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10 Ways We Maximized Every Inch of Our 850 Square Feet Home

Here are 10 ways we designed our small house to maximize every square inch.

Our Michigan Tree House isn’t large. Including the sleeping loft, it clocks in right around 850 sq. ft. To us, though, it feels much larger than the modest footprint suggests. We (and our Airbnb guests, we hope!) think the home has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t.

The living/dining room in our Michigan Tree House | via Yellow Brick Home
pillows | planter | frame TV | pendant light | wall sconce

Maximizing a Small Space

For us, living in a small space doesn’t mean going without! While the home isn’t large, it features a generous primary bedroom, a large mudroom with laundry, and a bathroom with a double sink. Instead of wanting more space, we planned for a better use of the space we have. Here are some of our favorite ways that we’ve maximized the space.

1| We Built a Custom Banquette with Storage

The dining nook in our Michigan Tree House | via Yellow Brick Home
sconce | table | banquette | TV | planter | plant hook

One of the most impactful changes we made was the construction of the built-in banquette. The custom structure was designed to provide hidden storage and fixed seating for the dining table. In conjunction with the L-shaped sectional sofa, it defines and opens up the living area. While the home has sleeping space for 6 or 7 people, we can comfortably seat about a dozen people in the living/dining space thanks to the banquette. We also gained a small closet-worth of hidden storage inside the seats themselves. More on that later!

2| We Eliminated a Closet to Improve Room Layout

When we first purchased the home, the guest bedroom had an awkwardly placed closet that ate up valuable square footage in the adjacent bathroom. It also severely limited our bed placement options. Removing the closet in favor of a floating clothing rack (similar) allowed the bed to be centered in the room and keeps the corner feeling open and airy. 

The guest bedroom 'closet' | via Yellow Brick Home

3| We Modernized the Sleeping Loft

The Tree House sleeping loft | via Yellow Brick Home
check sheets | sherpa cushions | sconce | vintage rug (similar) | wool rug | bookcase | art | night light

Tree House’s loft is kind of its secret weapon. It only boasts around 120 sq. ft. but it packs a whole lot of additional space and function into the tiny footprint. It functions as a combination bedroom/playroom/reading nook/quiet space depending on the day. When we purchased the home, it felt cramped and underutilized, with a third twin bed sandwiched between the two existing antique beds. Once the middle bed was removed, we laid down a plush wall-to-wall area rug that softened things up nicely. The ceilings were painted crisp white and playful wallpaper was installed on the window wall. We also motorized the built-in ladder to preserve space down below and had a sturdy custom modern railing fabricated. While the loft is located directly above the living room, it feels like a completely separate space!

Side note – Yes, you read that right! We loved the two beds in the photo above so much that we negotiated with the former owners so they would be included in the home transaction.

4| We Created Multi-Functional Spaces

Since Tree House’s floor plan is too restricted to include both a mudroom and a laundry room, we created what we thing is the perfect multi-purpose welcome space! The previous layout of the mudroom featured a large, inefficient wall of utility closets and a washer + dryer that consumed a huge amount of space. The fresh configuration and wall of cabinets allowed us to utilize vertical space more efficiently. The upper cabinets store tools, surplus paper products and the welcome gifts for our Airbnb guests. We even placed the home’s pantry (with microwave hidden inside!) in this kitchen-adjacent space.

We spend the majority of our time in Michigan outdoors, so sandy clothes, muddy boots and tracked-in snow are all a part of the adventure. To help keep the rest of the home clean and tidy, we’ve utilized washable outdoor rugs and often toss dirty items right into the washing machine as we enter. This combination mudroom/laundry room/pantry/storage area packs tons of functionality into a tiny space!

5| We Nixed the Coffee Table…

The tree house sectional sofa with custom storage console | via Yellow Brick Home
art | sconce | pillow

Speaking of multi-functional spaces… when we were laying out the flow of the living/dining area, we realized early on that a coffee table in front of the sofa would seriously disrupt things. The living area also acts a a pass-through space that allows access to the bathroom, loft and backyard so we needed to keep the center as clear as possible. People do, however, need a place to set their drinks, phones and books while lounging on the sectional. The solution came to us fairly quickly and we designed a slim behind-the-sofa console bookshelf to suit our very specific needs. The fully-custom design allowed us to maximize every inch of space and also provide some shelving on the ends for records and books. We loved the look and functionality so much that we even integrated a similar design into our primary home in Chicago!

DIY console behind the couch, skinny console storage solution | via Yellow Brick Home
DIY console

6| …And The Media Console

Tree house dining nook with custom banquette and table | via Yellow Brick Home
sconce | table | banquette | TV | planter | plant hook

As we mentioned above, inside the banquette are two large open storage compartments that hide dozens of board games and puzzles, as well as the control box for the Frame TV. Since there are no ‘proper’ closets in the common areas of the home, we needed somewhere to hide essentials that don’t necessarily look great out on a shelf. The frame TV’s ‘one connect’ box is hidden inside and we installed a behind-the-wall wiring kit for a truly seamless look. As with most of our integrated storage, we intentionally created more room than we’d initially need in case our needs change down the road.

Hidden storage in our built-in banquette | via Yellow Brick Home

7| We Built a Semi-Custom Closet Organization System

How to organize your closet using a closet kit | via Yellow Brick Home
DIY closet kit | laundry basket | throw pillow | storage cubes

The closet in the primary bedroom is generous, but lacked any sort of organization when we purchased our Tree House. We went back and forth on the best organization system since we knew we wouldn’t be storing more than a week’s worth of clothes at any given time. For this space, general storage is far more valuable more than hanging clothing storage. This closet kit was the perfect solution! The central ‘stack’ of the kit can be customized with additional drawers (we added two) and shelves can be added to customize the kit for any space. Installation was simple and we’re able to store a huge amount inside the average-sized closet while leaving lots of open space for our guests.

