Tiny homes are the latest fashion among those who are looking to get on the property ladder, but living in them presents some significant challenges. These homes are more like caravans or RVs than traditional flats or apartments, and every square inch – let alone foot – counts. You don’t have the luxury of wasting space on ornaments or extra furniture, and many of the items in the house will need to serve double duty if you want to make best use of the space with these tiny home interior design ideas.
Most tiny homes have a combined living/kitchen area, a small sleeping area, and a small bathroom. There’s no separate ‘den’ or ‘man cave’, no walk-in cupboards, and no dedicated area for laundry. These spaces are compact to the point that they can sometimes feel confining. However, if you are creative you can make them feel bigger, and make them look stylish too.
No Clutter Allowed
Firstly, you’ll have to think about de-cluttering. Tiny homes aren’t the kind of place to store collections, ornaments, or even too many pictures. Stick to useful items or those that are highly sentimental. Think to yourself “do I need this” and if you don’t, think about why you want it. If something doesn’t bring you joy, don’t keep it.
Clever Use of Light
Use light and mirrors to make the place look bigger. When you’re decorating, stay away from patterned throws and furnishings, and use solid colors for wallpaper too. Stripes and floral patterns or prints are too busy and will make the room look smaller
Hidden Storage
Hidden storage is really useful in tiny houses. Look at things like sofas with built-in shelves at the back, under-bed storage, and storage that hangs over the back of doors (admittedly, this last suggestion doesn’t quite fit the criteria of ‘hidden’, but it’s still not space-expensive). Use footrests that double as storage boxes, and try to make sure that every square inch from the wall to the floor is useful.
In the kitchen, opt for an undermounted sink (this will give you more counter space). Use only appliances that you really need (there’s no need for a toaster when you have a grill, for example), and leave the most appealing looking things on display – anything else can hide in the cupboards.
Choose a Good Focal Point
Choosing a good focal point for the room becomes doubly important when the room is a small one. In many tiny houses, you can see everything from the living area, so you’ll want to draw the eye to something appealing.
You probably won’t want a TV or a fixed desktop computer (you can use your laptop for all your entertainment needs), but you might have a fish tank or some other form of pet; alternatively you could use a nice picture on the wall or a particularly attractive plant as the focal point – or even a ‘living flame’ fireplace.
Whatever you choose, arrange the rest of the room around it. Opt for high quality, comfortable seating and something that makes it easy for you to work, rest or play without getting too uncomfortable.
With tiny homes, consistency is important so pick a theme that is either rustic or minimalist and run with it for the whole thing. With bigger homes you can do a theme per room, but in these smaller properties that can end up looking disjointed, so pick something timeless that will suit the entire place, and give your home a consistent look from beginning to end. If you have a family, share with them these tiny home interior design ideas so that they each make their mark on how the house looks.