Tuesday, 5 January 2016

7 Truths about Small Space Living


Chinese Lucky Cat Ornament with Title OverlaidFor one reason or another, most of us will be required to occupy a small living space at some stage in our lives. Hopefully, this will not be for long, but, for some due to soaring property prices, it quickly becomes a way of life and people develop their own ways of coping. If you've never experienced student digs or purchased a property in a sought-after area, you may not have enjoyed the unique charms of diminuitive dwellings. This is the low-down of the bits no one tells you about. If you are intending to occupy your own teeny turf, read on and learn how not to drive your housemates crazy!

Toxic Sharing

In a small flat, you share everything. EVERYTHING. On a bad day, like curry night, or at Christmas, when the sprouts come out, it can seem like the whole family are sitting next to you in the bathroom. Every noise, every unfortunate whiff, will echo around those walls, like a flock of angry mallards. There is no escape and no amount of plug in air freshener will hide your shame. If you like a varied diet, you had better learn to embrace the shocked faces of your loved ones on exiting the room of shame, or, at the very least, invest in some rocking tunes and a good set of speakers to cover the worst.

Storage Stories

Clever storage is a must in the small flat. It pays to be inventive and flat dwellers are often very proud of their ingenious space-saving devices. To the point of boring the pants off the unsuspecting visitor. Why should a table be just a table, when it can be an upturned roulette wheel, on a pillar of DVD box sets? And who knew there were so many different ways to store shoes? Examples of other space-saving intiatives include; rolling towels instead of folding, hanging beads and necklaces from the curtain poles and ironing socks and pants. Yawn. 

Ironed Socks on an Ironing Board

Cartoon Coveting

Only someone who lacks space and/ or a garden can fully appreciate the waves of jealousy that consume the tiny-flat dweller when it transpires that cartoon characters have a way better lifestyle than them. The Simpsons, with their one salary household, Peppa Pig, and even The Flintstones seem to be making a much better fist of their finances and it really, really grates!

Pernickity Purchasing

Everything a tiny-flat dweller buys, or accepts across their threshold, has to be very, very useful. Where shelf and cupboard space is at a premium, there is no room for sentiment or worthless whimsy. If you give a gift that doesn't have at least two practical uses, don't be surprised if it discreetly disappears after a short time. Goodbye, Chinese waving cat ornament, your days are numbered.

White Chinese Lucky Cat Ornament


Morris Dance Manoevres

There is really only one way to move around a micro-kitchen. It's generally a kind of dance, not unlike the infamous Morecambe and Wise sketch with the grapefruit. Although The Stripper music is not strictly necessary. Learn it, or risk harsh words and probably some kind of culinary-related injury from an over-exuberant chef. Even making a cup of tea can prove disastrous, when there are more chefs than floor tiles.

OCD Overdrive

Precious space in a small flat generally represents a game of Tetris to its owner. Nothing is left to chance and it's wise to never interfere with the inner workings of the kitchen cupboards. You can rest assured there will be a reason why that jar is in that exact space. Probably because that is the only place in the entire flat where it actually fits. Move it at your peril. And, for the love of Pete, never assume a space is just a space! The day you put something down where something else lives may well turn out to be your last!

Functional Furniture


 There is something strangely satisfying about a really clever piece of furniture, that hides a secret. The days of the Sixties futon are over and modern multifunctional pieces are so much more complicated. If you end up staying overnight in a tiny abode, there are so many retractable, foldable and hideable options for small-space living, you may need a degree in Origami just to go to bed.


 Top cat ornament photo supplied by Michelle from The Purple Pumpkin Blog
White cat ornament photo supplied by SuperluckyDi



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6 comments

  1. Oh yes I remember my flat living days I definitely learnt to be inventive with storage and I totally hung my necklaces from the doors of wardrobes! Thanks for linking up and happy new year! #bestandworst x

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    1. Psst, I still hang them there now, I have a proper hanger and everything, it's just habit!

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  2. Ha! There's always room for a small waving cat, no? ;)

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    1. If it works for you, I think everyone should probably try to fit one in!

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  3. hahaha, some of those are too familiar - I don't miss those days!

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    1. Me neither, although I'm not sure I'll ever have enough space, I just seem to expand to fit!

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