I got a daybed as a couch. It is the best space saving solution as I put pillows on the back for watching TV and "living room use" and I can also use it as a bed for guests. Although not extactly the one on the link, very similiar:

http://bedzine.com/blog/bed-designs/bed-contemporary/the-greene-leatherette-daybed/

I can't pick just one! So I'll list em all....

(1) 3 sets of cubitec shelving (from DWR) for adaptability, strength and appearance. I've done several different configurations in each different home. Cubes are big enough to hold my largest art/photography books.

(2) Sapien bookshelf (from DWR) - holds a ton of books in a minimum amount of floorspace

(3) Leather ottoman with storage - add a tray on top and it becomes my coffee table too.

(4) Various desks that aren't too desklike - I always choose desks that could also look right at home as a table, vanity or an entry way console.

(5) Cabinet organizers - stand alone wire shelving that allow you to stack items vertically in your pantry (expand a shelf from Lowes is my favorite), shelf dividers (amazon) - to separate handbags/sweaters in the closet or flat large items like cutting boards/baking sheets in the kitchen

(6) Thrift store crystal, dishes and platters, Ross is a good source too. A crystal container dresses up the bathroom counter but can hold qtips/cotton balls too. A bowl can be a landing strip for keys/coins or a place to store onions/bananas. Platters can protect your pantry shelf from dripping oil/vinegar, also makes it easier to slide a bunch of stuff over when you need to access stuff in the back of the pantry.

I'm really happy with my decision to do built-in closets as opposed to furniture in my bedrooms. I believe that when it comes to small homes its all about smart space planning.

A giant nearly ceiling high bookshelf. It takes up almost an entire wall. Not only does it hold basically everything, but with it being so tall it's visually interesting. All the books and odd bits and pieces it actually serves as the art on that wall as well. I though it'd be overwhelming in a small space, but because it doesn't have a back the white wall comes through making it less dark. It's also served as a room divider on occasion.

a sofabed for guests

An ikea kitchen island.. it effectively tripled the amount of workspace in our kitchen, plus the storage is fantastic.

Otherwise, I think our apartment is filled with a lot of "what not to get for a small apartment" :)

Those Ikea wall-mounted kitchen rail thingies & magnetic knife rack. So obvious. Totally essential:
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/00136621
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50072645

The best purchase (though not the best purchasing experience) was a mid-century dining table on eBay. When you fold both sides down, it's only about 3 inches wide so it works in a variety of situations -- and I've moved 3 times since I bought it and it's worked equally well in several small eating areas. The downside was the seller was horrible (though he sells great stuff) and it took months to get it. One of the legs was slightly damaged but it had taken so long, I couldn't really dispute it or leave negative feedback. It's a minor thing that you can't really see, fortunately.

There's no maker's mark on it anywhere, otherwise I'd recommend that other people try to track one down. It's ideal for tiny living. The seller said it could be unmarked George Nelson and it looks like a small version of a much larger Bruno Mathsson table I saw online once.

Probably not a piece of furniture, but re-doing the bedroom closet! We almost doubled our hanging space :)
http://cbsmallhome.blogspot.com/2011/03/bedroom-closet-pt-2.html

Another Ikea kitchen island lover here. It's substantial enough to really feel like I'm working on something solid - but it's manageable enough that we can move it when the need requires.

Another is a swivel barrel chair. Our living room is long and narrow and it's nice to be able to easily move the position of the chair for visiting or turn it for TV watching.

Magnetic knife strip for the kitchen. Mine was William Sonoma - no drawer space wasted and no counter space wasted. Perfect.

We picked up large mirror at Goodwill for $8.25. It's about 30"x24", with a solid, wooden frame. Vintage 1960s. We passed on almost the exact same mirror on that same trip, because it was priced at $20. A week later, we realized, "Hey, 20 bucks for that other mirror is actually a good deal, too. Two big, solid mirrors for less than 30 bucks? Not bad." But when we went back, the second mirror had already been sold.

three items:
1) flat screen wall mounted TV
2) all in one washer dryer combo unit
3) closet system by Marth Stewart from Home Depot

OXO lazy-susans. For organizing my limited cabinets--making every inch useful and all items accessible. Also-use one for the tv--so I can rotate it easily for maximium viewing. Also a big fan of the OXO stepped cabinet organizers and all manner of sliding/stacking silverware/gaget organizers. Also on the cheap-coat hooks load em up onthe back of every door!

A desk that's large enough for my husband and I to share. Months of searching CL led us to it, then we literally had to dismantle it on our sidewalk to get it into our apartment. But now he has a desk he can work at, and I have a place to work that isn't a couch!

