Q&A: Very Small Space Living

Strategies tailored to downsizing & living in smaller quarters.

Q.

"Does any one live in a very small space, or much smaller than you were once accustomed to? My family of five is downsizing from 3500 sq ft to about 900 and I’m trying to plan in advance how to handle what I know will be some new pain points. We are getting rid of everything possible but we are still 5 people and 2 dogs so we will still need certain things. How do you keep organized with so many bodies in such a small space and have things (particularly mornings, homework and meals) run smoothly with less space while also keeping things tidy??"

~Christiaana

A.

Idk about the organized part, but going upwards & using vertical wall space is key.

I live in a small space & previously lived in an even smaller one.

If you can get vertical bookshelves or tall build-ins, that’s probably very key.

Most people don’t utilize their wall space well & that’s empty square footage you could be storing something on.

I’m in a rental so that makes it a bit trickier in terms of not wanting to invest a bunch into something where I don’t own it and will eventually move.

It also is an issue in terms of not being able to nail or screw things into the wall.

I like and have been on the lookout for even taller bookshelves...the heavy-duty industrial wire kind that you can assemble by yourself by screwing rods together and snapping pieces on.

I would also say don’t buy (or keep) one-off items.

Consolidation is key.

Unless it’s an item you use everyday or a few times a week (ex: maybe an olve or cherry putter if you like olives a lot), you don’t really have space for specialty items. Ex: don’t have an ottoman, only have a storage ottoman.

Don’t buy a storage box, buy something that can collapse.

Can you elevate your beds and store things underneath?

Don’t buy traditional chairs...only buy the kind that can fold closed and out of the way.

Same with tables and any other large piece of furniture.

Have a tv? Mount it if you can on the wall.

Can you hang things in the kitchen under your cabinets? Do that.

Do you have a record player and a radio and a cd? Get rid of them and get one that has all 3 in 1 unit.

Can you get bunk beds and raise them up so not using all of the floor surface?

Use furniture &/or rugs as partitions for spaces.

You could also look at getting rid of your tv and instead using a projector on the wall and ancillary speakers.

Stick white boards and cork board stuff on the back of your entrance door.

Hang whatever you can on 3M hooks on the walls.

You can also get an industrial rolling rack on wheels from Amazon for your clothing; you can hang most things and it’ll free up valuable space in tight closets to be utilized for other storage things you need less frequently.

There are also versions of bunk beds where there’s a double on the bottom and a single twin-sized bed on the top that’s lifted which helps to free up space (maybe all 3 kids can sleep on that?).

Hang 3M hooks on both sides of all of your doors to hold things.

You can hang holiday lights up along the top parts of the walls which are relatively cheap and they can light a large space with soft light, especially if you don’t have main lighting with a dimmer switch.

Long extension cords & splitters for plugging things in and charging multiple things at once (instead of needing multiple single blocks).

Soaps that have multi-purpose duties (I think they usually have glycerin in them).

Haven’t tried it, but I know a bunch of people who make various cleaning supplies from vinegar solutions.

Pick certain staple foods and don’t buy multiple types (1 kind of leafy lettuce thing at a time, 1 kind of cheese, 1 kind of whatever).

Ask yourself how much do you really need a dining table? Yes, you need a place to eat, but a dining table, a large desk, and a bed are all roughly the same size.

Unless you’re going vertical, the equivalent of 8 or 9 twin-sized beds (beds for the 5 of you, plus dining table + desk + couch) + 2 dogs won’t fit in that space, especially if there are already walls there.

Some long ottomans can also double as counter-space for chopping vegetables if you don’t have much counter space.

They also have covers you can put on top of a stove to temporarily convert them so you can use those surfaces, too.

Use reusable shopping bags so that you don’t bring more into the home.

Put a trash and recycle bin right next to the door so that you answer mail right when you get it and so that it doesn’t end up further in the apt., especially if you don’t need it.

Not really traditional, but you could get foldable chairs that people use when they’re outdoors camping.

I have one from sunbrella which is a combo umbrella, foldable chair and removable leg rest that has a cup holder, a zippered pouch on the other arm, another zippered area and a bottle opener, all in one. It comes with a case with a strap that you can use to carry it with if you want to go outdoors. May not be intended that way, but I also use it as extra seating when guests come over, but you could use it also as everyday seating, although a little awkward since it kind of reclines.

If you have DVDs, you can take them all out of their cases and put them into one big sleeved case since the boxes are usually really bulky.

Unless it’s really needed for a specialty item that’s fragile & would be expensive to replace (ex: tv or kitchen mixer), get rid of all of your boxes after moving because you won’t have the luxury of just collapsing your boxes and storing them for later...you’ll need the square footage space right now, even if it’s nothing more than just some blank space for your eyes to rest amongst all the other stuff everywhere.

If you can make do with a broom, dustpan & mop, or one of those combo swifter and swifter mop things, they take up much less space than the footprint of a vacuum cleaner.

Have everyone take off their shoes by the entrance...you don’t want them tracking in dirt all over the place because you will be needlessly cleaning all the time and get frustrated faster vs. your current larger space where you might not have noticed it as quickly.

You will absolutely notice it really fast in a small space, especially with that many people.

Maybe see if you can build a custom floor-to-maybe shoulder-level family foot tree or something like it so that you can hang your shoes up and use the vertical space vs. having to step all over a bunch of shoes that will take up a bunch of floor real estate everytime you walk through the front door.

Resist the urge to stock up.

Unfortunately, it does cost more to not stock up when things are on sale, but you won’t have the space to stock up...try to think of it as: right now, the store can hold onto things much better than your space can...they’ve got the right refrigeration, freezing, shelving, etc., so only buy stuff when you actually need it and figure it as a rental fee cost to let the store hold onto those items longer while you get slightly more space to maneuver around in your place with for everyday life.

If you can get a neighborhood garden, community center, or playground or porch or something outdoors, try to go there as well so that it feels sort of like an extension of your space and where you also get the opportunity to build community and stronger civically-engaged roots.

Those opportunities to be in those other spaces will also help you feel less-cramped in your smaller space and so that you don’t always feel like you’re on top of each other.

I’d also recommend taking time where each of you gets alone time in the space while the other takes the kids and so that you actually can get the opportunity to relax and breathe where you live.

Rugs and carpets may help with some soundproofing, as can earplugs.

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