When you live in a tiny house, choosing the right furniture can make all the difference. Visiting any seasoned tiny-house dweller can offer practical ideas for saving space without losing functionality in a small home. The longer someone has lived tiny, the more tricks of the trade they tend to know. Whatever your square footage, here are our top picks for tiny house furniture and space-saving hacks so you can skip the experimentation phase and jump right into tiny life done right.
Photo courtesy of Forest, a Wild Abundance Tiny House Workshop student who built out his own Tiny Home.
Store your bed to make more room
Unless you’re using a twin mattress or daybed, your sleeping area claims the biggest chunk of real estate in your tiny home, but you don’t have to sacrifice comfort to save space. One option is a Murphy bed, which uses hinges to fold up against a wall or into a cabinet when not in use. Another is to fashion a hideaway trundle bed, like @shannonsoine did in her 210-square-foot tiny home. By raising one room on a small platform, you can create enough space to tuck your mattress away during the day, giving you back your floor. There are also a number of convertible options that allow one piece of tiny house furniture to function as both bed and couch. For the minimalist, high-quality rolling or folding futon mattresses are lightweight and easy to store. Other options, best used for guest beds, include mechanical lifts or pulley systems to secure sleep spaces out of the way when not in use.
Maximize tables and workspaces
If you plan to cook a lot or work from home, you need a table and counter space. The trick is creating workspaces that disappear when not in use so that you don’t have to dodge them when walking through your tiny house.
- The fold-down table is a versatile option for small spaces. You can use one in the kitchen to add counter space to prepare meals as needed, then secure it against a wall when you need your space to perform as a walkway. Fold-down tables can also work well as desks and dining tables, or for any work area that isn’t always in use.
- Tables can also be designed to flip up. This design works well when the table doubles as a cabinet door once lifted, and can easily be secured with a metal wire and hooks.
- Common in motorhomes, tables can be lowered at night to become level with seating cushions, forming a bed. This design is called an adjustable table with a pedestal stand and can be purchased online.
- To double your table space, consider a design where the table has two equal-sized pieces hinged together on one side. The two pieces can unfold to create a much larger usable space. When not needed, fold both halves together and secure, perhaps flush with the wall.
- Workspaces can also slide out. In the kitchen or bathroom, double your space by building in a second flat surface that slides out from under the counter.
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Cover your sink for more counter space
The sink need not be dead space when not in use. Butcher block or other material can be sized to fit on top of your sink to create added workspace when you don’t need access to water.
Consider your laundry needs
Photo courtesy of Forest, a Wild Abundance Tiny House Workshop student who built out his own Tiny Home.
Many tiny house dwellers choose smaller appliances for their laundry, such as the units you can find for motorhomes, or they decide to leave the dryer behind. An outdoor clothesline is both economical and sustainable for drying clothes, even in colder climates. A foldable clothes horse or hanging drying rack can offer additional space-saving options for air-drying clothes indoors and out, without a permanent clothesline. If you are set on having both a washer and dryer, you can choose stackable units to save space, or you can opt for a washer-dryer combo. Combo units tend to be more expensive and have much longer drying times — up to 2 to 3 hours per load.
Utilize under-stair storage
The area underneath wooden stairs can serve as a great storage space, and can be used to stash anything from books to kitchen gadgets, to clothes or cleaning supplies, depending on your needs. This can be an involved woodworking project, but not one you couldn’t handle with carpentry classes and the right tools.
Photo courtesy of Forest, a Wild Abundance Tiny House Workshop student who built out his own Tiny Home.
Pick the right TV for your needs
If you plan to have a TV, choosing the right one for your tiny home is important. Smaller spaces mean sitting closer, and you likely won’t want a huge screen. If you don’t want your television out on display, you can use a motorized television lift to stow the screen when not in use, or even store a smaller TV in a cabinet. In fact, you can skip the wall-mount altogether and opt for a projector and screen, which store easily and can also be used outside.
Save space with sofa storage
Your sofa or seating area can be multi-functional! You can buy sofas and loveseats pre-built to contain storage space. With some designs, the seating lifts like a trunk to reveal a large compartment; other designs use drawers. You can also design and build your seating spaces to fit your own specific needs. Boat designs are an excellent source of inspiration. In small boats, the seating area is often a series of modular wooden cubes. Once the cushions are removed, a wooden top can be lifted, revealing storage.
Try hammocks and hammock chairs
Cute, playful and convenient, hammocks and hammock chairs give you lounge space that can easily be stashed when it’s time for work or yoga. As an added bonus, their portability makes them perfect for enjoying outside, too.
Discover more tiny house furniture hacks!
Living in a small space doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or style. With a little creativity—and the right multipurpose furniture for tiny houses—you can design a cozy, efficient home that works beautifully for your lifestyle. If you’re inspired to take your tiny living journey a step further, check out our Carpentry and Home Building Workshops. Whether you’re dreaming of building your own tiny home or just want to sharpen your skills, these hands-on classes will empower you to bring your vision to life.
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