The smaller, cozier homes that have become increasingly popular in recent years, making space utilization in the home a very big deal for homeowners. Whether you live in a house or an apartment, fewer rooms and smaller spaces call for ingenuity in decorating and organizing. The less space you have, the greater the need to be more creative with your space. However, saving space does not have to mean sacrificing style. In fact, with a little creativity, they can easily go hand in hand.
Try thinking beyond the usual or the ordinary. Consider, for instance, compact variations on standard built-ins, simple devices that save space while banishing clutter, and storage solutions that utilize empty spaces. Easy and stylish, these types of solutions add the “wow” factor to a home while making efficient use of space. To get you started, here are three ways to save space in your home while making it look better at the same time.
Step 1: Your Stairs
First, a spiral staircase is the perfect alternative to the traditional stairs. Sleek and slender, a spiral of around 5 feet in width uses significantly less space than normal stairs, while remaining in compliance with most National Building Codes’ requirement that the stairs to be 5 feet diameter or larger. Enhancing any décor from traditional to contemporary, these stairs are known for being a stylish element of any sort of home design. What’s more, beautiful natural materials of steel, wood, and iron are popular choices for interior stairs, while outdoor stairs are typically made with aluminum or galvanized steel, to withstand the elements.
Loft apartments, garages with a second-floor storage area, or even outdoor stairs leading to the second floor of a house are all possible locations for these stairs. Moreover, apartments that have a second floor — especially ones in tightly crowded cities — will benefit tremendously from a spiral staircase. And the space required to install them is minimal, enabling these stairs to be installed just about anywhere you want.
Step 2: Your Kitchen
Another prime candidate for space saving is the kitchen. The heart of the home, a kitchen is not only filled with all the accoutrement of cooking, but with your family and guests as well. Thus, with space at a premium — especially in apartments in which there’s only enough space for a compact kitchen or kitchenette — there are wide varieties of space-saver gizmos available.
One tool that offers tons of space saving options is a kitchen rod. Not only the perfect perch for hanging cookware such as pots and pans, they also hold pot lids, keeping your cookware storage area neat and organized. Likewise, baskets attached to the wall provide similar storage options or serve as wonderful containers for nonperishable foods.
Step 3: Your Bathroom
Finally, there is the bathroom. Here is another place that has the tendency to offer little space, as the bathroom must accommodate a myriad of necessities from towels to toiletries. By simply installing a shelf over the doorway, you can create enough storage space for all of your essentials. Even bathrooms in the smallest Manhattan apartments can supply sufficient space for these shelves. When made of glass or Lucite, shelves above the bathroom door appear to float, taking up no visual space at all. Easily installed, these shelves offer chic and simple storage solutions.
These are just a few ways to save space in your home while giving it a nice boost in the aesthetics department. With some ingenuity and a decorative eye, these suggestions, along with countless others, can be applied to transform the look and functionality of your home. You may be amazed at how a rod here or a shelf there can totally change the way you utilize a room.
Matt Papa is a professional inbound marketer who guest blogs for a variety of online publications. Matt is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites, including Reuters, SEOmoz.org and The Washington Post. Follow him @MattPapa77. Free image included and licensed from MS Office.
