My husband and I used to live in a house that looked very similar to this (note: that photo is not of my house). I miss it so much, I wish I could get it back. It was the first house we bought when we were young marrieds. That house was love at first sight.
I have always adored small houses with fairy tale doors and pointy roofs. While living in our small house, I spent many happy hours contemplating the various ways I could open up walls, add windows, bump things out and maximize storage space. I was very content with our small house, but I wanted it to live larger and function better. I loved dreaming up ideas for my little house that would solve all of its problems but retain its charm.
I had so much fun thinking about different ways I could improve the layout or overall feel without buying a bigger house! Confession time. While I have lived in a really big house for the past five years, I am ready to sell it and get back to small house living. I was extra inspired to see some of my favorite small house ideas online at This Old House. It reminded me of how much fun I had dreaming of the possibilities!
So, here are 10 of my favorite BIG ideas for small houses:
While this is obviously a larger room, bumped out windows
can really enlarge an awkward space.
For much less than adding on an entire room,
you can transform the room you have.
Add interior glass doors for charm and to bring light and
movement through a house. In this case, by simply adding some roller
shades or curtains to these doors you can have an instantly private guest room
by night and a brighter more open house by day.
Create a courtyard patio. I love this idea and actually put in a
courtyard like this in my old house.
It doubled our living space in mild weather and
was so much more charming than a worn patch of grass.
Old houses and small houses always seem to be lacking in storage.
By building in drawers and cabinets, you can
create a lot more function in a small space.
Install windows and doors to the outside.
Visually your space will expand even on a dreary day.
Remove walls. Many old houses feel a bit boxy and closed in.
Simply removing some non-load bearing walls can really open things up.
This stairway becomes a charming part of
the dining room instead of a closed off space.
Use the nooks and crannies. It is amazing how
much space you can find that is going to waste.
Built ins under the stair case make great use of space.
If you are so fortunate as to be able to remodel a bathroom,
clear shower doors can double the visual room size
and windows can add in lots of light.
Create double-duty rooms that pack a lot of function into a small space.
Vault a ceiling to make a room more spacious and dramatic.
Do you live in a small house? Do you prefer small houses or big houses?
What are some of your favorite small house tricks for making it live large?
All photos: This Old House
Hi, Its a lovely house I like your ideas, forever after. Im after a bit of help are you able to think up some ideas because I’m at wits end.Its just 1 room . This is how it goes.You enter my house and you are in a lounge room. Kitchen entry to your right. then the people who had the house before us opened up the wall opposite to front door and then extended to the left and put on a extra bedroom, so theres a door on that wall. So every wall has a opening on it, its like a huge entry way. I have enough room to extent out the front but I don’t know what. At he moment I have a hall stand on left of bedroom door, a desk with kids computer on right of bedroom door (this is on left side of room) On right side of room is a shelving unit with tv and vcr and playstation coffee table. On the othe wall is a china cabnit . In front of tv is a single seater lounge chair. Thanks is you can Help Anne
You talk about the house for that movie Disturbia? Do you know how I might go about getting or buying the blueprints for that house that they used in the movie?
I have never learned about blogging, but it sure sounds fun. I just came across this site, because I am thinking of re decorating my kitchen and dining rooms before Christmas! May need to take it in small pieces though.
My best partner, friend, and thrift store shopping buddy, of 25 years , just passed away two months ago. Finding this site makes me feel like she is still alive. I had no idea that there were other Christian ladies who enjoy the same things we do. I have been struggling so much with her losss. Seems that even the gals in my own church do not really understand my loss. She was like a Sister to me. Thank you so much for this site. I will come again and again. Laurelie
Hi,
First time here. I do live in a small cape cod home. I really love it. I have lived in a larger home, as we ran out B&B for 6 yrs, but always kept our “little house”, as we call it. I was so happy to come home to my little house, after ending the B&B. Please stop over and visit when you have time. I am your latest follower!
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I’ll trade that small house for “my” small house any day..lol.
We live in a cottage style house of about 1000 sf plus a finished basement. The entire house has one bathroom (5 x 7), 3 small bedrooms, smallish living room and tiny dining room and kitchen. We have 3 adults and three small children inhabiting our tiny house. But we love our neighborhood, the creek and the woods out back, and getting that basement done has helped tremendously. This summer, we are opening up the wall between the living room and the kitchen to create more of a great room. If possible, we will have a large island that will expand eating space and a large uninterrupted work space. Right now the kitchen is completely isolated from the living room. I hate not being able to see what my little grandkids are doing when they are playing. And even though we do not have much natural light and very small windows, opening up that wall will add a tremendous amount of daylight to the north facing kitchen. Creating good and innovative storage will be essential to not feeling like all my junk is out in the open, but I think all in all it will help the flow and livability of this little house.
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