With the size of the average American home steadily expanding, it’s not surprising that most furniture is looking larger, too. Catalogs show page after page of oversized sofas and massive tables in sweeping, double-height rooms. But for those of us living in less lavish pads, it can be hard to find appropriately scaled pieces. Here are six options for outfitting—not overstuffing—a tiny home.
1. The Straight and Narrow
Aside from a firefighter’s pole, this modular, adjustable staircase may be the sleekest way to move between two floors (and no shimmying required). A 25-inch opening is all you need to install from seven feet up to almost 11 feet of solid oak steps.
2. Bench Warmer
In a small space, clutter can happen fast. Decluttering can happen even faster with this clever cache box that doubles as a comfortable yet compact bench. Whether it’s toys, files or your stinky sneakers, the snug lid will keep everything under wraps. Available in a nice navy or a sophisticated grey, the box’s easy-care polyester fabric—which is padded for a soothing seat—masks a framework that can support up to 275 pounds and folds down to a mere 2.5-inches.
3. Inner Strength
Classy and cultivated enough for the living room, yet clever enough to double as office space, this table has a huge hidden storage space and a pop-up mechanism that brings its surface up to laptop height. And it’s available in various wood finishes, as well as white lacquer and in either a 30-inch or a 56-inch width for all your everyday needs.
4. Under Armor
When floor space and headspace are both scarce, it can be hard to find a way to relax at home. This low-profile platform bed with under-mattress storage allows for stretching out without too much sprawl. A minimalist in looks (optional headboard available) and maximalist in capacity (it comes with eight 22-inch rolling drawers), it’s made of solid English walnut.
5. The Wallflower
What if there was a way to keep shoes handy and neat that required neither sifting through messy baskets nor meticulously lining up pairs by the door? What if that same contraption could also corral your keys, wallet and anything else you might need to grab on your way out? Meet Ikea’s Trones. Available in black, grey or canary yellow, it’s not only a good-looking space saver, it’s also modular and wall-mountable. So if you want to stash something other than shoes in these slanted, recyclable-polypropylene cubbies, the sky’s the limit.
6. Know When to Fold ’Em
Whether it’s the awful and antiquated metal models or the wooden ones with padded plastic seats that practically guarantee fidgeting, folding chairs are notoriously uncomfortable. But the indoor-outdoor Piana chair by award-winning architect David Chipperfield, which comes in six smart shades and is made of fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene with an anti-slip matte finish, begs to differ. Not only is the Piana easy on your backside, it also has an invisible mechanism that allows the chair to fold completely flat for horizontal stacking.
7. Keeping Afloat
Surprisingly sturdy yet sleek, and with a concealed cord container, this wall-mounted work station isn’t called the Wonder Wall Desk for nothing. Available in white or ivory lacquer or with a walnut veneer over engineered wood, it comes assembled and requires only to a few screws to secure it to the wall. After that, all you have to do is pull up a chair (and stop complaining that you have nowhere to work).
