small space challenges cover more than just the nuts and bolts of every day things like where do i put this big pot? you also need to think about things like how do i really max out seating in rooms where company comes all the time? so say, how do i fit an extra four people in my living room comfortably? luckily, we're here to offer you
really easy solutions for that. everybody knows that you should place the major seating arrangement in the middle of the room, but what most people don't think about is to use the wall space in the are against the wall. windows are a great place to take a second look. you can build in a little niche underneath a window to make a great window seat, but it also creates a room where you can pull up
a game table easily in case you're having a big thanksgiving dinner or a cocktail party. another space saving trick is to use curtains. think of curtains as doors. they provide the same privacy, but they don't take up nearly the space that an open or closed door would have. for one thing that sounds counterintuitive is to build in custom shelves.
although you're gonna lose floor space, you're gonna really optimize your storage. when you're thinking about where to place your new built-in shelves, think about the items that you already have for the room. think about building your shelves to flank that piece. if you're living in a small space, a narrow console table is your friend. these won't take up much floor space
and kind of go away on an every day basis, but come in handy for you to place things, especially when you're serving guests. another great small space trick is using mirrors. however, you need to be strategic about where you place the mirror. you don't wanna be reflecting the corner where you hoard all your things. if possible, have your mirror reflect a window.
this will give you the maximum illusion of more space. when space is really tight in your kitchen, look to your walls as another place to store things. i love a pot rack for a number of reasons. it does free up precious cabinet space and you'll also spend less time fishing out that pot that you really need. the other big idea that i love, i actually stole from a restaurant,
and that's hanging a magnetic strip on a wall and then putting the knives that you use on a regular basis on it. this eliminates the need for a bulky knife block and you'll have more precious counter space to prep. these creative solutions are gonna expand your home and change the way you live in it for the better.