Home Decor for Small Spaces

The Downsizers’ dozen.

Whether you’ve lived in the same home for decades or like one of us, you’ve taken a more circuitous, apartment-by-apartment path, we’re guessing that many of our readers might be headed in a downsize direction. And that means de-duping our many wares, rethinking our home essentials and getting clever about where to store them. Now nearly two plus years on from shrinking our living quarters, we want to tell you about the things we can’t live (in way less space) without. 

Laundry, folded.

The idea of the laundry basket is that it is designed to be in perpetual motion, making several round trips from the washer/dryer to various bedrooms as all parents can attest. But when you’re down to just two clothing wearers, and laundry is a once-a-week affair, this collapsible basket stores neatly in the closet until it’s called to duty again.

Hanging hero.

While most washers have evolved to have decent delicate cycles, the dryer’s “air fluff/no heat” settings can take a significant amount of is it dry yet tending-to. That’s why we were delighted to find this sturdy hanger that hangs over our shower rod and neatly folds down when not in use. Unlike several shower clotheslines, this requires no installation of anything and is hefty enough to handle a full load (we even hang our jeans on it). 

So vain.

Unfortunately, small apartments mean small vanities, so we had to get creative about stocking the W.C. Thinking outside the bathroom, we settled on this nightstand to lend more surface and storage areas. Since we rarely need to close the door, this hanging basket has provided even more space (we’re sure that you can easily match your own aesthetics with other choices, but this pretty much disappears into the door). Last, we would like to shake hands with the genius who made use of the geography over the loo with this shelf.

Cut the clutter.

We’ve all gotten wiser about cross-contamination during our food prep, but multiple cutting boards can really eat up precious real estate. That’s why we love this cutting board set from Joseph Joseph (makers of so many handy things). The color coding keeps us from getting lax about our safety, while the handy, file-like case keeps them out of the way.

Dinner in an instant.

It took a little trial and error with a patient friend (and instructor), but we do truly love our Instant Pot which doubles (and triples) as pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker—and even allows for sous vide. We particularly like this model because it can automatically vent, and the time you set it to is indeed the actual cooking time (no need to calculate pre-heating time or worry about “manual” settings). Ours lives on this genius cart, so it simply rolls over to a plug when needed and tucked away when dinner is served. Come cooler temps, this ramen and this pork chili are heavily in rotation thanks to this multitasking appliance. 

Shelve it.

Ringing in at about $40, this cart has become a WFH lifesaver. It could not be easier to assemble (we’re looking at you, IKEA) and provides ample space that belie its slim dimensions. Since it, too, is on wheels, it can be brought out when in use, then sequestered when you’re no longer after its contents.

Slim (not shady).

Finding pieces that take advantage of length along a wall without a lot of depth is a challenge, but this console clocks in at just 15’ deep and punches way above its weight with the impressive lot of items it can accommodate.

In the heights.

Most of the time, you can find us dropping off our finished books at our Little Free Library, but of course there are many worthy of revisiting or holding sentimental value. A guiding principle for smaller space is to utilize height wherever possible, while maintaining a small footprint. This bookcase does more than just look ultra cool—it holds a whole lot of books worth holding on to.

Commanding additions.

These handy Command hooks have crossed over from the dorm room decor category to provide much needed grown-up utility, holding everything from keys to potholders, shopping bags to holiday decor. The brushed metal finish gives them the patina of something more expensive and permanent than they are.