Make the most of your small space

make-the-most-of-your-small-space

If you live in Barcelona chances are that you live in a flat, which can sometimes be a challenge to make everything fit. Add in a couple of roommates and you’ve got way too many things and not nearly enough space. Here are some tips and tricks to help you work with what you’ve got and utilize your space efficiently.

Bathroom

Photo credit: The Shopping Sherpa via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-ND

Photo by The Shopping Sherpa via Visualhunt

Small bathrooms can be tricky to maximize but definitely not impossible! First things first in a shared bathroom: create storage. If you share your bathroom with roommates the bathroom can easily become cluttered with shampoo bottles, hair dryers, and too many towels. If there isn’t a lot of free space in the shower, make a quick trip to Ikea or the dollar store and pick up plastic bath caddies that can be left in the shower to keep things like shampoo, sponges, soap, etc. You can also pick up an over-the-door shoe organizer to throw over the door and fill with things like hair products, hair tools, brushes, etc. Another great trick is buying a stand-up coat rack to put in the corner to let towels dry out effectively and quickly. For more inspiration, click here for more tips on how to get the most out of your bathroom space.

Bedroom

When it comes to the bedroom, think about your must-haves and how you can make everything as functional as possible.  If your room is very small and you have a twin-sized bed, you should consider lofting your bed and using the space underneath to put a desk, nightstand, or shelving. If you keep your bed on the ground utilize the space underneath for storage by investing in a few storage containers or plastic crates that you can slide out to easily take out whatever you need. If your landlord is okay with you putting holes in the walls for shelving, go for it! Put shelves up higher, close to the ceiling, to add storage space without making the room feel cramped. Lastly, invest in an over-the-door rack to organize accessories like neckties, scarves, purses, and bags. To hear about one couples’ interesting tips to save space in their small flat, click here.

Related article: Affordable home decoration stores in Barcelona

Kitchen

Photo credit: The Other Tiffany via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

Photo by: The Other Tiffany via Visual Hunt

Space on the countertop is precious in the kitchen and it soon becomes cluttered with appliances, spices, and dishes. Invest in a pot rack or a cutlery rack so that you can hang pots and pans on the wall rather than use space in the cupboard. Same goes for large stirring spoons and ladles, hang them up and don’t loose the drawer space. Keep spices and small jars on a spice rack. which could be mounted on the wall or even on the back of a cupboard. If your table is in the kitchen, consider chairs that can be folded up or that fit under the table so that when they’re not in use they can easily be stored out of sight to free up more space. Also, make sure that everything you keep in the kitchen has a purpose. How often do you use certain appliances? If the answer is “not very often,” consider putting small appliances like blenders and mixers in the closet or storage space. For more inspiration on kitchen transformation, click here and get started!

About the author

Christine

Christine is a traveler, teacher, writer, and beach-lover, exploring Barcelona one tapa at a time!