a TV you’ll prolly want to wall mount it as this saves a lot of space. With slim options that double up as a digital art display, gone are the days of massive ugly TV’s on the wall. Remember you’ll need to have a clear plan of what cabling you’ll need to put behind the walls when you’re building.

• Choose multipurpose furniture - A coffee table with shelves or drawers is great for storing remotes, magazines, coasters etc and a sofa or an ottoman with storage compartments can be useful for extra blankets, pillows, games etc.

• Utilise vertical space with floating shelves or tall bookcases to store and display items, freeing up floor space.

• Don’t overlook corners - Install corner shelving units to make use of otherwise unused areas in a room.

• Hooks / Racks on walls are a great way to store coats / bags etc.

• Go digital - minimise paper and document storage.

Stairs:

• If your design has stairs or even a ladder arrangement, it’s a must for storage to be incorporated into the stair or ladder design.

The bedrooms:

• Use multi-functional furniture like a storage ottoman or a bed with drawers.

• Under bed storage containers are a great way to store out-of-season clothes or linen. If you need to, you can raise the bed to store deeper containers.

• Use organizers in wardrobes and closets to maximise space efficiency.

• Use the backs of doors with hooks or over the door organisers.

• Bedside tables with drawers provide excellent storage for clothes or personal items.

• Maximize the use wall space for hanging things like jewellery, hats, scarves etc.

• Again corners are often not utilised and can be a great place to add bespoke corner vertical shelving.

Bathroom:

• Use the vertical space, narrow, tall shelving units are perfect in a bathroom and will store all of your bathroom essentials.

• Walls above toilets are usually blank spaces. Throw some shelves up if you’re short of storage.

• A vanity with ample drawer space is must have.

• Use dividers in drawers and on shelving to keep toiletries, makeup organised and tidy.

Entrance:

A lot of small homes will do away with a dedicated entrance porch, but you can include some simple furniture by the entrance door, such as a shoe rack or coat hooks. We do agree that a porch can be useful and if it's a must have, look at a stylish way to add an to the outside of the building so as not to impact on the main footprint. A porch can accomodate:

• A shoe rack or a bench with storage underneath for shoes and accessories.

• A coat rack with shelves on top can be very useful for storing hats, gloves and scarves.

• A small table with drawers helps declutter other rooms and serves as a great spot for keys, mail, etc.

If you’re still a bit short of storage, consider renting a storage unit for seasonal items or pop a small shed outside.