7 tips from small homeowners to keep clutter at bay

Living in a tiny house comes with some great benefits: lower costs, minimal maintenance, and the ability to create a space that is entirely yours. However, small spaces are notoriously difficult to keep clean due to some inherent problems.

“In tiny houses, areas like living rooms and workspaces often overlap, making it difficult to store items in their designated spots,” notes professional organizer Lauren Moyer, a studio apartment resident herself who specializes in organizing small spaces has. She adds that small homes often require a higher level of imagination and deliberate organizational systems.

With a few tricks and tips, you can easily optimize small spaces and keep them organized for the long term. We reached out directly to tiny home homeowners to get the best advice on decluttering a tiny home. Whether you own a tiny house, live in a van, rent a studio apartment, or even live in a larger home, this advice applies to you all rooms.

Embrace minimalism

The essence of tiny home living is that you take the “less is more” approach. While you don’t have to resort to a sterile or boring space, the idea is to really show off the things you love and be conscious of what you buy and own.

“You kind of have to be a minimalist to live tiny,” says Tina Burt, who lives with her husband in a tiny cottage-like house in Cornwall, England. “This is great because it means you can limit your spending on new clothes, new shoes and sundries for the home!”

She says they both have a closet and when they buy new items – like a new outfit – they throw out an old item instead of adding it to their pile.

Include more storage space

As Moyer pointed out, storage space is often an issue in tiny houses, so it’s important to incorporate additional options into the space. “Storage systems are perfect for organizing a small home,” says Valentina Raviolo, interior designer and tiny house homeowner in Italy. “Think boxes, baskets, shelves and trolleys. They can solve a lot of problems, but you have to choose the right size for the space available.”

Make sure everything has its own place

In this sense, order in a tiny home means that every single item has its own place. “Everything you own has to fit in a small space,” emphasizes Liisi Väli, a small homeowner from Estonia. “This helped me avoid clutter in my small home. Plus, this way I can only keep the things I really like and need, and I love that.” If something doesn’t have a space? It’s either time to give it or give it up.

Use multitasking furniture

If space is limited, you will have to make do with the square footage available. According to Burt, multi-purpose furniture is crucial for this. “We have a sofa with a daybed that stores towels and linens,” she says. “We also have a coffee table that converts into my desk when I work from home and converts into a dining table when needed.” Other options include ottomans with storage, murphy beds, trundle beds and dining tables that are made of protruding from the wall.

Create defined zones

Tiny homes often have open floor plans, which help create the feeling of more space (in some cases, these open concepts also allow for a bit more space). That’s great, but when rooms flow into one another, everything can feel chaotic.

“Creating zones for different activities puts everything in its place and makes it easier to stay organized,” says Erin Hybart, a real estate agent who specializes in tiny homes. This includes a dining area, a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room and even a “storage zone” by the door for shoes, bags and keys.

Decorate with intention

When you live in a tiny home, you constantly have to evaluate which items should stay and which should go. “This isn’t just about throwing away unnecessary items, it’s about creating a beautiful space that you enjoy spending time in,” says Raviolo.

“Over the years I have learned that style coherence is essential in small spaces. It can be the key to making rooms bigger, or rather, making them appear bigger,” explains Raviolo. “I only choose objects, decorations, furniture and storage systems and things that can ‘dialogue’ with each other.”

Maximize vertical space

In addition to larger storage solutions, Hybart is a strong proponent of maximizing vertical storage in small spaces. “You can use shelves, hooks, or wall organizers to free up floor space and keep surfaces clear,” she explains.

Wall-mounted storage can be particularly effective in kitchens and bathrooms, where counter space is often limited. Hooks give clothes, bags, and essentials a place to store, and even ceiling-mounted shelves or hanging organizers are great for items like pots, pans, or even plants.

Digitize paper clutter

Some framed photos and important, ephemeral memorabilia are wonderful, but Moyer says digitizing what you can will help free up a lot of space in your small home. “Switch to digital versions of important documents, receipts, books, photos, and anything else that can be digitized,” she says. “There are some wonderful apps for scanning and organizing receipts and documents, as well as digitizing photos. Make sure you back up these files and keep them on two separate devices for safekeeping.”