Making the Most of Small Spaces

Housing is in a trend right now to smaller more efficient living spaces with a focus on quality materials in smaller homes with multi-use spaces. The drive by the average home owner for large sprawling living spaces seems to have been replaced by the desire to live in smaller, richer environments with rooms that serve more than one purpose. One way to take best advantage of a smaller space is with built in organizers ranging from closet organizers and pantries to murphy beds and tables.

Many modern homeowners use a home office for work or home finances, but need the flexibility to use this space as guest accommodations as well. One great solution to this problem is the modern version of the murphy bed. In a particularly small room, you might even want to opt for a murphy bed that has a fold down table incorporated on the underside.

Smaller homes usually have smaller kitchens which can be a bit of struggle for home owners who enjoy cooking. One option for a smaller home is an open design between the kitchen and dining area with an eating bar in between, opening up the work space nicely. Also consider built in appliances like ovens or range tops. A built-in oven can even be placed at a more easily accessed height partway up the wall, making for less stooping while you cook. Many appliances come in smaller sizes which might also work well in a more moderately sized kitchen.

A more condensed bathroom is often encountered not just in smaller homes but also in many larger homes as well, particularly with secondary or ensuite bathrooms. Unless a bathroom is specifically set aside for guests, they seem to be chronically disorganized due to being so well used by everyone in the house. If there is not much cabinet space in your bathroom, some well placed built-in shelving or cupboards can make a huge difference to the space available for organizing your bathroom. If you can't build in, try an over toilet shelf to give you that extra space.

All in all, with our current trends to smaller living spaces, we need to be more creative about how we use and organize in our homes. The more that we can creatively use these smaller spaces, the more comfortable we can live in them.

Everything you need to know about Santa Cruz real estate is right here at MySantaCruzRealEstate.com. Lauren Spencer, Coldwell Banker Realtor will be glad to answer your questions about homes in Jewel Box CA.