Is there a "tiny home" in your future?

As real estate becomes more expensive, and the economy seems to be wavering, many people are thinking they need to play it safe and move to a smaller place. Long gone is the desire to have a 4000+ sq ft McMansion as people take a hard look at what’s more important in their lives. The global pandemic has made many people think more about work-life balance and the importance of relationships, family and free time. In regard to real estate, that means most people are less concerned with buying the largest home they can afford, and more concerned about living a full life with less. One of the more interesting things that came out of the pandemic early on is that donations of goods went way up - institutions like Goodwill were actually turning away donations, as they didn’t have the storage capacity. People were going through their belongings and culling all the stuff they had been holding on to, but didn’t really need. And, with less “stuff” you don’t need as much space to store it all. 

As you can imagine, reducing your square footage is going to take creativity, imagination, organization, discipline and lots of storage options. We’ll be talking about all of these things, and giving you some ideas to consider. Our goal is to make sure that your new pared down space doesn’t feel like you are sacrificing anything at all, but gaining a little more freedom.

Let’s start with considering how much space you actually need. How many people live in the home? Are there children or pets in your household? Do you and/or a partner work at home? If so, what do you need for work? How much time do you spend outdoors? What’s your climate like? What kind of hobbies do you have, or sports do you enjoy? Do you like to entertain? Do you like to cook? How fit are you? Are there any disabilities to consider in designing your living space?

If you live alone, or with a partner, space can be smaller, although you will always want to have niches where you can go to be alone - we all need to be alone from time to time. This niche can be as simple as a cozy reading chair tucked into a corner next to a window, or maybe even a small wooden bench beside the roses and fountain in the garden. Your niche should give you peace and quiet, and time to reflect, even for just a few minutes. 

If you have children or pets in the mix, they will need their own spaces as well. That could mean a small kennel that doubles as a side table in the living room that gives your dog a comfortable place to curl up and feel safe. Kids typically have a lots of “stuff”. As adults, we can’t help ourselves - we (parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors, friends) buy lots of toys, and our homes end up filled with them, when your kids only play with a handful. The key here is organization, and teaching your kids to donate things they have outgrown or don’t really use. You are starting them on a journey of being conscious of all the “stuff” they are collecting, while at the same time allowing the conversation of how to give to others. 

As far as organization, there are many products available for bins, baskets and boxes to hold everything. Some of my favorites come from IKEA. They make a product called “Kallax”, which is a shelving system that allows you to add baskets, drawers or doors. It comes in different configurations, and it’s easy to put together a section to fit your space. Certainly there are other products that do the same thing on the market. I like the versatility and low price. If you have an artistic child, rather than having an easel, consider painting a wall or door with some chalkboard paint, or if they have allergies to talc (as many do) attach a large whiteboard to the wall and use erasable markers. Closets are for more than the standard hanging rods. Installing a closet system can make your closets adapt to your needs, and that goes especially for kids. If you use a modular hanging system with adjustable shelving, like “Elfa” or “ClosetMaid”, you can place a hanging bar at kid level, which encourages them to hang up their clothes. Above that you can add shelves for toys, books, sporting equipment or keepsakes. There are plenty of kids beds on the market that have under-bed storage drawers, or bunk beds with attached drawers that double as steps to the upper deck. What’s important in a kids room is to keep some floor space so they can play. It’s also important for kids to have room to play outside. Being out in the sun is a great way to absorb vitamin D. It also allows them to be creative - making roads with little cars, building forts with sticks and leaves, discovering insects and other critters. It allows them to see that humans are not the only beings that inhabit this planet, and each creature should be respected. A play structure can be compact - tree houses are a good example if you are lucky enough to have room for one. 

Back inside, big people need organization too. Organization helps you find all your “stuff” and keeps you from buying duplicates. It helps you feel accomplished, and keeps everything looking cleaner. Plus it’s actually easier to clean a more organized space. Specialized storage options help, as do making sure to install convenience features. Let’s look at that room by room. 