I have a small home with a galley kitchen & I cook to relax and entertain so I purchased a narrow (36 inch wide) butcher block table off Craig's list. It expands my working space! I can tuck all my chairs in. So much better than the folding leaf table I had.

Also, I purchased (also off Craig's list) a gorgeous walnut corner hutch for a walk-through corner of the room (living room to dining room).

I have had a crush on an antique table football, removed the feet and turned it into a big coffee table...love it!

BarbieQ-I was going to say the back of the door hooks, too. I have them on the side of all 3 of my closets and they are lifesavers for sure. I also "made" a desk out of 1/4" thick glass (48"x24") and some Ikea trestle legs. I have it right in front of the window and it serves as a desk and dining table.

The house itself--900 sq ft, yay! Thank you, 1950s.

Anything that lets me go vertical with storage: pot rack, knife strip, Ikea wall shelves. Get it off the floor and onto the wall.

A long curved jewelry counter that I use as a storage/display/counter space.

an antique english armoire I got at a garage sale for $100--it was noon and they didn't want to lug it back inside--I've used in living room, an office and and bedrooms and

an expedit TV unit--takes up a whole wall but holds books and gives visual interest to a tall blank wall, and makes the TV less of a focal point.

A custom kitchen island with LOTS of storage underneath.

Nice table! BTW, some years back, we had a glorified hallway in our apartment that was just wide enough to house a dining table. Trouble was, it had to be no more than 30" wide, like what you needed. We ended up buying a thick piece of MDF, painting and finishing it, and then getting black metal legs for it, for a cost of maybe the $120 that you paid. It looked great and fit the odd space perfectly!

The one thing I did learn from this experiment is that MDF isn't the best material for a table. Our top was painted with so many coats to seal it that it looked a bit goopy. Plus, it had a tendency to sag in the middle because it was so long.

I'm with Allie J! I've definitely learned how to use my wall space as storage space. I also looooove wall hooks!

Best purchases/DIYs in my small space:
1. Pegboard pot rack
2. Double shelf pot rack I use for baking storage
3. Ikea kitchen islands (one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom), these islands add tons of counter space in both areas
4. Shopping baskets I got from Ebay for hanging bathroom storage above the toilet. They are awesome!

A marble top antique bistro table only 23" square. It fits perfectly in the bay window of my apartment. A good sized meal for two is a squeeze but it keeps portion sizes small!

I have two. 1st, a circa 1965 54" walnut credenza by Stanley in the living room. It holds my 46" flat panel, DVR, DVD player, and Nintendo WII on one side. The other side is used as a bar. The 3 center drawers are for mail storage.

2nd, an Ikea Bjursta sideboard in the dining room. It holds the dishes (which I use everyday), flatware, and table linens on one side. The other side holds my art supplies.

It wasn't a purchase but an acquisition: a former roommate who was moving out of state gave me a vintage redwood armoire. It's built on a smaller scale than most armoires and has simple lines, so it fits in pretty much anywhere and isn't visually dominating. I painted it oxblood red (it was originally painted a creamy yellow) and have used it to hold CDs and DVDs in the living room, linens in the dining area, and (currently) clothes in the bedroom.

I second the cubitec shelving from DWR! I've used it in two apartments in different ways- as the standard shelves of cubbies, as two end tables on either side of the sofa, and as a media stand. Here is one creative way I used them back in the Small Cool 2009 : http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/small-cool-2009/small-cool-2009-idea-chicks-reflected-rainbows-little-division-46-082202

An over the door ironing board. Sounds so prosaic but it's so handy to just pop down in the morning, iron, and fold it back up out of the way.

Also, a solid wood cat litterbox cabinet (I bought from http://www.catlitterfurniture.com/). It was spendy but it's a solidly made piece of furniture I can use the top of for storage instead of some ugly, flimsy plastic cover.

Oh, and I also got a smaller, counter depth refrigerator and it's made a huge difference in my kitchen. It looks much roomier without a hulking standard size fridge looming.

Wall hanging the TV and the Apple TV (replaced a lot of other electronics). Bike hooks to get the bikes off the floor, and www.zenblocks.com to brighten up the coffee table :)

Mine is a 30" wide dining table, too! I got mine from Ikea. It's technically one of their build-your-own desks, but it works fab as a dining table.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/10712/

three custom wall shelves. solid maple, installed with cleats onto the studs, extremely sturdy. enables me to display approximately four dozen pieces of mid-century american and scandinavian glass and pottery... and really stands out in the 400 sq foot combined livingroom/diningroom/kitchen.

I also agree with everyone above who said a magnetic strip for knives. got mine at Ikea, and I use it every day.

