Small Spaces—Introduction

There are a few things about me, you probably already know. If not, allow me to share these details with you...

I live in a small space.

I love interior design.

I enjoy making things (other than stories).

This is what this category is all about.

For the last several years, I've lived in a hotel (not ashamed of that fact), and I have been able to put things in practice that I've learned over the years. HGTV is one of my favorite channels, which I haven't been able to watch for years. I do miss it lol. Anyway, by living in the small space, I've been able to create a home that I can cherish living in. There are a total of 3 outlets within the space, so I am limited on where things can go, but I've managed.

Having extension cords is not safe. You can trip over them if you don't place them properly. And you can short a circuit if too much is plugged in at once. That's important to know, but you probably already know that because you're smart. I like using 6-pack extension cords. They are a little better than a straight-up extension cord. I run the cord along the wall so there's no tripping. And I don't use all the plugs. When I shopped for one, I looked at the wattage and went on that. I also learned that the longer the cord, the more energy is lost, which isn't good because that can cause burnout. I can't use those 6-packs that plug directly in because the weight of the cords (even just one) pulls them out of the outlet. The outlets here are old, so we have to keep an eye on those. Always be watchful when using these things. If the cord becomes warm, pull it. Safety first. You do want to choose one that automatically shuts off if too much power is pulled from it.

Everything that I will share within this category is something I've learned or experienced by having a small space. With that in mind, I'd like to begin....

This is the "front" space of our room. All of the rooms here are the same, mirroring the neighboring room. Our room is slightly longer than most rooms, which is why I like it. I've never liked small spaces lol. But I make it work, and everyone has liked what I've done within our space. The top piece of my desk was made from cardboard, which meant I decided how wide, long, and narrow it would be. I wanted something that would fit in a smaller space, and still work for what I needed (writing).

Have you ever taken a door apart? Not a solid door made of metal. I'm talking about those doors made of recycled "pressed" wood. Inside the door, between the two layers that make the door, you see a series of honeycomb "slats" of wood. That is what makes the hollow door more solid and firm. You can stand on those doors. That is what I did with the desk top. I even stood on it to make sure it would hold. Then I covered it with shelf liner to hide the cardboard. You can easily paint it, but I chose the liner instead. I used hot glue to attach the pieces. It took 3 boxes to make it. The hotel has toilet paper delivered to them, so I used those boxes. The idea came to me from Pinterest. I am always visiting that site now! In the picture, I'm using milk crates to hold the top up. I've recently gotten drawer sets to use as "legs." Normally, you would glue these parts together, but I chose not to because I'm always moving things around. I haven't decided if I want to spray paint the drawers and use the same liner on the drawers or liners for the sides and leave the drawers as they are. I will decide by spring or summer when I take that next step. There are other things I want to do within this space to make better use of it, which I will blog about.

Okay, now onto the bathroom. It's tiny and only had a small counter when we moved into the space. Most hotel rooms are small unless you're in a high-dollar one, which some of those still have a smaller bathroom. This one happened to be one of the smaller sizes. The first thing I got was one of those shelf units that fit over the toilet. That gave me two shelves to store things on, giving me more space. Then I started getting more milk crates. By the way, you can use those free ones you see at gas stations. Just ask before taking some. That's what I did. You can also buy them, but the free ones work fine. I have three under the sink. That's all that would fit. We buy our own stuff to keep our room clean. Those are stored under the sink.

There's a gap behind the bathroom door. I found a narrow shelf unit on wheels. That goes behind the door. On it, I added Tide, Billy's electric razor, and a few other things that I don't want to look at. The shelf can be used anywhere, and with it being on wheels, you can pull it out of the space. That space between the fridge and the wall is a good place for something like this.

Having a small counter limited where I could put things that we use daily. So I found smaller crates at the dollar store and Walmart for a little over a dollar and zip-tied them together. Now I have plenty of space for medicine, my comb, and anything else I want to add.

When you have a small space, you actually have to think outside of the box. There is only so much floor space, and you can't block doors (unless you don't want to use them). So instead of thinking horizontally, think vertically. Wall space. Shelves become your friends. But you don't want to overdo them because then it doesn't look good.

This is all I'm going to share this time around. Stay with me for the next small space post, and I'll share ideas for making a small space work. Thank you!! If you want to follow my writing, sign up for my mailer, and I'll send you a free ebook. Quit anytime.