How to Make a Limited Space Feel Limitless

The world is looking a bit grim these days.  And with most people globally on some sort of lockdown order, we are all itching to get outside and escape our homes for a bit. Plenty of us longing for a change of scenery as the space we’re in starts to feel more restrictive. As it turns out, none of us are immune to this feeling! See what I did there? So whether you are in a small studio, a one-bedroom apartment or a palatial home, at some point the walls can feel like they are caving in - especially if your home has now been converted into your home office.

This is where a bit of ingenuity can help you out! This is the time to step up to the challenge of making your limited space feel limitless. As an avid traveler, my home has merely been a place I rest my head. It has mainly served as a short respite between travels. But now that my travel plans have been grounded, this space that once seemed more than enough to meet my needs was starting to feel claustrophobic while my itch to explore and connect only grew. In my mind I kept telling myself “You will be alright, things will only be this way for a bit”. But now with no real end in sight to this lockdown/work-from-home senario I’ve decided that it’s time to make my space really work for me.

If you’re anything like me, now that you’ve been at home for a while you’ve probably rediscovered a few items that you may not have seen in a while for one reason or another.  And you’re also trying to figure out how to find a new use for everyday items. For example, I have converted my four-seater high top dining table into part of my home office - and all I had to do was partition it in half. One half is there for my dining needs, and the other is where my laptop, headset and notebooks live from Monday through Friday.  After digging around for a bit, I discovered an unused backdrop that was meant for a party but never got used; I decorated it with a poster, a picture and some pins, and it now serves as the backdrop for my office (perfect for giving my Zoom calls a more professional feel).

And to address my fitness needs, I had to brush the dust off some rarely used home gym equipment that was hiding out in the back of a closet.  Years ago, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to explore virtual personal training and I had a list of items that I purchased for that venture.  Needless to say, the virtual training never panned out, but now these items have earned a second life - and I have gained a sweet home gym in the process. 

This gym area is no larger than 7’x7’ but it allows me to do some quality workouts from the comfort of home. Some of these workouts include yoga, high intensity interval training, weight lifting to meditation.

As I moved on to the living room, which consists of a sectional, area rug and television, I knew I needed to do a little something special.  I wanted to focus on creating something that would benefit my mental well being, so my living room is now a den with a small crafting area.  Traditionally, when I do craft or home projects the items come out, I get to work and then the crafting supplies are put away as if nothing happened.  Now if I feel like it, the supplies stay out in the open as they have earned their own real estate in my home.  

The sectional and TV are in the same place they resided in before, but I have been able to make my living room space cozier.  I now have a few over-stuffed pillows to prop me up as I marathon-watch TV shows. And the TV tray that was rarely touched is now the MVP of home items as I occasionally like to take in a drink or meal from my sofa in what now feels like a spacious den.  

But the most significant thing that I managed to do with my limited space was shift my. I’ve made it a point to explore my space with a fresh new pair of eyes. My one-bedroom apartment that once felt suffocating is now houses a cute home office, a fun and functional home gym, a crafting corner and a fabulous den. So next time you're feeling stuck and overwhelmed by the world, take a step back and think about what you can do to make your home your safe space, and also functional according to your needs. And remember to have fun while you are transforming your limited space into one without limits.