Whether you're building out your tiny home, hitting the road and starting the van life, or you just live in a modest apartment, you need to make the most out of the limited space you've got. Let's find some of the smart essentials that can do double- or triple-duty around your home, cutting down on the need for extraneous gadgets.
1. Skip the stove with an all-in-one cooker
Instant Pot has gained massive popularity in the world of pressure cookers for good reason. It's able to cook a wide range of dishes thanks to robust configuration options. In addition to using the appliance as a standard pressure cooker, you can steam, sautée, make yogurt, use it as a sous vide, or for canning. The latest model includes Wi-Fi and a smartphone app, so you can peruse recipes and remotely monitor as needed. With some clever meal planning, the Instant Pot can replace your need for a stove.
2. Save some space in the bathroom
You can save water and space by putting a sink on top of your toilet tank. These kinds of sinks let your sink water fill your toilet with gravity, and get used for flushing. Grey water usage like this can help reduce water waste, which can be an issue in homes with limited freshwater supply. Who needs their toilet water to be potable anyway?
3. Add a cutting board to your kitchen sink
The kitchen sink takes up a fairly large footprint, so why not cover it up with a cutting board when it's not in use? This can provide valuable extra real estate when doing meal prep. With the right cutout, you can move food scraps into the sink or hold a strainer. We found this one that could do the trick, but you'd want to measure your sink beforehand to make sure the cutting board would span across your sink.
4. Sub out the TV for a projector
The slimmer a TV is, the more expensive it gets. Not only that, it permanently occupies space on your wall, which could be better put to use with more shelves. Make your big screen portable with a projector. This lets you enjoy your shows with however much room you have available. It can be especially helpful for watching movies on the ceiling, which would normally be unused space. A projector can just as easily be used with your phone, tablet, or PC. The AAXA P7 Pico Mini Projector is our favorite portable projector and should be flexible enough to place wherever you need to store it.
5. Combine your washer and dryer
You'll still need to do laundry, so roll with a combo washer and dryer to save on space. Finding one that is also compact and energy-efficient is important. If you can get a model with smartphone connectivity, you're really covering all the bases. This GE model has a capacity of 2.4 cubic feet, and at 23 by 25 inches, it has a very small footprint. It's ventless, which makes for painless installation, and has a range of temperature and spin speed settings to handle even your most delicate items.
Whatever shape it takes, having a tiny home can save you money and lower the amount of power you need to stay heated or cooled. Hopefully, this handful of solutions help make that limited space a little more comfortable.
