Whether you live in a studio apartment or have a small home, trying to make the most out of your living space without inviting clutter usually takes some creativity. One way to accomplish this is to seek out accessories and furniture with function. Perhaps your ottoman can also double up as storage for remote controls, electronics, or books — or even storage for toys. Adding a movable island to your kitchen instantly gives you more counter and storage space. When you’re looking to declutter and add purpose to your living space, read on to learn about furnishings that can help you accomplish this.
Decluttering Your Space
Don’t feel discouraged if you have a bit of clutter — this is a fairly simple matter to take care of.
Take a hard look at each room to see how you can improve things. First, trash needs to be tossed. Shred and recycle old papers and receipts that may have personal information on them, and recycle other paper goods that serve no purpose. Old magazines, books, and other items you haven’t used in years or don’t plan to use again can be donated.
In your living room, place small accents and decorations on a small tray that can easily be moved as you prepare for guests or entertaining. You also want to create a good flow with your furniture. If there are too many pieces, it can seem overwhelming. Furniture rental is a great way to find items that fit better in your space without making a costly purchase.
In your kitchen, remove broken, duplicate, or unused items. Discard expired food, consolidate cleaning supplies and generally sort through your items for things you no longer use or need. In your home office, detangle cords and cables, and place them out of view. In your bedroom, sort through your clothing, shoes, and other belongings and consider giving things away that you haven’t worn or used in the past 12 months. In your bathroom, instead of using up closet space for bath and hand towels, opt for wicker baskets or similar types of storage to free up space for items you want to keep behind closed doors.
Setting Up a Small Living Room
Now that you have some of the decluttering out of the way, you can focus more on how you’d like the rooms of your house set up. Perhaps you have one large space that’s the living room, kitchen, and dining room. Or maybe your rooms are so small that even a few extra pieces make them appear full.
Sofabed and Lounging Ideas
In the living room, you may want to opt for just a loveseat (or just a sofa) instead of the loveseat and sofa combo. Two large pieces of furniture easily fill up an entire room, with little space left for chairs, tables, and an entertainment center. A sofabed is also a great idea for a living room, particularly if you don’t have a guest room and may have an occasional overnight guest or want to stretch out in front of the TV on movie nights. When you choose furniture for the living room, select loveseat, and couches that are on legs, as opposed to on the ground. This adds to a more open, airy feel for the room.
Multi-Function Coffee Tables
A coffee table is an excellent piece of furniture because it has multiple uses. But the tops of coffee tables often get used as “storage,” which can make things look cluttered. Instead, use ottomans with built-in storage. Pair two ottomans that have storage compartments together, and you have a coffee table, storage space, and footrests. If you decide to go for the traditional coffee table, look for one with doors or shelving underneath so that the top of the table doesn’t become a catch-all.
Accent Chairs
If you decide to only have a loveseat in your living room, and if you have enough space, you may want to add an accent chair or two. Or, you can pair a comfortable chair, such as a recliner with an accent chair. Smaller chairs are easy to move, so when you’re entertaining or need space for another reason, these can be easily moved aside or placed in another room. Also, keep in mind that round chairs (such as swivel chairs) take up less room surface-wise than a traditional accent chair.
Tiny Kitchens and Dining Rooms
You may have a tiny kitchen and dining room or a slightly larger space that functions as both rooms. Beyond adding shelving to your kitchen cabinets and hanging up cooking essentials such as pots and pans, there are a few more things you can do.
Drop-Leaf Tables
When it comes to dining room tables and chairs, drop-leaf tables work well in small spaces. You can also opt for a small, round table or a larger table that has a removable center leaf. Keep two chairs at your drop-leaf table for everyday use, and add two more chairs in when you raise the leaf. Some drop-leaf tables even have storage underneath. If you don’t have the room for a larger set, you can always take advantage of furniture rental to add chairs and other furniture for a get-together.
Shelving and Counter Space
If space allows, add a small, movable island to your kitchen. Because of its central location, an island lets you work on dinner while your family or guests can still get about the kitchen. Plus, it offers instant kitchen storage solutions, as most islands have cabinet space and shelving. Consider a baker’s rack too, which offers you more shelving.
Kitchen Storage
Consider hanging pots, pans, and other types of kitchen essentials on the wall if possible and moving smaller appliances that you may not use often — such as your coffee grinder — into cabinets. This can free up counter space, which gives you more room to prepare and cook food. You can also move extra, non-perishable food items to a closet, under the bed, or other out of sight area for extra kitchen space.
Setting Up a Small Home Office
If you have a room set aside as your home office, even if it’s a closet, you can creatively find room for your desk, computer, books, and essential office supplies. One of the best things to keep in mind when setting up your home office is to utilize your walls. Get wall shelving that attaches to the wall or bookcase cubes that have height. These easily double as storage, and they’re great at making use of space.
Designating an Area
Depending on your living space, you may not have the use of an entire room, and you may be sharing the space in a room that has another function, such as the laundry room, den, or living room. Make sure you have the area clearly laid out before you begin to place your furniture pieces. A corner desk maximizes your workspace but takes up less space in the room.
Comfortable Desks and Chairs
You don’t have to sacrifice comfort just because you have a smaller space. Choose an ergonomic office chair that you won’t mind spending several hours at a time. A corner desk is a great idea, but a small wall desk may fit your space better. Lighter-colored furniture will always make the room look bigger, so try not to opt for desks and chairs in cherry or deeply-colored woods when you have a small room.
Home Office Storage
The best solution for home office storage would be if you have filing cabinets as part of a suite that goes with your desk. If this isn’t possible, wall cubes or other shelving units that also double as storage work well. There’s no reason to give up on aesthetics, either — alternate wall shelving or cubes with storage and decorations or books you’d like to display.
Small Bedroom Ideas
It can be a challenge when your bedroom has also become your interim home office, or if you don’t have enough room to store clothing and other accessories. When you get the right type of multi-purpose furniture, however, your bedroom can become more relaxing as you destress from a long day of work.
Multi-Purpose Beds
Capitalize on the benefits of a multi-purpose bed. These are the types of beds that have shelving in the headboard or drawers underneath where you can store clothes, shoes, accessories, and other items. What this does is cut back on the clutter that ends up on your nightstand and gives you a place to put the clothing you wouldn’t hang in the closet. If you don’t opt for a storage bed, make sure you choose a bed with a high frame. This way, you can add storage containers underneath, which are cleverly hidden by a bed skirt.
Dressers and Armoires
When it comes to dressers, choose tall over wide to maximize your small space. The top of your dresser can always be used for toiletries or other accessories, and the height of your piece will give you extra room to add an accent chair or a nightstand. Just as with all other rooms, lightly-colored furniture will make a room look larger, so think white or softer shades of color for the bedroom. Furniture rental is always an option to help you match color schemes and make the most of your space.
Fitting in a Nightstand
It’s hard to make do without a nightstand, especially in the era where our smartphones double as our alarm clocks. As with other types of furniture, opt for a piece with purpose. Make sure your nightstand has multiple drawers or shelving so you can store needed items, like your mobile phone, glasses, or books. Alternatively, you can opt for a nightstand that’s large enough to double as a small dresser, offering even more bedroom storage solutions.
Furniture rental is a great way to help furnish small spaces and is an optimal choice for studio apartments, small homes, and other tiny spaces. Rental is also an environmentally-conscious decision, as this offers the means for pieces to be recycled instead of discarded after use. CORT Furniture Rental is here to help when you want to furnish one room or multiple rooms.