Hands down: the microwave cart I bought at Target for something like $40 my junior year of college. Almost 7 years later, it has been an essential kitchen item in every single house/apartment I've lived in. It's not the prettiest or most stylish, but by far the one item I think was worth the price and then some, and I'm sure it will continue to fulfill its duty again in my next kitchen!

Saarinen table and chairs purchased from craigslist for $675. The shape slides easily into a small space and does not overwhelm the room. Also flat screen tv a must for all small space dwellers.

Had my (now ex) boyfriend turn a beautiful antique mirror into a jewelry armoire for me. Gorgeous.

Just moved into a one bedroom apt, this is a super helpful post! Thanks!

It may be a tad unrelated but where is that mirror from, I have been looking for something like that for a long time.

love the modern elements in the apartment..
my best small home purchase was a sleeper sofa...hands down...
maureen

A long leather bench from Crate and Barrel. We use it as an ottoman/coffee table. Extra seating in the living room or at table when company comes. The leather just get wiped up if something spills on it and kids wont bonk their little heads to badly.

I'd also love to know where your mirror is from!

My Barbie-sized dishwasher! It's only 18" wide and we run it almost every day but it was so worth the effort and cost to remodel to make room for it in my tiny kitchen.

Narrow five-drawer cabinet (1 foot square and about 40 inches tall) from Ross or Marshall's or someplace like that, in some dark, exotic-looking woven sort of exterior. This has served for years as my miscellaneous storage spot: one drawer for pet supplies, one for batteries & light bulbs, one for cords and small electronics, one for small hand tools, So handy and really cute, with none of the frilly, cheap features of most of the "furniture" sold at these discount stores--and has held up well and fits nicely in most any room, usually right next to a door and under a light switch.

mirrors, plants =)

Anybody have a great small space solution to a basement/ family space/guest room bed? Sofa bed won't do - father in law has a terrible back...Maybe another post AT?

LCD monitor.

jkmp - Well, this is pricey but you could do a custom built murphy bed. I've seen our local custom closet company do murphy bed/storage and a desk space in one custom unit. Or what about a daybed? Could put big cushions on it and use it for seating when FIL isn't visiting.

An art deco kitchen credenza with yellow formica and mirrored cabinet doors. Perfect solution for a kitchen with exactly three cupboards. Its long, narrow shape fits the space perfectly, and it holds an extraordinary amount. I can also stack things for use or decoration on top. Best of all, I got this divine thing for fifty bucks.

My digital piano from Best Buy...it fits perfectly in my apartment and substitutes for a "real" piano just fine!

I have lived in small spaces most of my life. I have always bought furniture that I could use in many ways. I am a bit of an Anglophile and have been collecting furniture pieces that are mostly reproductions of 18th and 19th century designs. I buy from estate sales and antique stores. I have had many of my pieces for 25 or 30 years. Buy what you truly love and buy the best quality you can afford and you won't have to replace it. Antiques are the ultimate in green living.

Kitchen storage. Years ago I bought some storage shelves from the no-longer-with-us Hold Everything. Similar to the IKEA Gorm shelves. I have put them in several kitchens in lieu of an eat-in kitchen table (I have a small dining room table and, in small spaces, the dining room is never far from the kitchen so you don't need both). They hold pots & pans, small appliances, cookbooks, and bins of dog food. Lifesaver.

This was such a great post! I'm USA bound after a few years abroad, and am thinking of squeezing myself and my two kids into a 800 square foot 2 bedroom. Love floor to ceiling bookcases, and closet shelving units are likely the way to go. Love this site for advice.

My current beds were expensive from my perspective, but I don't regret buying them since I sleep better in these than in my previous beds.

My tiny galley kitchen has no counter space whatsoever, just a 1950s sink/drainboard (which I must use to dry dishes, as there's no dishwasher, either), tiny stove, and refrigerator. During an office move, I inherited a rolling kitchen cart that fits next to the stove, but my real find was a marble tabletop (formerly attached to a bureau, I imagine) that was a perfect fit for the cart! For $20 (the cost of the top at a yard sale) I now have a rolling cart with a Carerra marble top that works as counter space (room for a cutting board!), baking surface, a home for my toaster & coffee maker, and storage for the few things that don't fit on the open shelves. Did I mention the complete lack of cabinets in the kitchen? Living in small spaces takes a lot of ingenuity!

i have a few
mascotti coffee table/dining table
bruno mathsson dining table
manstad sofa bed
offi mag table
aalto like nesting tables
all i need now is a storage bed.

We have a small galley kitchen with predictably limited storage; fell for a handsome lacquered Chinese cabinet ( A-line in form) which now holds oversized dishware and a mini-bar, to name just two uses, and sits quietly in our dining room. Very easy on the eyes.
Like many others, I can't say enough about those Ikea kitchen butcher blocks on wheels.

