useful small space

I've been thinking a lot about using every bit of space in our homes. Especially because we seem to have more stuff than we know what to do with, even though we are doing regular runs to Salvation Army. We have a bunch of stuff in the basement that will be useful once certain rooms in the house are done, but for now they just sit there. For example, a claw foot tub is sitting right near our washer. Useful? Not unless I want to bathe in our creepy basement.

I digress... the point of this installment of Wednesday Loves is to show smart ways to use what your small (or any size!) home already offers. This first photo is from an amazing website I discovered recently: www.houzz.com. The vanity has recessed medicine cabinets above it that are installed in between the studs in the bathroom.



This next idea uses some unusable space... this idea is from an editor from This Old House. He took the small area on each side of the fireplace and made built in bookshelves and smaller electronics cabinets. Isn't that useful, and wouldn't that space have gone unused?



Build in beds when you aren't sure how to use the space... look how charming these two small attic spaces look!





This next photo gives a little picture of what AJ and I hope to do in our bedroom. We have these small closets on each side of our bed, but if we want a bedside table a closet door won't work... so I thought a great and luxurious feeling curtain could make the room feel put together and would hide our out of control jumble of clothes... :)





In the same vein... sliding or pocket doors are so useful. Aren't these ones made from old barn doors fabulous?



Are you not sure what to do with an odd little nook in a room? Use it! This room has so much more character because the bed has been given it's own little corner (nobody puts Baby in a corner... but I guess in this case they do (Dirty Dancing reference)).



Again, new use for a little nook:



Always use the space you have on the back of closet doors:



I would love to do something like this in our kitchen...



Lastly, I don't love this photo, but it's a tribute to Gram and Papa who had the first Murphy bed I've ever seen or heard of... brilliant use of space if you can make it better looking than this bed. :)



What are YOUR ideas for using small spaces wisely? Fill me in! :)