How To Decorate A Tiny House

 

With the cost of property growing, the reinvention of the American dream, and big city populations not getting any less dense, more people are shifting toward small flats or tiny homes. If the tiny house movement, or the idea of micro-apartment living, cases claustrophobia or leaves a bad impression on you, it may be time to reconsider your associations, because living in a shoebox is not a choice born out of necessity any longer.

This new trend has been popular in Europe for decades. Entire companies there are making huge profits from offering “smart housing” opportunities. Extremely tiny apartments come equipped with everything one might possibly need, and often designed with the possibility to transform pretty much every item of furniture into a different item of furniture. We are not just talking about unfolding sofas here, we are talking tables sliding into a wall, walls being flipped around to reveal secret rooms – a flat so hi-tech you expect it to grow wings and take off into space at any moment!

Even if your smart apartment is not quite that smart, there are still plenty of options and tricks to increase that valuable living space and optimize your purposes until you can proudly say that it is indeed bigger on the inside.

Rule #1: Raise That Bed!

Elevated sleeping space is without exaggeration the best thing that can happen to a small flat. Any flat in general can benefit from this solution, but for tiny apartments, it’s a life saver. No more awkward excuses for not being able to invite your friends for a sleepover when you can keep your double mattress and still have enough space left for a normal sized couch!

Rule #2: Everything Can Have Drawers

You might want to reconsider fitting that wardrobe and those two bookcases into your new apartment, but does this mean you have to leave most of your possessions behind? Not at all! Remember playing that Tetris game as a kid? Everything that could be stacked should be stacked, and if you play it right, you get lots of free space. Beds and couches with built-in drawers are quite affordable, and you get to sleep on top of your treasured belongings like a regular dragon (only it’s more comfortable).

Rule #3: Cover it With a Curtain

So, you are not keen on the idea of living in a studio apartment: that’s understandable. Maybe you don’t like the temptation of having a direct line of sight from your bed to the fridge, or you’re uncomfortable with open spaces in general and feel like shutting yourself in a dark room once in a while. The issue is even more pressing if you are going to be sharing the flat: however much you love your significant other, sometimes you just need to be alone.

When your apartment doesn’t have separate rooms, curtains come in handy. Admittedly they won’t shut out noises or smells, but they will grant you instant privacy – and add a very cozy touch to your place.

Rule #4: Separate Areas

Separate your desk from the living room/sleeping area with a cabinet. Just like curtains, the divider will create the illusion of the space you need to properly concentrate on your job.

Rule #5: Lots of Light

Light colors have the advantage of making any room look more spacious than it is. This is a fact well known by interior designers, which is why so many small apartments are furnished in white, off-white, or beige. A few bright accents will add an interesting twist to the otherwise boring interior.

Bonus Rule: Think Ahead

If the apartment is one you bought and you have the possibility to offer your input at the constructing stage, think about how the room could be used to your advantage. Some tiny flats have balconies, but do you really need one? Perhaps that space would better serve as a kitchen or a mini-study?

And finally, do not go overboard with optimizing. It’s surprising how many household appliances and items of furniture one doesn’t actually need. However, there are some things you’ll want in your small flat otherwise it will get uncomfortable in the long run. A standard-sized fridge does not take up all that much space, and a stove with an oven is a must unless you intend to survive solely on takeout and pre-fab food. A washing machine – one of the smaller models that fit into a bathroom corner – is a good idea, but a dishwasher is probably superfluous. In the end, however, it all comes down to your individual needs.