Just Enough: How Living In A Tiny Cave Can Be Cute

Most people have lived in tiny spaces in their lives. Your childhood bedroom, your college dorm, your first apartment, what have you. It takes most people until their 30s to crack 1,000 square feet.

My current abode is 175 square feet. Yes. That is the entire number, I did not drop a zero. My apartment is made up of a teensy living space, a lil’ kitchen, and an even smaller bathroom.

Now, I’m a grown ass woman! I have THINGS. I am TALL. But somehow living in this little hobbit hole turns out to be just enough. When it comes to design, I’m a total fan-girl. Pinterest all day erryday. I’m going to help you out with some tips based on my knowledge — but at the bottom of the page I AM going to ask for a favor.

You gotta be smart. Everything has to serve a purpose. My bed/couch (shown above) acts as living room seating, but also pulls out into a king sized bed, and has three biiiiig drawers underneath. SCORE!

Don’t be afraid of color! Using fun prints and tones can turn your little space into a party zone for the eyes. Now having said this, you gotta keep it neat. When you are working with such a small amount of space, any disorganization or clutter can take you from party zone to war zone.

Since my kitchen has NO storage, I brought in this wheely island from Target. It adds counter space and the drawers/cupboards I desperately needed. The shelves above it house my sweet tchotchkes, but also display all of my glassware. If your stuff is cute, show it off!

Use the buy one, take one away rule. You can’t just be buying things willy-nilly. Keep your space in mind and if you realllllly love something new, maybe swap out a piece that you’re tired of looking at.

Here’s where the favor comes in:

If you are seeking more inspiration check out the Apartment Therapy Small Cool contest. It’s the creme de la creme of teensy tiny, tiny, and small spaces. I happened to have entered this year, so if my little shire cottage tickled your fancy, vote for me! Plz?