As populations in cities explode so does the problem of housing availability and many of us are finding ourselves living in small apartments, rooms and condos. High land costs are forcing people to build smaller homes hence the heavy duty last forever furniture of yesteryear is no longer cutting it for the modern apartments of today.
The following are 4 great tips on how to make the most out a small living space.
1) Skip/Sell The Dining Table
In my personal opinion the dining table is the singularly most overrated piece of furniture in the home today. When my wife and I had a dining table in our apartment we hardly used it but when we did it was never comfortable or homey. Instead we preferred to sit on the couch or floor.
I am not advising that your family sit in front of the TV for breakfast, lunch and dinner! But why not instead of having a space consuming piece of furniture that you only use briefly everyday overtaking your tiny apartment, lay a blanket on the floor and have meals on the floor as a family in a more intimate way?. Even friends that we would invite for dinner parties preferred the floor and couches over the dining table. Eating and laughing never felt better than when we were on the couches enjoying each other’s company.
Getting rid of the dining table instantly frees up a huge area in your living room/kitchen areas for more useful furniture or better yet, keep the area empty and instantly make your apartment look bigger and more spacious.
You also have less furniture to carry when you are moving to another place as well as save money that you otherwise would have spent buying a dining room table.
2) Choose A Sectional
I remember the biggest issue I had when I moved into my first apartment was the couch/seating situation. I had bought 2 two seater couches, but the living/dining room only had enough space for one couch. I never even knew until that point that you COULD have the problem of not being able to fit 2 couches in the living room.
Fast forward and the lesson learned is they When it comes to a small living space, a sectional couch is your best friend! You get more space that a regular two seater and it doesn’t take up all the room that having two couches would.
3) Choose Multi-use Furniture
Buying furniture that has two uses is my favorite hack because it allows you to keep your place looking spacious without sacrificing necessities or breaking the bank. An example of this is having a living room coffee table that doubles as a dining table. The chairs to the dining/coffee table slide underneath in a way where you can’t tell that there are chairs there. Other examples of this type of furniture include a sofa bed, mirror/jewelry cabinet, etc.
There are many reasons why you may need to maximize a small living space but that does not mean that you need to have an unattractive apartment or go without necessities!
