Tiny Home, Big Style: Space-Saving Design Ideas That Wow

Most people like a spacious home, but with the rise in cost, you can easily find yourself making do with a small space. The good news is there are plenty of creative and stylish ideas you can use to make your home feel bigger, save space, and impress with wow designs.

A good rule of thumb for saving space in a tiny home is to make everything into storage. From your chairs to tables and shelves, create hidden storage out of everything.

These will help you solve problems with space without taking away from design.

Another is to consider turning your possessions into art. We’ll explain more on these tips below.

Now, dive in for these space-saving design ideas that will impress everyone.

Install a sliding door

By installing a sliding door you replace doors that swing outward in your tiny home. Swinging doors require space. But with sliding doors, you can save up on that space. If you choose a color and style that fits your home, it becomes part of the design. Plus having a sliding door gives you more space for furniture and movement.

Go vertical with design and storage

When you have a small living space, it’s best not to use up much of the floor. So if the floor space for decor and storing all you own is in question, what next? Your next option is to use the walls, which means thinking vertical instead of horizontal. 

Use tall shelves to store and display books, plants, baskets, kitchen utensils, and anything you need to. Install floating shelves above doors, beds, or in corners. Hang hooks or magnetic strips on the walls for kitchen tools, keys, or accessories. Try a floor-to-ceiling pegboard wall–it’s functional, flexible, and stylish as it gets. Not only is this a big space-saving, stylish hack, but by using vertical storage you make your space feel bigger to the eyes. Try it, thank us later.

Seating furniture

Go for bench seating in your small home to save space. Sofas and armchairs tend to be hefty by design and need some good spacing to complement your home. Bench seating helps you use what little space you have and still performs the same function. In addition, you can use it as a storage with a compartment underneath. Very neat idea.

If you must have the other types of seating furniture like ottomans or sofas, make sure they save space with features like hidden storage, a fold-out design. There’s still room for space-saving design here.

Bar tops as eating areas

Do this and you can brag that a world renown designer styled your home. And if you really want to knock it out of the park with this one, set up your bar top dining area by a window. 

Your tiny home might not be able to accommodate a spread-out dining table and chairs for eating. But a bar top is Instagram-level aesthetic and functions perfectly while saving you space. 

Be sure to make sure the stools or chairs are the type that you can tuck underneath. (If you work from home, this can also double as your workstation).

Stylish loft beds or storage beds

Loft beds are not to be mistaken with bunk beds. You see a loft bed is a raised bed with open space underneath. It is a common space-saving furniture that lets you tuck a desk, couch, wardrobe, or storage right under. 

Bunk beds, on the other hand, are a stack of two beds vertically. They are common choices for kids’ rooms or shared sleeping spaces. 

The point of loft beds is to give you space underneath. And you can further design that space into anything, we recommend zones, for example:

• A work-from-home desk setup
• A cozy reading nook
• Built-in storage drawers or shelves
• A compact wardrobe or dresser
• A comfortable pair of chairs and a fur rug

Creating zones like these free up space for movement in your tiny home. If a loft isn’t your thing, try a bed with under-bed storage or rolling bins that keep clutter out of sight.

Store accessories far and high with window hooks and racks

You might have seen someone do this in their home and thought they were creative with home design. But the truth is, they were just trying to maximize space. This idea works on both ends. Set up hooks or a rack slightly above your window. Then use it to store accessories like hats, bags, and more. It adds its unique style to your space while saving you space.

Change the construction of your home

This involves re-building the inside of a room. You can also choose to redesign the physical structure of your tiny home to create a separation for two rooms in one. 

Here’s a clearer picture; use different tiles for different corners to give the impression of different rooms; add a mini staircase and position your bed up the stairs. These are only a few ideas.

It not only saves floor space, but it gives your home a custom, high-end look. 

Create living zones with smart design hacks

Remember what we said for the loft bed? You can create zones that essentially divide your small space into parts. 

You can do this using rugs, lighting, or color shifts. For example, a rug under your bed helps define your sleep zone. If you put pendant lights over the dining area it says, this is the eating zone.

In the same way, a folding screen or bookshelf can divide areas subtly without closing off space. This method works for adding style and saving space even if you live in one room.

Surprise storage under the stairs

Isn’t it stylish to have drawers hidden in your stairs? You can use these drawers to store items for the kitchen and living rooms. But try not to add too many drawers so it doesn’t leave a weird or obvious look. The goal is to save space and create an impressively designed home.

Make wall art out of large things you own

Shocking but artistic! If there’s no floor space for certain things but there’s space on the wall, consider hanging them outright. Take your bike, jewelry, hats, or even skateboards, for example, and pin them on the wall. It saves space and serves as art, which is a super stylish design idea.

Make a table out of a box

A vintage box, or chic large box is what you need here. Think of a big box that helps you store things and can also double as a centerpiece or living room table. Bonus points if the box is aesthetically pleasing and matches any other decor you have going on in the room.

Use your outdoor space

Whatever can’t stay indoors can be cleverly set up in the small space around your front door. Design with chairs, shelves, and tables.