Hello, all you fabulous family folks! As parents, we know that children, bless their little cotton socks, have a special talent for turning our once spacious homes into an obstacle course of toys, clothes and mysteriously sticky stuff. And it feels like the walls are closing in, doesn’t it? So, what can we do when moving to a stately home isn’t on the cards? Fear not! I’ve got a fun-packed guide to help you maximise your space and keep your sanity intact.
Do the declutter dance
First up, let’s get decluttering! I know, I know, it sounds as exciting as watching paint dry. But hold on a minute! What if I told you decluttering could be fun? Start with a family ‘Clutter Challenge’. Hire as many skip bins as you think you will need, and then set a timer and see who can fill a bag with unwanted stuff the quickest. Who knew tidying up could be a competitive sport? And for a dollop of motivation, just think about the extra space you’ll have when you’re done.
Supercharge your storage
Now, let’s turn our attention to storage. We’ve all heard the saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place”. Nice idea, but how to achieve it when your family seems to be allergic to tidiness? Enter ‘Storage with a Story’. Grab the kiddos and let them decorate some storage boxes. Not only will it make tidying up more enjoyable, but you’ll also end up with some fabulously unique storage solutions!
Think skyward
Then, think vertically. Yep, you’ve got it! Walls are your new best friend. Shelves, wall-mounted storage, hooks, you name it. They all free up floor space and give you more room to groove. And to make it more interesting, why not turn it into a creative project? Get the kids to help decide what goes where – they’ll love the responsibility!
Let your furniture do the work
Next up, double-duty furniture. Think beds with drawers, ottomans with storage, or even a neat dining table that you can fold up back into the wall when you need space for the kids to play. These fantastic pieces of furniture truly are the superheroes of every family hime enabling you to change the amount of space you have available when you need to, while also ensuring you have plenty of storage and lots of functional furniture that you need to live a comfortable life too.
Get to grips with the garage
Now, here’s a thought you might not have had: Do you really need the second car? If you have more than one car or even if you have off-road parking that means you can park your car elsewhere, them your garage can become your best friend when you ate looking to maximise space for your growing family.
Garage conversions are usually much cheaper than home extensions, and they can give you an extra playroom, home gym or even bedroom when your family is growing and you need more room than you currently have. The garage may look grim right now, but with a coat of paint, some comfy carpet and the right heating solutions, that can all change.
Don’t forget the garden
Even a small outdoor space can become an extra ‘room’ for part of the year if you make the effort to transform it into one. String up a hammock, plonk down some comfy outdoor furniture, and voila, you have an alfresco lounge. Lay some patio stones or install a deck and you have a great dining room. If you have more money to spend, then you could even install an outdoor kitchen or build a summerhouse that will mean you have even more options for enjoying the outdoors.
Go digital
If your family has a lot of books, CDs and DVDs that are taking up loads of space, then now might be the time to do away with physical media completely and go digital instead. You can read books on the Kindle, stream movies on Netflix and listen to your favourite records on Spotify, so you can still have the experience, just with lots more space around you for your family. What’s not to love?
If your family is excp[anding and growing and you feel like sardines squashed into a tin, then as you can see, there is no need to despair because there are lots of simple things you can do to maximise and transform the space you do have, and most of these ideas are pretty cheap and easy to achieve, so what are you waiting for?
I relied on tall shelving to store all my children’s toys when they were smaller.
Looks amazing – something I’d love to do here