When it comes to space savings and cost savings, tiny houses can be a great avenue for a starter home or simply an opportunity to down-size. Whether you’re a solo buyer or a small family, there are ways to make this energy- and cost-efficient style of home work for your lifestyle.

Here are six tips to get you started on making the most of your tiny house space. 

Stage First

Before you take the plunge into buying a tiny house, make sure you stage your surroundings. Measure out a space that will mimic your new house’s square footage and place the furnishings you’re most set on moving in so you know exactly how much breathing space you’ll have. Simply taping off items on a flat surface to get a physical representation of your future surroundings can help you visualize and make “keep or throw” decisions more easily.

Photo credit: Mieke Zuiderweg

Eliminate Containers

Think about a standard house’s kitchen. The cupboards are filled with containers, from dry pasta in bins to flour in canisters to empty containers simply taking up space. In your tiny house, consider using cube shelving to eliminate some of these containers all together. The dry foods and cooking ingredients you use often and store can not only be stored in a fixed shelf container but also offer some color to your surroundings. 

Maximize the Bottom Half

One of the best ways to create an illusion of more space is to keep your head space (generally the area from your waist level up) less cluttered than the bottom half of your space. Use under-the-counter storage and shelving to its maximum potential to leave you some breathing room where your eyeline will most often be. 

Make Everything Multi-Use

One of the waves of the future in terms of home décor and furnishings is the multi-use movement. Brought on primarily by crowded cities with limited residential space, it can also be a great tool for your tiny house. Take special care to make each piece of furniture multi-purpose, whether it’s hollow seating with small-item storage inside or beds with built-in shelving. In a standard house, every piece has a purpose. In a tiny house, every piece, almost out of necessity, needs to have two to three.

Consider Non-Stationary Walls

Depending on how many occupants your tiny house will have, you might be able to eliminate walls, or—at the very least—minimize them. If partitions are a necessary evil in your living situation, consider moveable ones. During the daytime you can open up your space by moving or taking down walls all together, so keeping them from being fixed or structural opens up the possibilities. 

Photo credit: Mieke Zuiderweg

Store in Stairs

If your tiny house has been blessed with two stories, make sure you’re using the dead space under the staircase. Every square inch can be useful for storage or even a small, makeshift office or reading nook.