Large Family, Small House: How to Make Things Work Comfortably

If you think it’s impossible to take a three-bedroom home and provide mom, dad and several kids with a comfortable place to live in and develop, then think again. With the right organization and some smart planning, it’s possible to keep your house and boost elbow space. Here are a few tips to follow for more comfort in a small house:

Search the vertical plane

This is especially a useful tip for bedrooms that are already full to the brim with furniture. Kids in large families often have to share bedrooms out of necessity, but there are still ways to provide them with their own space. For instance, use shelving above beds and desks to set aside a surface for every kid to call their own. Taller kids can take higher shelves and simultaneously keep their private stuff away from the little ones. This is probably the easiest and cheapest way to boost storage for all your family members.

Be creative with beds

You and your partner probably have a separate master bedroom, but your kids are most likely struggling with shared beds. Well, in order to provide every kid with a practical place to sleep and still have enough space in the bedrooms for activities, consider going creative with the sleeping situation. For instance, Murphy beds are very practical (and kids think they are the coolest) because they clear out so much space when raised. Bunk beds are also a classically awesome solution, but a trundle bed can turn a regular bunk into a triple-sleeper situation.

Handle the seating

Families of eight, nine, ten or even more often struggle with seating. Most chairs today are bulky and take up a lot of space in the house or garden. To make an awesome seating arrangement that doesn’t take up the entire house with chairs, you need to opt for the right furniture. For instance, timeless bentwood chairs have been a staple in bars and coffee shops for a reason—they are durable, light and easy to move around. They might not be stackable, but they can be easily pushed to the walls or deep under the table to free up a lot of room. And when eating in your backyard, even the younglings can carry their own chair and take it outside, as they are that light and easy to grab.

Hooks are your friend

Bathrooms are usually the smallest rooms in the house, yet they need to hold a lot of things, from product bottles to hair dryers and curling irons. If you can’t handle the counter mess anymore, go to your closest DIY store and get a few hooks. Hooks are easy to attach to the wall and they can be a perfect place to hang your hair dryers, shaving machines, baskets with cosmetics and wet towels. Use the inside of the cabinet doors to install some small hooks as well.

Get some second-hand school lockers

These days, kids have a lot of homework and even more school books and necessities that all need to have a home somewhere in their bedrooms or the living room. To save space and hide all the clutter, you can get old school lockers for very cheap, paint them nicely to fit in with your home design and use them for all school-related things. These will look good in the living room, dining room or kids’ bedrooms, and they are very easy for kids to use.

Make the rooms serve double duty

Not many regular families can afford to have separate playrooms, entertainment rooms or studies, and most of us are forced to work with what we have. Luckily, it’s easy to make your rooms serve double duty. For instance, your living room can double as a playroom, with a corner for toys and a large soft carpet for play. Your dining room can double as a study, since it’s perfect for kids to do homework while you have them at your eyesight. When they are done with schoolwork, you can take over the dining room to do your taxes, pay bills or dedicate time to your hobbies.

As your family changes and your kids grow, you’ll need to constantly change the house. Having a flexible home is the key to keeping everyone comfortable and happy without having to upgrade your living situation in the middle of the real estate crisis.