Wall storage stuff for kitchen: pegboard for pots, wonderfully cheap modular stackable shelving/cupboards/bins from ClosetMaid (can order from Target), and the magnetic wall knife holder. I was able to put line the back door area which goes out the kitchen with the ClosetMaids, and can pretend it's a pantry. Sure wish I had room for an Ikea butcher block: I decided to test the concept before buying one by putting a tall stool in the middle of my kitchen to see how it would fit. It absolutely did not fit.

I guess that's one thing I've learned to do: in my mind, my rooms are big enough for things that in my house they aren't. So, sometimes I'll mark out the space on the floor where I think something might go, or even better, make a pile with boxes, and see how much we will trip over it before bringing it home. The reality of the bulk is often worse than I think it's going to be.

AT, would you please remove kaidi66's account? It's the same spam every time.

We bought an Ikea Bjursta dining table on Craigslist. We didn't even realize at the time that it was expandable. The dining table stores its own leaves (two of them) and when we have a big dinner party, we can make the table about three feet longer. It's the best!

I don't really have a small house (~1300 sq ft), but have sort of a narrow kitchen. It's weird b/c even though it's the biggest one I've ever had, the amount of storage and counterspace in this kitchen just was not sufficient for our needs. When we remodeled it, I wanted to alter the original kitchen as little as possible, but had other limiting factors like windows and heat vents, etc. Luckily I found this really nice looking modern dresser on CL for about $120 that fit the area perfectly. We stuck a butcher block on the top, and now it functions as six more feet of counterspace and a ton more storage! Here is a pic of it b/f we added the countertop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10255449@N00/4822075430/in/set-72157607747178647

We also changed the knobs out, the ones that came with it were odd gold nipple-y looking things.

my company was remodeling and I scored a six-foot high, three-foot wide file cabinet. The doors lift up and slide back into the cabinet and the shelves pull out. I spray painted it red and it's my kitchen pantry. Fits perfectly next to the refrigerator in a corner of previously wasted space.

My apartment is just 581 sq ft, has one bedroom, so I bought a very nice sofa-bed for my guest. I also design one tall library for all my books... I have no tv, so I read.

A Hall Tree that came with a seat, cabinet, hooks and extra storage above. It provides so much for a small colonial house with no foyer. We also bought a very narrow dresser with 9 compartments that provides us with storage for our personal items and mail, keys etc.

Full size captain's bed with 3 large built in drawers on each side of the bed. Walnut bookcase headboard from Craig's list. A large rosewood china cabinet with 4 large glass doors and base cabinets from Craigslist. A great Eastlake Victorian dresser for our entryway from Sunshine Lucy's in Somerville, MA.

My husband and I splurged on a Ligne Roset YOYO table when we got married ten years ago. The adjustable height has allowed us to have dinners Japanese style while sitting on the floor, fondue parties at coffee table height, and dinners with 8 people seated comfortably. Now it's a little dinged because our toddler twins think it makes a great train table.

my best small home purchase has to be two narrow bare wood book shelves. the pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30429594@N00/sets/72157626517086019/
show their current configuration--on their sides with ikea legs added.
the diagram shows how they were set up (painted black) as the base for a day bed. they have also used as bookshelves in their "normal" position.

mine, oddly enough, is a 11.5ft long sectional that's 6.5ft deep. it's arriving friday and our plan is to place it in the middle of our 15x15 living room.

our apartment is only 550sf, but we had gone so long with a small futon that it was time for a big change.

though this sectional wouldn't normally be thought of as a great 'small home' purchase, it has 3 built-in bookcases on the back, which helped us to make tough choices and thereby eliminate a desk, 2 end tables, 2 bookcases and a side chair that desperately needed repair.

with the sofa coming in, the room is planned to look minimalist (which has NEVER been my style) and we are welcoming the change with new paint and accessories.

the main goal of bringing in such a large piece was that we never had the set-up to be able to entertain. now we'll have ample seating for guests, and more space to move about the apartment comfortably. we're very excited! plus it's the first 'new' piece of furniture we've purchased outside of craigslist.

350 sf apt, Bed Bumps raised my bed by 9 inches and provided a ton of storage space.

Really, love the modern elements in the apartment. I have been looking for something like that for a long time. This is a very helpful post! Thanks!
patio design

A long leather bench from Crate and Barrel. We use it as an daybed. Extra seating in the living room or at table when company comes. The leather just get wiped up if something spills on it and kids wont bonk their little heads to badly.

I meant to say we have a daybed that we use as extra sitting area. With the fluffy mattress the kids will not smack their heads as hard.