In the bathroom - a vanity sink cabinet is a must. Even a small one allows you hidden storage space for all those things you need, but don’t want to see - plunger, extra toilet tissue, hairdryers, trimmers, cleaning products etc. I like to make sure there is an electrical outlet installed in this cabinet so that you can keep regularly used items plugged in. I also like to attach a sturdy magazine file to the interior of the vanity door to hold the hairdryer, curling iron and trimmer. IKEA’s version is called “Dronjons”. It is a powder coated steel basket that you can screw directly to the door. It saves time in the morning rush as you’re getting ready to head out the door or hop on a Zoom call. Besides a conveniently placed towel bar, it’s also convenient to have some hooks to hang robes or wet towels, and a fold down shower bench that folds against the wall when not in use. Lighting is also key in this room. My favorite low profile lighting is LED wafer can lights. They are barely the thickness of drywall and can be adjusted to different kelvins - meaning color levels - from intense blue 5000K to a warm 3000K. They can be installed in high moisture locations like bathrooms, and can even be used with a dimmer, so that a 1 am trip to the bathroom won’t necessarily disturb your sleep. If you are renovating your bathroom and re-tiling you should consider adding one or more niches to your shower walls. This will allow you to store bathing products right where you are using them. The area above the door is usually wasted space, but you can install a shelf there to house extra towels, tp and bath products. It’s up out of the way and if you use stylish baskets, can also be decorative. Pocket doors and roll in showers are particularly useful for the mobility impaired. Floors can be made to slope to drain the entire room, and having just a shower shield instead of a door eliminates the need for space to swing the door so you can fit the fixtures more easily, and accommodate the space needed to turn a wheelchair. 

Bedrooms can be a great place to find extra storage. We already talked about adjustable closet organizers - my tip here is to survey what you have and what you need before installation, so it truly is customized to your needs. Many beds now have storage drawers under them, or compartments in the headboards. Even if yours doesn’t, there are many products made for under the bed storage that are easy to slide out. Don’t forget to use the back of doors and the space behind doors - there are a few products that mount on the wall in that space behind the door. A good way to minimize the use of furniture in a small bedroom is to mount side tables directly to the wall and use hanging light fixtures above the side table beside the bed. Choosing one with a remote makes it even more convenient. There are products (Lutron makes one called Caseta/Pico) that allows you to operate any electrical device via remote. Many smart appliances and lighting are also moving to connecting to your phone, so you could use that as a remote as well. Another advantage to attaching the side table to the wall is that you can adjust the height, so you can have full access to any under bed drawers that pull out from the side. If you’re really handy, you can install a Murphy bed that serves as a bed and then pulls up into the wall during the day, allowing you to use the room for, perhaps a home office during the day. Some rotate so the back has a usable bookcase on back as well, but they do take up several feet in a room.

Whether you need a home office for a working from home job, or just need an occasion place to sit down to pay bills, having storage for those things you’ll need makes your job so much easier. I love a vintage writing desk. They are compact desks with drawers for pens and stamps, and slots for papers, and many include lighting. Just drill a hole in the back to get your USB cable through and you’re in business. Best of all, they close up, so you can hide whatever it is you’re working on when the work day is done. They’re also good for homework. They are usually quite inexpensive, only 36” to 48” wide, so fit easily into a smaller space, and can be quite the focal point in the room. Even if you can’t find a vintage desk, you can use a small table with an assortment of bins attached to the wall and a cute wall sconce.

