Space saving tips for small living spaces

When it comes to city living, space is a constant challenge. Bigger apartments and condominiums come at a premium, and not everyone can upgrade to a larger space. But just because you’re stuck with a smaller space doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to increase your living area.

Forget floor area, think of vertical space

When we think of living spaces, we often plan in terms of horizontal dimensions — square meters. But one of the basic principles in maximizing your space is to think vertically, not horizontally.

Let’s face it — your condominium unit is not getting any bigger, at least not horizontally. But in that room, there is an abundance of free space just floating around above you, and above your furniture.

That space above your dining table could be the perfect spot to put hanging cabinets that can hold plates, glasses, and utensils, instead of having another set of space-occupying, floor-standing drawers.

The massive wall above your television could be better served by having shelves above it and to the sides of it as a space for books and other items as opposed to buying a floor-standing bookshelf.

Don’t forget to look below

Of course, when there is free space above, it means there is free space below.

The bed is one of the single biggest item that can take up space in your apartment. In fact, a queen-size bed will take up approximately 3 square meters of space just by itself. Get back that space by converting the space below the bed into useable spaces, take away the stand-alone shoe rack and instead put drawers below your bed and turn it into your shoe closet.

The space below the sink is another place that is under-utilized. Fit an undersink cabinet and you’ve instantly found space to store toiletries and cleaning materials.

Replace bulky furniture with slimmer, more vertical items

New furniture pieces are purposely built with space saving in mind. But that wasn’t always the case. Older furniture, in particular, was designed for maximum comfort, but did not take space into much consideration. Today, you’ll find sofa sets and ottomans that have storage boxes designed within them, dining tables that can expand, and even entire cabinet systems with beds that can be neatly tucked away.

So the next time you feel a little cramped in your apartment, remember that there’s a lot more space than you think. You just have to be a little creative in unlocking them.