Well 2020 has been quite the year so far. Between sheltering at home for more weeks than I can count, as well as doing my own work un-packing my own biases and actively working towards anti-racism; I’ve come to question so many assumptions in my life including this space. I’ve really been questioning if it is adding value and am I doing it for the right reasons?

I’ll spare you all the details that have been spinning around in my head. But I believe my answer is still, yes. Sharing about small space living as a family is still helpful. As long as I don’t lose sight of why I share. Ultimately I share to help others live small, comfortably and without shame. I know that some of us choose to live small but many of us don’t, as a myriad of circumstances, most notably outrageous housing prices, can push us into smaller homes than we ever intended. More recently I would imagine that more people might choose or need to live small as Covid-19 impacts employment and childcare. My goal has always been to make the best of a difficult situation and highlight the joy and benefits of living small. As I was examining my own privilege recently I realized that in sharing what has worked for us; I don’t always highlight ways that you can recreate a similar layout or space saving solutions without spending the money that we have spent in our small space. We have had the privilege of 2 jobs (not currently) , purchasing an apartment in 2009 when prices in Vancouver were much lower and slowly upgrading items in our home over 10 years.

So in that spirit, below is a list of some of the key items in our home that contribute to our space working for our family and some affordable alternatives.

Give Up Your Bedroom:

Wall Bed

Try to find one Second-Hand via Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, search for “wall bed” and “murphy bed”. Our friends found an old wood one on Craigslist and painted it out white (just ensure the bed is installed safely and attached to wall studs).

Or build your own with this tutorial from Life Edited. Other friends of ours built their own and covered it with floor to ceiling curtains to save money on additional millwork.

Sofa Bed

A sofa bed can be an affordable alternative to a wall bed as long as you have somewhere to put your bedding. A previous blog post breaks down alternatives of varying price points here.

Sleeping Mat

Alternatively a sleeping mat or futon that can be stored under a couch or in a closet can be a great alternative and allow you to give up your room. This originate in Japanese culture if you search Tatami mattress or Futon.

Re-imagine Your Current Space:

What I mean by this is, our space works because we have reconsidered conventional uses of space. For example Trevor, Theo and I all share one clothes closet that is in the kids’ room. It’s not always convenient, especially at night if we need to access it. But it is a small inconvenience in the larger picture. It also means we have less space for our clothes or that some things need to be stored up high and require a chair or step ladder. After living with less things as long as we have I now find this closet more than sufficient. Look at the closets and awkward corners of your existing space and re-imagine what is truly needed. What could be shared? What could be multi-purpose? A further example is a portion of our main closet stores our vacuum and 2 folding chairs for guests beside my dresses.

Kids in their bunks by Modern Nest Photography

Kids Room:

Bunk Beds

Again second-hand is a great option for bunk beds. When I am looking for something specific second-hand I set up alerts on Craigslist for the item or brand I am looking for and act fast when something comes up. Also this affordable option from Ikea that can be painted any colour. And the Kura from Ikea (with raised slats on the bottom to promote airflow) can be a smaller bunkbed.

Storage:

Closets

Removing closet doors and replacing with curtains is a great way to add space and can be very affordable. Consider making your own curtains with a drop cloth or vintage fabric. We use this system in 2 existing closets in our space (our “linen” closet in the washroom and the Main Closet in the Kid’s Bedroom).

Also the Ikea Pax system can be an affordable way to add closet space in even narrow spaces as they come in varying widths and heights. For example in the kids bedroom we extended the main closet with a 29” wide pax without doors by blocking off an unnecessary second door to our one bathroom.

Containers

Organizing with baskets and bins doesn’t need to be expensive. Shop thrift stores for baskets and containers. Re-use cotton clothing and shoe covers which are often quite neutral and useful. Also, less is always more. Before buying more containers consider if what you are storing is truly needed.

While many items in our home are second-hand or affordable, some are investment pieces. I hope this post has highlighted that the organization of our small space is achievable without spending a ton of money. Hope you are all well and remaining distant and safe wherever this post finds you.

Inclusive Small Space Living