Making The Best Use Of Limited Space In A House Full Of Children

Living in my small 3 bedroom terrace house you’ll find me, my partner, my two daughters, my cat and in a few short months a baby will be here too. My eldest has requested a puppy for her birthday, but that really isn’t an option and neither is moving to a bigger house or getting an extension. The limiting size of our 4 walls means we really have to think carefully about how to make best use of our space. 

A white cabin bed with drawers underneath and a desk attachment with title text over it


How We Use Smart Furniture To Make Better Use Of Limited Space In Our Small House


For play we try and use the garden as much as possible and we have a lot of storage solutions throughout the house for all the toys, clothes and countless other essentials I just can’t seem to get rid of. Our loft is pretty full too, but fortunately I have a hoarders mind and I can find most items pretty quickly. 

We have to make spaces multi-functional so the dining room table is used as office space by my partner and I, an art station by the girls and it is sat at approximately 12 times a day for meals (or at least that’s what it feels like). In the bedrooms we make the best use of space with tall wardrobes and storage, all attached to the walls for safety. There are lots of ideas for storage solutions in small houses here for inspiration. Our bed frame has drawers underneath where we keep towels and bedsheets, but with the children the best solution is to make their beds higher and use the space underneath. 

We originally looked at bunk beds, but I got a little worried when I saw how high up the top bunk is on many of the beds. While M is quite sensible at age 6 she has one (soon to be 2) younger siblings and I know how much little people like to climb and jump on beds. The Five Little Monkeys song is meant to be a warning, not an anthem to sing while actually jumping on beds. So we looked at other options and decided a cabin bed was a much better idea for us. Most designs are mid to low sleepers so lower than full size bunkbeds, but you still get good use of space underneath the bed whether it’s for storage, play or a desk. To see the huge range of styles available check out Room To Grow’s collection of Cabin Beds for sale.

A white cabin bed with drawers underneath and a desk

My bed has always been my happy place. It’s where I go to feel secure when I’m sad and I love to cuddle up in a big fluffy duvet when I’m cold or poorly. My mattress is one of the most expensive single items in the house (only the sofas cost more) because I know my bed is somewhere I spend a lot of time and comfort is important to me. It makes sense to find the perfect sleeping solutions for my children too.

Having a bed up high seems to add a bit more adventure to bedtime and my eldest sees it as her personal space despite having a shared room and regular invasions by her little sister. It’s not a space I can easily climb into so if she wants to hide under the covers to get away she can do.  Underneath we were using the space for play and reading with cushions and a bookshelf, but I decided we needed more space for toy storage so we’ve had a move around. I love that Cabin Beds have given us more flexibility.

***This is a collaborative post***

Tips...for parents. Make More space in a small house


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