10 fantastic tips to make the most of the space in small apartments

We do not always have all the space we would like at home to find the space for the mountains of useful or decorative objects that we like or need in everyday life. When space is scarce, it is necessary to get smart and find aesthetically pleasing, functional solutions.

In fact, in every room, you can use a piece of furniture that will help you reclaim some useful space where you can store all the surplus objects that you currently do not know what to do with. Here, you will find some useful ideas to be used in small houses to furnish and tidy them up at the same time.

A bookcase is not just a piece of furniture for storing books, but we end up placing ornaments, plants, photos and decorative objects in general on them. So why not use a bookcase as a room divider? Bridging shelves can replace a connecting door between two rooms - for example, between the main entrance and the living room. The shelving will let the light through and can be used to hold various objects so that they do not crowd other surfaces.

Shelves like this can also serve as ideal dividers for deliniating multiple areas in a single room, a trick that always comes in handy in small homes where a room has multiple uses.

Ideas for building dividers in rooms are endless, A myriad of materials can be used and can come in varied dimensions. For example, they could be plumbing or pipes that are modified to incorporate useful objects such as clocks and mirrors.

Multifunction furniture or, even better, folding tables and shelves, can be kept closed and only opened when needed. There are many on the market, but a quick online search reveals a thousand ways to build them with DIY. They can be fixed to the wall, self-supporting or attached to other furniture (even IKEA furniture).

Chairs, benches or folding seats, which flatten against the wall when not needed, are particularly useful. They can also serve as extra holders, and without their legs obstructing the floor, so they are easier to clean around too. They could be used at the main entrance to change shoes!

Do you dream of having an island in the kitchen or do you not have enough work surfaces? You can buy or build small and portable ones, which are essentially tables or modified furniture (such as sideboards or dressers) with wheels, to be stored out of the way when not needed.

Using perforated panels is another idea that continues to make a splash: they can be the classic metal ones (perhaps to be repainted in colors that suit the home), but there are now also plenty of wooden models or DIY ideas to make them, and you can really use them in any room of the house.

Don't forget the space under the stairs. Even the smallest spaces can accommodate compartments with doors, or even just drawers, in which to store the objects used less often. Or they become the wardrobe in which to arrange the jackets, or the storage area for rarely-used accessories and appliances.

Raised platforms: why not place the sofa, or even the bed, on a raised floor, so as to store many useful items under the platform? There are those who use these for an extra mattress when guests arrive, but also use them for storing their seasonal change clothes, winter sports equipment and everything else needed only occasionally.

Use hooks: on the walls, in the wardrobes or even on the internal sides of the furniture doors, hooks can get rid of many objects that would otherwise remain lying around annoying you. And there are some beautiful ones with a refined design, in almost any material - and in addition to those you can DIY.

With a little imagination, even a small house can become spacious and comfortable!