Just because you live in a small house, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great look, style and comfort in your home. The key is to plan carefully and make the most of the space you have, without overpowering the room.
Here are some tips before you get started:
* Less is more. Avoid clutter in your home. This means you might have to put away some of those cherished knick-knacks and pass on some of the decorative pieces you’d love to purchase, but an uncluttered home will always provide more comfort and style.
* If your lacking storage space, consider purchasing cabinets and bookshelves that reach your ceiling. That will give you more storage space, without using so much precious floor space.
* Make your rooms serve multi-purposes. For example, your child’s room can be a study and play room as well. Your dining room, may be a perfect area for crafts, family game night and more.
* Choose furniture that gives you more space. You can choose dining room tables with leaves, so you can keep it small when you don’t need the extra space. You might have stacking tables in the living room. Try using a chest or trunk as the living room coffee table. It will serve as your table and a great storage space as well.
* If you have an unfinished basement, be sure to use that space wisely. Even you can’t afford a huge remodel, you can use the space as a games or play area. Throw an area rug on the floor and set up the play area.
* Light and mirrors can add the illusion of space. Keep your window coverings open during the day and add wall mirrors to get a feeling of more space in your home. Also, make sure lighting in the room goes all the way to walls. Dark corners can make your home seem smaller.
* Keep your appliances and tech-gadgets small. Also, try appliances the serve multi-purposes or you’ll just find a lot of counter clutter and no room in the cupboards for them all. Decide which items you really need and which you can live without. Flat-screen TVs and small DVDs and CD players can help in saving space.
* Add shelving and other organizational units to your closets. Use that storage space wisely as you’re going to need it. There are closet kits you can purchase or you can make custom shelving and other organizational items.
* Donate to charity frequently. It’s amazing how many things we can accumulate in a short period of time. Several times per year, go through your home and find home décor items, clothing, appliances and other gadgets that aren’t being used and can be given to the goodwill.
If you keep it simple, living in a small home can be very comfortable and you can still achieve the style in your home that you’d like.
By: Rebekah Slatkin
Posts Tagged ‘Storage Space’
Decorating in a Small Home
January 3rd, 2010Small Refrigerators Come in Many Shapes and Sizes
November 12th, 2009
There are many models to choose from when shopping for a small refrigerator. Also known as a compact refrigerator or a mini refrigerator, these pint sized appliances are range from single can holders to anything smaller than 18 cubic feet. At which point it is considered a standard sized refrigerator. The most common models that come to mind are between 2.8 to 4.4 cubic feet.
The designs that are around 2.8 cubic feet are sometimes referred to as compact cube refrigerators because of their roughly cube shaped contour. These are best for beverages since they cannot hold much else beyond a snack and some drinks. It is great for game rooms or offices where a full sized fridge will serve the primary purposes of a refrigerator. One of the best things about such small units is the small price tag which usually runs around $100.
Then there are mid-sized refrigerators that can be anything between 2.5 and 10 cubic feet of storage space. These usually have a small full-width freezer compartment which is much more useful than the half-width freezer compartments of most compact cube refrigerators. This mid-sized small refrigerator is more often used in small apartments or dorms where there is a need to store a couple days worth of groceries for one person.
With more room for storage, an apartment sized refrigerator is often used as it is named, in small apartments where the limited kitchen space prevents the person from having a full sized refrigerator. This class of mini refrigerators range anywhere from 5 cubic feet to the upper limit of small refrigerators at 18 cubic feet.
On the larger end of the scale, the models tend to be large enough to have a separate freezer compartment. Then there are ice maker and keeper available as an additional feature for refrigerators of this size. Larger refrigerators have more space and flexibility to include additional conveniences and features.
By: Will Edison
Multi-Tasking Moves Into the Realm of Small Appliances With 3-in-1 Cookers
November 7th, 2009
Our busy lifestyles increasingly demand that the home chef rely upon a number of small appliances to speed meals to the table. While convenient, many kitchens simply do not have the storage space to accommodate all of these items. A relatively new entry into the appliance field has come to the rescue, the 3-in-1 Cooker.
Cooks interested in preparing healthy meals appreciate the 3-in-1 appliance’s pressure cooker feature. Pressure cooking helps to preserve the natural minerals and vitamins in foods. It also can cut cooking time up to 70%. Unlike older versions of pressure cookers, this model has a locking lid and an automatic pressure release feature. It simply is not possible to open the unit until all of the pressure is released.
Feature number two is a rice cooker, much desired by many cooks, but until now, simply an appliance that took up more space than its daily value warranted. Now as part of the 3-in-1 unit, delicious moist rice is just six minutes away. Just add any type of rice, shut the cooker lid and push the button for rice cooking. Clean up is a snap as the cooking pot itself is removable and ready to toss into the dishwasher.
The slow cook option turns this cooker into a crockpot, a tried and true family favorite. There is perhaps nothing more satisfying for the busy family returning home at the end of the day than being met with the aroma of a slow cooked meal. A few minutes spent tossing ingredients into the cooker in the morning yields scrumptious dividends seven to nine hours later.
The realm of small appliances is full of features designed to make daily life easier. Learning more online about the benefits of the 3-in-1 Cooker is well worth the time spent. This kitchen tool is sure to be a hit for the most discerning and busy home chef . . .
By: Chris Smitts