Kitchens are where it seems most people focus on organization and improving storage. In a small space this certainly becomes of utmost importance. Some things I like to do to minimize space needs in a kitchen include assessing appliance needs. Most homes can get away with a 18” wide dishwasher instead of a 24” wide one. Large refrigerators often allow us to keep things we should be throwing away. I like the options I’m seeing on some new products that allow you to change a compartment from refrigeration to freezer as needed. Counter depth units sit back against the wall better, give a more customized look, make the room feel larger and because they aren’t as deep, allow you to see what’s in the unit, so nothing gets shoved to the back to decay. I also like that we’re seeing more multifunctional units - like microwaves that double as a convection oven or air fryer. Base cabinet drawers are becoming more popular as well - they allow you to pull the drawer out full depth so you can access the entire space without getting down on your hands and knees to get to that pan you only use once a month. This is particularly helpful for folks who use a wheelchair or have trouble getting up and down. Pantry cabinets are also a great space saver with the same concept, except they are full height. There are models where the entire unit pulls out on casters, allowing you to access the shelves from either side, or where each drawer pulls out individually. Drawer organizers to keep everything in its place are also helpful. If you have pets, designate a drawer as a pet station where you keep their food, bowls, treats, medications and accessories. Corner cabinets now offer not only a lazy Susan spinning shelves, but full access pull-outs. There are even units that will allow you to pull down a high cabinet to bring it within reach, so no more getting out the step stool to access that top cabinet shelf. If your space is particularly small, you can also use baseboard drawers - they install below the base cabinets and allow you to use the stage space that is usually wasted under the cabinets. Other new products that do double duty include work sinks - they employ a simple small shelf at the front and back edges of the sink that accommodates any number of accessories from cutting boards, to strainers to dish drying racks to condiments bowls. It allows you to use the space over the sink as a food prep surface. Induction cooktops, although not exactly designed for this purpose can also double as countertop space as long as you protect the glass surface - you can use a silpat baking sheet liner or cork trivets. Although not necessarily a storage feature, I always find that good bright under-counter lighting in a kitchen allows you to feel like your prep space is more useful. You can get channels that allow installation of custom lengths of LED tape lights, so every inch of your work surface has adequate lighting. And since we’re talking about electric components, make sure you include at least one USB/C outlet in your kitchen so you can charge your phone or iPad, since so many of us use them for recipe collection. 

Dining rooms, or spaces can be quite adaptable. There are several expanding tables on the market that can convert from a side table, or coffee table into seating for 8 to 10. If your space is even smaller, there are drop leaf tables that can be attached to the wall and employed only when needed, or units that conveniently store the table and chairs. If your dining space is against a wall, you can use a Kallax unit as a sort of window/booth seat (with baskets in the cubbies underneath for extra storage), and a custom upholstered seat cushion on top. Or, you can install a custom storage bench/booth seat that flips up to reveal storage. 

If you are lucky enough to have a garage, you have space to store any out of season items in bins in your garage. I always recommend you spend just a little more to get the waterproof/dust proof bins, so you’re not dealing with an insect/spider invasion when you go to open them next season. Be sure to label you bins, and use the kind you can stack or invest in an inexpensive shelving unit that will allow you to stack them. If you have a tool collection, be sure to take the time to organize your tools so you know where to find them, and return them to their homes when you’re finished with your project to save time when you need them again. There are a number of rolling tool cabinets on the market, but if you can find an old dresser, you can put some castors on the bottom for a lot less. Give away or sell the things you don’t use or have duplicates of. Hang things like ladders and garden tools from bicycle hooks or broom holders off the outside rafters under the eaves at an area not visible from the front of the house or your entertaining area. You can even semi-enclose this storage space by attaching clear or semi-opaque fiberglass roofing sections to the facia to keep out the weather. You can also invest in a small Rubbermaid storage unit, but they can be expensive, and don’t provide nearly as much storage space. Shelving is key in garage/outdoor spaces as well. Organize your things as to their use - for example, garden, car, sports, hobbies, etc. Make sure and label everything, and store them at the level of those who are using them - keep the kids’ sports gear at their level so they can access it easily. One safety note here - if you have or will have kids anywhere in your home, be sure to secure any shelving units to the wall. Kids who climb shelves can easily tip them over if not secured, which can have devastating, sometimes deadly consequences. 

There are more innovations appearing every day, as more and more people choose to live in smaller spaces. Watch this space for more ideas to come. Hit me up if you need help identifying where to find anything I’ve talked about here.