How to live in less than 500 sq ft and LOVE IT
Having lived in New York for a few years, I am very familiar with living in small spaces. Now that I am back in Atlanta, all of my experience living in tight quarters is paying off. My current home is 438 square feet. Two of us plus 3 cats live here and we are completely comfortable. Scroll down to read some of my tips for making the most out of a small home.
1. Go white. When you live in a small space, dark colors can make it feel claustrophobic. Using lighter colors will brighten up the space and keep things feeling airy.
2. Invest in lamps. Overhead lighting is not your friend. Adding lamps will light up corners showing off the space that you've got. Don't leave any of your square-footage in the shadows!
3. Prioritize. When you have limited space, you have to compromise on some of your needs. Our home has a VERY small living room. We had to choose between having a sofa or a dining table. Since we don't watch much television but we do love to eat together, we chose to sacrifice the couch rather than cram too much furniture in. Less furniture creates more space, so choose what matters most to you.
4. Purge. I joke that every time someone comes into our house I send them home with one of our possessions. A frying pan, a shirt, books...you name it. I have made a conscious effort to live with less and it has made life simpler. And not once have I wished I had something I gave away. Take a look and see how many redundant items you have. Four cork screws, 8 rolls of wrapping paper, a pasta maker you never use but promise yourself you will? Donate anything you don't use or love to charity or sell them and put the money toward something you really need - like a vacation maybe?
5. Have a live plant or fresh flowers in every room. Plants make your home feel more lived in and less like a shoebox.
6. Repurpose furniture to fit your space. We had no space for a desk, but I needed a place to work. So we used custom closet brackets to build a workspace and shelving that fit our narrow space. Our closet was too small for us to share, so we turned a ladder into a clothing rack and put it in an awkward cubby creating more closet space. Don't be afraid to think outside the box!
7. Less is more. Fight the urge to fill every stretch of wall. Some negative space will open up the room and keep you feeling calm.
8. Add mirrors. Light will make your space feel bigger. Put mirrors on walls that are opposite windows to reflect the light and create the illusion of more space.
To see more of my tiny home, check out #nakedfighome on Instagram. While we have loved living in our small space, we are working on converting a garage into our dream home. We will have 850 square feet - which to us is huge! If you have any tips of your own for living in small space or for building a new home, leave them in the comments below.
