Making My Home Feel Like My Own

Posted on: 20 February 2018

Tiny houses may be trendy, but they're still built around timeless ideas like making the most of limited space and cutting down on unnecessary clutter. Even if your home could fit half a dozen tiny homes within its footprint, you can still incorporate interior design ideas from your favorite tiny structures for a more minimal and calming environment. Try these four tips that are easily applied to any kind or size of home.

Take Advantage of Loft Space

Most tiny homes feature at least one loft area in order to have enough space for both sleeping and seated living spaces. But any home can benefit from a loft expansion as long as there's some attic space waiting for a better use. You may need to reinforce your trusses or rafters before making a new room in your attic, but building within your existing structure is almost always more affordable and faster than an external addition to add new living space.

Expand to the Outdoors

Take advantage of any existing space around your home by adding affordable decks, patios, porches, and sun rooms. These partially outdoor spaces encourage the entire family to spend more time outside and take advantage of a host of health benefits. It doesn't cost much more to screen in a porch so bugs can't bother your cookouts or interrupt your kids while they're doing their homework. Porches and patios are a mainstay of tiny home design because of the limited indoor space, but they're a valuable addition to any size of home.

Focus on Natural Light

Windows, skylights, sky tubes, and sun walls bring natural light into the home, which is essential in small spaces that feel even more cramped when they're dark. Natural light is far more flattering to your preferred decor style, bringing the best color out of your favorite wall paints and changing throughout the day to make each room feel different by the hour. Adding windows and other natural light features may cost more than just hanging a new light fixture, but even a single clerestory window can provide a lot more light than a fixture.

Salvage Useful Materials

Finally, look around you for existing materials that could be used in new ways to spice up your interior design. For example, a beam of wood removed from an old barn on a neighbor's property can make an affordable and eye-catching addition to a room that costs far less than a specialty order from a lumber mill. Tiny houses are often built entirely from salvaged materials, but these eco-friendly decorating options work in any home.