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16 Ways to Maximize Space in a Small Cottage Home
Small spaces can be smart without feeling spare.
Fifi O'Neill's Florida home proves small spaces can be smart without feeling spare. From clever storage ideas to thrifty repurposed finds, she shares her secrets for infusing charm into every last inch.
Cottage Character
Nearly every surface in Fifi O'Neill's Sarasota, Florida, home displays some sort of collection: weathered accessories, antique linens, white pottery, vintage enamelware, more pottery—you get the picture. And yet, at only 1,375 square feet, the two-bedroom, two-bath cottage feels cheerful and open, not cluttered or over-crowded. Her secret? Putting her favorite finds to work, not just up on a shelf to be admired. "The beautiful things in this house are meant to be touched—and meant to touch you," she says. Here are 16 ways Fifi filled her home with the things she loves while also eking out ample efficiency.
Kitchen
1. Create a neutral backdrop. Creamy white-painted walls and whitewashed plywood floors (topped with three coats of polyurethane) make the small space feel more expansive. Bonus: The floors were thousands of dollars cheaper than stained hardwood flooring. Plus, a salvaged window frame filters light without fussy curtains, while track lighting illuminates the whole room but takes up very little space.
2. Hang (reclaimed) open shelves. A country favorite gets a twist with vintage, non-matching shelves hung on a single wall. Selected for practicality (they're just the right height and depth for Fifi's most-used glasses and dishes), they also add a dose of humble charm.
3. Hide eyesores with a space-saving skirt. Instead of cabinets, Fifi installed a plywood framework and skirted the fronts with burlap to stylishly conceal utilitarian pots and pans. Skipping cabinet doors with swings also created space for a console-turned-island.
Dining Table
4. Pull up a bench. This backless number offers equal seating to a host of chairs but can be tucked under the table when not in use (and doesn't block the view of the butler's pantry). For extra storage, slots carved into the farm table store spoons.
RELATED: 85+ Impressive Dining Room Ideas to Make Your Entertaining Space More Inviting
Open Shelving
5. Designate work stations. One way to maximize efficiency in a small kitchen: Assign each area a specific task. Two narrow shelves and a (pink!) marble-topped buffet serve as a coffee station in an otherwise unused corner.
RELATED: 20+ Best Cottage Decor Ideas to Create the Coziest Country Escape
Living Room
6. Say so long to stuffy window treatments. Think every living room needs draperies? Think again. Here, bare windows make for a refreshingly streamlined look that also takes advantage of the house's beautiful Florida light.
7. Go for the big sofa. No, really! Small space doesn't have to equal small furniture. Case in point: Fifi's 9-foot-long French sofa. The oversize item visually anchors the room and provides ample seating in one swoop—a serious perk in a small house. Covered in durable, affordable paint drop cloths, the neutral piece artfully blends with its surroundings, making it feel well-suited, not overpowering.
Office
8. Incorporate versatile antiques. One reason Fifi loves vintage pieces: They can be used in more than one way. Take the salmon-hued table she uses as a desk and an old church pew outfitted with feather-down pillows. In a pinch, the arrangement easily transitions to an extra dining space. Another example? A graphic vintage hotel sign draws attention away from the hardworking heat and air wall unit.
9. Take it to the rafters. This portion of Fifi's home came with vaulted ceilings, which add another 4 feet to the ceiling height and help her office feel airy in spite of its modest footprint. An HVAC wall unit keeps the area cool—no space-reducing ductwork required!
Bedroom
10. Embrace beds in front of windows. Fifi tucked her queen-size bed—a blue cast-iron number she fell in love with at a local antiques shop—in front of not one, but two windows to free up other wall space for storage pieces. The unconventional placement enhances the cozy factor without blocking light.
11. Stick with simple bedding. Set against the white walls and floors, Fifi's mostly white pillows and duvet cover establish a cohesive, not choppy, look and serene vibe. Meanwhile, a few red stripes and a floral coverlet add just enough pattern to keep the room from feeling lifeless.
Guest Bedroom
12. Skip a traditional headboard. With not an inch to spare, Fifi pushed the guest room's twin bed against the wall and hung a green chalkboard in place of a headboard. Bonus: The piece doubles as a memo board.
13. Don't shy away from lucite. At first glance, translucent furniture like this Louis "ghost" chair might seem too sleek for Fifi's quaint style. But by taking up less visual space, it helps weathered pieces like the desk-turned-nightstand shine and prevents the tight quarters from feeling cramped.
Bathroom
14. Consider a soaking tub. The bathroom's pitched ceilings made a standard-height shower a no-go, so Fifi chose a deep cast-iron bathtub instead. To keep costs down, she purchased a dilapidated tub for $100 at a junkyard and then had it refinished.
15. Let in the light. A yard of cheesecloth strewn from Shaker pegs above the window creates just enough privacy without blocking natural light in the small space. The gauzy fabric also adds a soft, feminine finish that complements the tub.
Shuttered Windows
16. Add pops of color. A thrift store ledge painted to match the home's cheery blue trim stands in for a window box below this 13-inch-wide window.
RELATED: 80+ Tiny Houses That’ll Have You Trying to Move in ASAP
Small Talk with Fifi O'Neil
Fifi dishes on tight quarters, big finds, and her love of open shelving.
Biggest small-living surprise: "How safe a smaller home makes me feel. It's cozy, welcoming, and reassuring to be able to see from one room to the next. "
Prized possessions: "My piles and piles of books and magazines. Even though they take up space, no tablet can equal the comfort I get from perusing beautifully photographed homes."
Monthly energy bill: "Even with my AC running continuously May through October, my bill is never more than $150."
Most repainted piece: "The armoire in my dining room. It's gone from white to sage green to petal pink to sky blue and now gray with a whitewash. I plan on keeping it that way, but who knows?"
Total number of open shelves: "Twenty-six. They're a great time-saver—no hunting and searching!"
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