Finding Space in a Tiny Home

Has anyone been catching the Tiny House Hunters on HGTV? I watch mostly for the amusement factor. People go down their "must have" list and it's always a king size bed and a full-sized bath tub, or a walk in closet and a bathroom that isn't any where near the kitchen, oooorrrrr some space where I can get away from the other person I am sharing this tiny space with. And I can't help but giggle every time they use the phrase 'But its just so small'.

My love cottage isn't on the 'tiny home' spectrum in that sense. We aren't on wheels. We aren't sleeping in a loft that has no head space. We aren't having to pee in our toilet/shower combo area. But one thing we do have in common with the tiny homes is finding storage in every nook and cranny.  Every time they show a hidden cubbie, built into the floor or raised bed platform or wherever, I think how clever it is.  It's really helped me think in the same way as I look around my own home.

It's not like we haven't talked about remodeling. Of course, we have. But it's just not a feasible option for us. Instead, I started to search for space that was being wasted. I started to hunt down items and products that would fit in those spaces. One of the more obvious areas that usually goes wasted is under the beds. We store several of the husband's guitar cases under the guest bedroom. We have a few different plastic containers stored under our bed. One of them is a container with a drawer (similar item here). I don't even have to dig the container out from under the bed to access what is stored in it, I just open the drawer up. It's pretty handy.

In our love cottage, another area that made me a little crazy was in the kitchen. Our washing machine is in our kitchen. But the dryer is outside in the utility shed. For years, we have had the typical large plastic laundry baskets to slub our wet and dry clothes in and out of the house. But because of the layout we didn't have anywhere to put those baskets except on top of the washing machine when not in use. Although they weren't technically in the way while on the washing machine, they just took up a lot of visual room in my small galley kitchen. Basically, I was sick of looking at them! So, I did a quick google search and found collapsible laundry baskets. Now, they aren't the most inexpensive thing in the world. The traditional laundry baskets cost under $10, so the price tag was a little jarring. I put them on my Christmas list (but I would have bought them myself if I didn't get them under the tree) and my sweet mother gifted them to me. Now, I just tuck them away beside the refrigerator (another spot that was just wasted space before) and they are out of sight.

You never know what is out there until you start looking. Find an empty space in your home and start thinking about what you could put in that spot that would help create new storage opportunities.

Do you have any areas in your home that you have found a storage use for? Or a handy item that has helped you keep your home organized? I want to hear about it!