8| We Went Tankless

Originally, the home’s water heater was tucked into one of the closets in the mudroom. This ate up a huge amount of space and it seemed incredibly wasteful to keep hot water at the ready when the house might not be occupied for weeks at a time during the off-season. Our HVAC/plumbing contractor recommended a tankless water heater in the bathroom linen closet as a cost-effective and space-saving option and we couldn’t be happier with our decision!

Once the water heater was installed, we framed around it and added access panels for a clean and tidy look. We then added custom shelving throughout the rest of the closet to utilize every single inch of storage space. As with every storage space in the home, we packed a huge amount of utility into a tiny footprint!

9| We Considered Every Detail in Our Only Bathroom

Without a home addition of some sort (which we definitely considered), Tree House only has room for one bathroom. That said, once we eliminated the guest bedroom closet that was formerly behind the door, the space turned out to be surprisingly generous! We’d always wanted to integrate a Kohler Brockway double sink into a design, and this bathroom was 100% designed around it. Every aspect and proportion allowed the sink to be the star of the show. It was mounted so the door could swing fully open past it. The custom shelf height was determined to rest just above the sink’s backsplash. We were sure to leave space for tiny step stools below it.

Tree House bathroom looking into dining area | via Yellow Brick Home
sconce | table | banquette | TV | planter | plant hook | sink | faucets | tile | sconces | medicine cabinet

We considered every other detail in the space after we were sure the sink would work! The complimentary tile goes all the way to the ceiling for durability and easy cleaning. The green tile plays beautifully with the sink’s black and white hues and the heating elements underneath keep the space cozy on the coldest winter mornings. This room packs a big punch and suits our family of three perfectly. If you can only have one bathroom, it should be special, right?

Tree House Bathroom | via Yellow Brick Home
sink | faucets | tile | sconces | medicine cabinet

10| We Extended Living Spaces to the Outdoors

For us, spending time at Tree House is centered around being outdoors, so it was important to us that the homes’ outdoor space serve our needs. The grilling and outdoor dining area is adjacent to the pantry and near the kitchen and the kitchen window can serve as a passthrough when the screen is removed. When designing the backyard fire pit, we centered it perfectly between the French doors at the back of the house to draw folks outside.

The spacious extended front deck is the perfect place to watch the world go by over morning coffee or evening cocktails. The indoor spaces are cozy and inviting, but the outdoor spaces are where memories are made!

rocking chairs | outdoor sconce

The buildout of this home was two years of blood, sweat and tears but we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We’re halfway through our third season of short term rentals and it makes our hearts so happy to see the same families returning to make their own memories year after year. Every single decision was considered and our intent is all for your delight!

PS – As you might have gathered, we love small spaces! Here are our thoughts on tiny condo living, why we eventually sold our condo, our experience as landlords of a small apartment, our little guest room, and even our musings on how moving walls can shift small spaces!

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  • Victoria8.9.22 - 9:01 AM

    I love this article! I reference your blog anytime I need a small space solution! Can’t wait to one day visit the tree house! ReplyCancel

  • Eric8.9.22 - 9:29 AM

    Any regrets on the black windows?  We are wrestling between white and black on the interior of our small home and it is stressing…me…out! ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.9.22 - 10:15 AM

      None whatsoever!! They’re so sleek and beautiful, we love them.ReplyCancel

  • Autumn K8.10.22 - 12:12 AM

    We are going to make it there someday with our boys. I love every bit about it! We actually got the same sink for a current bathroom reno in a lovely creamy yellow. I’m wrestling with height of the sink as well as the shelf we also plan to place behind it. Do you happen to remember what you went for height wise? I’d love to know! ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.11.22 - 12:40 PM

      We followed the instructions to a T. That said, if you’re taller than average, I can see how some people might consider it too low. I think the lip of the sink (the part that would touch you when you stand up to it) is at 31.”ReplyCancel

  • Julie8.10.22 - 5:06 PM

    I get so much inspiration from this house! And all these small space savers I want to use in my larger house, because “why not!?”ReplyCancel

  • Anne8.10.22 - 5:11 PM

    Such beautiful and thoughtful fixtures and finishes.  Where did you source your beadboard and what type did you use? ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.11.22 - 12:39 PM

      So much of the beadboard was original to the home! The beadboard in the bathroom came from Lowe’s. :)ReplyCancel

  • Bonnie Herrmann8.11.22 - 12:19 PM

    Every time I see pics of treehouse, I fall more in love. Every detail! The intention! It’s so motivating to me to continue to be creative and savor small, cozy spaces. Thanks for sharing these solutions all in one post! ReplyCancel

    • Kim8.11.22 - 12:41 PM

      So true, small spaces are the best way to get creative. It’s a challenge I absolutely LOVE.ReplyCancel

  • Olive Green8.11.22 - 1:01 PM

    These tips are very helpful. It is up to us how we make the most of our houses because it is a heaven for us! You can’t find peace anywhere but only in your bed. ReplyCancel

  • Kiersten McDowell8.11.22 - 4:21 PM

    Wow! You can’t even tell it’s only 850 square feet. Your home is so beautiful. I live in a single-wide trailer. It’s a pretty good size but the storage isn’t great. I’m definitely going to refer to what you did for ideas.ReplyCancel

  • Jennifer Laura8.16.22 - 9:07 AM

    I love how well thought out this home is, it looks amazing and I hope to stay there one day! ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

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