Closets packed to the gills, cluttered shelves, and nowhere to store last winter’s clothing: These are all issues that can and most likely happen when you live in small spaces. These concerns are especially pressing for inhabitants of “tiny homes” — a type of shelter informally defined as a dwelling that clocks in at under 600 square feet while still mirroring the layout and permanence of a larger home.
Because you don’t have to reside in a tiny home to benefit from space-saving solutions, we asked some experts in the field how they maximize their environments — and found solutions that could benefit nearly any home, regardless of size.
Colin Chee is the founder and creative director of Never Too Small, an Australian company dedicated to small design and sustainable living. He said to declutter your space first, and then you can best assess where potential storage exists — under the bed, beneath the sofa, or even the area above your doors are all prime real estate. (For even more creative organizing ideas, check out the company’s newly released YouTube series “How I Live Small” and quarterly print magazine).
Renee Seevers is the CEO and founder of TinyFest, a multi-state organization and festival focused on tiny living. She likes Amazon because, according to her, you can find very size-specific items, which is a big challenge when it comes to creating storage in smaller spaces. Thinking outside the box, Seevers suggests “stuffing pillow shams with things like scarves, sweaters or extra towels rather than an actual pillow.”
