Storage Discussion
Lately, many of my articles have focused on tiny home living. As a reminder, a tiny home is defined as a dwelling smaller than 400 square feet. While not everyone wants to live in a tiny home, and conversely, not everyone prefers a large home, most people find their preference somewhere in between.
Regardless of the size of the home, storage and display options are a major topic of discussion and discovery. Unfortunately, people often buy things to fill up the space they have rather than being intentional about their purchases. Considering the longevity and quality of items over quantity can help people make more deliberate purchasing decisions. However, even the most purposeful person can still face space constraints.
As a species, we tend to fall into routines, often because we haven’t seen things done differently. The following paragraphs will introduce you to various storage methods that can be incorporated into your space, whether it is large or tiny.
In recent years, using baskets for displaying, showcasing, and storing personal belongings has become very popular. While these offer great solutions, they aren’t always practical due to their size and configuration limitations.
Ingenuity in a Tiny Home
The one thing I think we fail to realize is that, while we don’t have a lot of floor space in a tiny or small home, we do have vertical space (I live in a tiny home). We can go up. Tiny homes, specifically, typically have higher ceilings. This can allow for loft space, but it also means that there is plenty of vertical space. And increasing the use of the vertical space generally means you can save your floor space for walking around. Floor space availability gives the illusion of larger space so cluttering it up with baskets and storage shelves can make one feel cramped, especially in a tiny home.
In a tiny home, drawer space is at a premium, and sometimes the drawers aren’t very wide. This width constraint may prevent you from having larger kitchen implements. See the photo in the table for a reconfigured layout of kitchen implements.
I’m using photos from the identified websites to give you an idea of how we can do things a bit differently. And yes, I know, different isn’t always better, but staying the same when there may be a better way shouldn’t be rejected either.
When I lived in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo back in Ontario, I incorporated a couple of these ideas directly. The drawers under the sink allowed for space to be created around the piping. The pull-out shelves made it easier to access cleaning supplies both under bathroom and kitchen sinks.
Practical Use Ideas
In our Vanilla Bean condos, we are adding extra storage below the cabinets. The kickplate at the bottom of the cupboards is essentially wasted space. Adding a drawer with a quick release provides space for cutting boards, cookie sheets, flat pans, brooms, etc. We are raising the refrigerator and putting a drawer under it. Above the bathroom, there will be an alcove for storing items such as suitcases, seasonal decorations, or off-season clothes.
Personally, I love finding ways to use space efficiently without everything looking too industrial. Both functionality and form should be considered.
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Top Kitchen Cabinet Organization Ideas to Maximize Your Space |
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So, as you can see from these few options presented here, organizing your things in a tiny or small home can be achieved quite easily. Sometimes we just have to think differently about how we are achieving the goal. The final result could very well be a home that feels less cluttered, is more organized and definitely more intentional.
And while these ideas are by no means all-encompassing they can help you to start on the road to being better organized in a small space. Or to just have your larger space look less cluttered. Either way, one of the main takeaways from this should be that we purchase our goods intentionally, and not just because…
I hope you enjoy the process as well as your ultimate outcome.
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