resources and tips for small space living (wood floors, windows, sofa)

[j33]

I live in a one bedroom apartment with a 7x9 bedroom with no closet (yay for 19th century apartments!). I adore my apartment and neighborhood (this is not a rant), and have no intention on moving anytime in the near future, but I was wondering about all of you 'small space dwellers', what sort of websites, resources, tips etc are out there that give decorating tips with us in mind. So much of what is out there is for people who live in larger houses, and it is useless to me.

Share your 'small space living' tips and resouces here.

[ontheroad]

When I lived in any number of small 18th, 19th and 20th century beauties, I used the walls as much as possible and had a zillion trunks = for clothes, linen, shoes, etc.

In the kitchen, I used an old bar shelf for spices, can goods, etc. that I found during their renovation - it was very long, and not exceptionally high.

I also hung antique chairs on the wall to get a little more space! And hung pots and pans from a ceiling fixture!

Just some ideas.

[Racelady88]

Below is a link to HGTV's small spaces page. Lots of ideas.

http://web.hgtv.com/hgtv/web/searchResults/1,8213,,FF.html?searchString=small+spaces&searchTy pe=Aggregate&GoSearch=Search (broken link)

[Millwara]

Living in an older bungalow style home, I have lots of issues with small spaces. For my guest room, I wanted a functional office plus a place for my guest. However, I could only fit a twin bed in if I also used the room as an office. To solve the problem I put it a Murphey Bed, or a wallbed. I am now able to fit a queen bed in my guest room when company is over and still have my office when I'm not hosting anyone. I bought mine off of www.wallbedfactory.com. I would highly recommend them above the others because their prices were good, everyone was really nice, but the installation only took three screws into the wall, harmless!

[I LOVE PA!]

The store IKEA is for you!! They are European and design everything with much less living space than us Americans have. When you go to the store, they have sample apartments set up in very samll spaces with all their products so you can make the most of your space. They also have a web-site. I happen to love this store, my 15 yr. olds bedroom is all from IKEA. And you can't beat the prices!!!!

[Paula Lynn]

IKEA is a fun place to shop - yes, it's inexpensive, but the products are cheaply made. If you have kitchen chairs from IKEA don't let a person who is overweight sit on them - they'll break in half.

[JBrown]

GF and me shared 1st apartment got some Ikea stuff..it lasted no more than 6 months...not worth the effort required to assemble the stuff. That was many many years ago and maybe it's different now but I'd pass on that eruo look particle brd stuff

[JBrown]

if you think your apartment is small try living aboard a sailboat for an extened period of time !! Go to Barnes & Noble or Boarders . Go to the magazine section get a coffee & biscotti and read the mags on cruising. (boats not around town
do this once a month when the new issues come out.

You'll see how folks really tight on space make do..

[MoMark]

I lived in a studio in San Francisco for years. I used a sofa bed originally, and then graduated to a futon I could set up as a couch when company came over. The trick was to make sure to pick up after myself. When one lives in such a small space, any clutter quickly takes over. Even though it was small, my little studio on McAllister Street and Steiner St. in San Francisco's Western Addition was my favorite apartment of all time. It was so charming. I liked living there very much, but in those days, I owned hardly anything either.

[lilypad]

I lived in a very sweet, victorian looking studio apartment in Portland on the NW side quite a few years ago, up on the top floor. It was so nice, clean, all wood floors except the bathroom, had those little black and white tiles and a claw foot tub! Windows everywhere, so was very bright and airy. I just tried to get everything up and off the floor, hanging things overhead and on hooks (there really was a wall lined with hooks!).

A friend of mine has a small bungalow house and she got several armoirs to put her things in, since there was such limited closet space.