Downsizing Help: Think ‘Double Duty’ for Small Spaces
Put your rooms and furnishings to work in multiple ways to get the most out of your downsized spaces
Becky Dietrich
January 14, 2014
A few weeks ago a big windstorm blew through the California Wine Country, where Mike and I live. Dear friends who live in a lovely family home a mile away had shingles blown off their roof and their fences toppled (which gave the ever-present deer unfettered access to their most-cherished plants). Their previously gorgeous yard ended up looking like the set of an apocalyptic movie.
In the tiny bungalow Mike and I rent, we sipped glasses of wine and gave heartfelt thanks for the freedom and joy we have found in living small (and as tenants, not homeowners). Our friends, who are still digging out, just wanted to come over and drink with us!
Why do I share this story? Because I want to assure you that all the pain and effort of downsizing is really worth it. One of the many joys you’ll discover is that you’ll use all of your rooms, for all sorts of purposes. Rooms that sit empty most of the year are a thing of the past. Meet the interesting and versatile double-duty room, furnished with double-duty pieces.
In the tiny bungalow Mike and I rent, we sipped glasses of wine and gave heartfelt thanks for the freedom and joy we have found in living small (and as tenants, not homeowners). Our friends, who are still digging out, just wanted to come over and drink with us!
Why do I share this story? Because I want to assure you that all the pain and effort of downsizing is really worth it. One of the many joys you’ll discover is that you’ll use all of your rooms, for all sorts of purposes. Rooms that sit empty most of the year are a thing of the past. Meet the interesting and versatile double-duty room, furnished with double-duty pieces.
Chances are, your smaller home’s living room will include your entry. It will probably also need to act as your TV-watching room, and potentially as a study. No problem — just think double duty!
This small but well-dressed room fulfills multiple purposes so well. The desk against the entry wall stands ready to serve several functions, including becoming a base for a wall-mounted TV, if necessary.
This small but well-dressed room fulfills multiple purposes so well. The desk against the entry wall stands ready to serve several functions, including becoming a base for a wall-mounted TV, if necessary.
Much the same has been accomplished here, with the entry table also ready and willing to serve as a desk or TV stand. The flat-panel TV has been incorporated into a grouping of wall art, making it wonderfully unobtrusive.
By the way, if you haven’t graduated to a flat-panel TV yet, downsizing is an excellent reason to do so. Small spaces have major trouble with big CRT sets.
By the way, if you haven’t graduated to a flat-panel TV yet, downsizing is an excellent reason to do so. Small spaces have major trouble with big CRT sets.
Another great use of space is illustrated here, where there clearly was a need for more than just a single desk. Again, this room serves three functions: office, TV room and living area.
Smaller homes often have very limited dining space, if any at all. If you stick with the double-duty mind-set, this will be no problem. This intrepid occupant did the same thing Mike and I did: used a long, narrow table that fits against the wall as a multipurpose piece that can also be pulled away from the wall to accommodate diners. Plus, those nifty dining/desk chairs can be turned toward the living area, and just like that there are two more seats for guests.
lf your smaller home has a great room, lucky you! Combining living and dining into one room allows great flexibility in the use of your space and the number of people you can accommodate. That fabulous bench behind the sofa here is a stellar example of a double-duty piece, as it can also serve as dining room seating.
Dining rooms are usually one of the least-used rooms in a house, so if your new space has one, it’s the perfect candidate for double-duty use. Dining tables serve very well as large desks, wrapping stations, laundry folding areas, extra counter space and all-purpose work surfaces. In this case the bookcase against the wall holds all kinds of goodies, both necessary and decorative.
If your master bedroom, like mine, also has to serve as your office, consider the double-duty nightstand. This application is particularly clever, with a mesh desk chair that is almost invisible and the matching desk lamps. Love the use of color.
This is a totally different style, but it’s just as functional (if you can displace Milo, the cat).
Downsized homes require an inventive mentality, like looking up. Consider how to use the open space high in a room, as in this instance, where the bed was built as a loft, leaving room below for a chair and table. The vertical support for the bed serves as a great-looking ladder, as well as a room divider.
This almost goes without saying, but ottomans, footstools and benches are a downsizer’s best friend — especially if they have hidden storage. Coffee table, footrest, hider of all things ugly … every small home needs at least one.
I can’t help myself. I have to end with this fabulous room. With an old brick wall like this one, what else do you need? Again, the area has been put to marvelous use as both a bedroom and an office.
In my next entry in this series, we’ll talk about the use of scale and color in your new small home.
More: 15 Rooms That Excel at Double Duty
In my next entry in this series, we’ll talk about the use of scale and color in your new small home.
More: 15 Rooms That Excel at Double Duty
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great tips! love the idea of double-duty night stand. Hopefully i can squeeze it in!
I am downsizing once my house is sold. No matter how much storage you're able to find in the new smaller place, you still have to get rid of stuff.