Do you subscribe to the belief that “less is more”? When it comes to makeup, fashion, style, or even friends, the concept of “the more, the merrier” is not always necessarily real. The same is the case for designing a house.
Take it from the Japanese, the ultimate believers of minimalism. Japan’s traditional Zen Buddhism preaches about paring back possessions to enjoy life’s real treasures. This does not only involve stripping down their homes but also changing the way they live amid a consumerist society. Just a few pieces of shirts and one pair of shoes are enough. A mattress on the floor and a pillow or two is probably all that you’re going to see in their bedrooms. There’s a genius in that, of course. They de-clutter their homes, they de-clutter their lives. They don’t spend a whole weekend cleaning and instead use the time to do more important things.
Minimalism is becoming a prevalent design trend these days. There is a renewed appreciation for minimalist structures because most modern homes do not have the luxury of space. The obsession with redesigning small spaces has become a lucrative business for manufacturers, furniture makers, and designers.
Minimalist designs work hand in hand with creative storage ideas. Minimalist homes are airy and roomy, but storage designs for small spaces add function and utility to the equation.
Always Think Vertical
Maximizing your small space means putting to good use those precious square feet. You don’t want to line up several pieces of furniture in your living area just for your photos, souvenirs, and knick-knacks. If you’re going to keep a minimalist theme throughout but want to make room for all your stuff, get one of those floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets. These can store everything from your books to your precious collection. For your kitchen or pantry, look for those open, multi-purpose shelving pieces to store goods, pots, and pans. Take your cabinets to the ceiling.
It might also help to consider open shelving. Storage is usually associated with bulky, closed cabinets, but one useful small space storage tip that works is free storage. Your tea sets, ceramics, towels, and bins are going to look good out in the open.
Invest In Double-Duty Furniture
You can never go wrong with multi-purpose furniture and redesigning small spaces. Invest in pieces that can work in a variety of ways such as wall shelving that can also be converted into a home office or an ottoman that can also work as a coffee table.
Minimalism is about maximizing things around the house. A furniture store in Darwin understands this challenge for small homeowners, that’s why it has among its line of high-quality but affordable furniture different sizes of bookcases and buffets that can double as storage and partition.
Hide Them Away
The back of your closet door or your kitchen cabinet can be beneficial in keeping in tune with minimalist home designs. Slim wire baskets that you can quickly hook on to the back of the door are perfect for small spaces. You can build secret storage under your staircase or pull-out storage in your closet. The idea is to organize your things without making your house look like a big pile of garbage.
If you can make extra storage under your sink or the table, you can use a beautiful table skirt to hide your stuff and keep the place looking neat. Discreet storage under a bench and add-ons such as hooks and bins are also helpful.
Scale Down Furniture, Scale Down Your Life
In finding the perfect storage for small spaces, always remember to go back to the basics. Sized-down furniture has a lot of significant benefits. A three-shelf unit in your bathroom for your towels and toiletries is enough. You don’t need to build in a line of storage cabinets on the wall. But doing so requires a sized-down mentality in terms of what you need to be comfortable. If you only have a three-shelf unit, you can’t stock up on a dozen towels at once. But who needs a dozen?
Instead of an expansive couch, you can opt for a love seat instead. If you live alone or just with your partner, what’s the big couch for?
Hang And Float Around
One of the useful tips on maximizing a small space is by using the wall more often as you do the floors. Not all storage should be rested on the floor. Mount floating shelves on the wall to make your stuff look organized and stylish. Hang rods behind doors for your towels or magazines. Hang one in the shower where you can dangle your shower bins. This keeps focusing away from the limited floor space.
Transform Dead Spaces
There’s always that corner or space in your house that you know you can transform into something beautiful and never did. That space beneath your stairs, for example. Or the seemingly useless entryway. How about that wall beside your tub?
These are “dead spaces” that have lots of potentials, but you end up ignoring them. That wall beside your tub can accommodate built-in narrow storage for shampoo bottles and towels. That space under your stairs can be turned into shoe storage. By doing this, you minimize the bulky furniture by using existing spaces for storage.
Learn how to simplify and scale down. That’s what being a minimalist means. You need to know what’s important and learn to go of things that are not. You need to sort of edit your possessions (and what you want to possess in the future). And that’s also how you manage a small space. Stick with furniture that does a lot but does not occupy a lot of space. Being a minimalist is necessary for keeping a small space neat and roomy.
