Don’t Waste an Inch: Ideas for Using a Really Narrow Room
Have you got a landing, a spare room, a bit of hallway—any particularly small sliver of space in your home that’s searching for its purpose? Narrow rooms can pose a special challenge, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of that space. Here’s a little inspiration for getting the most out of a (really, really) narrow room.
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Since that’s the idea of this post, I thought I’d start with the very narrowest of these rooms: this little nook from Fantastic Frank, which is not much wider than a hallway. These homeowners have managed to squeeze a lot of utility out of this tiny space: wall mounted shelves provide storage without taking up floor space, and a particularly deep shelf functions as a workspace. The lounge chair pulls out to a bed, so the space can function as a guest room, too.
An antique desk is the perfect solution for turning this little nook from Jamie and Byron’s San Francisco house into a cozy workspace.
Even the narrowest of rooms can make a great workspace, as evidenced by this interior from David Boyle. Shelves don’t have to be particularly deep to hold standard paperbacks: the shelves on the left are made from standard lumber and are (I’m guessing) only 5.5 inches deep.
If you have enough space you can squeeze in a workspace and a cozy spot for lounging, as seen in this staircase landing by Nightingale Design.
In this sunny spot from A Cup of Jo, a wall-mounted shelf/desk and a built-in bench make the most of a narrow space.
Sectional sofas can make a surprisingly good solution for smaller spaces, like this one from Robert McKinley. If you can’t find a sectional that’s just the right shape or size, try piecing together a modular sofa.
In a space that’s too narrow to place two sofas across from one another, you can still create a conversational grouping with an upholstered bench. Image from Lonny.
In this space from Dwell, double workspaces make the most of a narrow room.
If your room is just a little bit wider (like this stair landing from Country Living) you may be able to squeeze in a full-sized couch and a desk. That’s multitasking at its best.
Looking for more small space style solutions: