Jennifer Sheahan: I live in a tiny home. Here are my space-savvy summer hosting ideas
When you’re short on space, it’s hard to imagine how you’re going to pack more people in comfortably. In fact, sometimes having a tiny home is a great excuse to point unwanted guests towards the nearest hotel. But hosting visitors in a small home can be done, and done well, by leaning into multifunctional design. Small homes are cosier anyway, and cosiness is a vibe you want to hit when welcoming your favourite people into your home. Here’s how I make the most of my small space when visitors come calling.Bring the outdoors in I have a folding table and a couple of hanging chairs stored outdoors, which I installed so that I can create extra dining or entertaining space when needed. It’s perfect when I have more than a few friends over, and the indoor area feels a bit cramped. Jennifer Sheahan's garden furniture expands the available entertaining space in her tiny home. Picture: Moya NolanIf I were to add a simple retractable awning (which I keep meaning to get around to), I could make this space even more versatile, providing shade in summer and shelter in the colder months. A few outdoor blankets and a heater would have me good to go for year-round al-fresco entertaining.Bedroom by night In a tiny home like mine, every room has to be multifunctional, and my guest bedroom is no exception. By day, it is my home office and a music room, and the guest “bed” is really a sofa bed. I bought the Klaus from Finline Furniture (which I find super comfortable), and they gave me the brilliant advice to have it made with no arms, which allowed me to squeeze in a wider mattress. A sofa bed with no arms allows for a larger mattress. Picture: Moya NolanThis is something I recommend, as well as looking for models that fold out quickly and have built-in storage for bedding underneath.If you have a home office or spare room, a wall bed (aka Murphy bed) can free up floor space when not in use and come down when guests are staying over. Newer wall beds even have integrated desks or shelving to make them extra functional when folded away. I love my sofa bed, and I needed a custom-built desk to house my piano, but I am a huge fan of wall beds, and if I could get one, I would. You can simply fold it away without even removing the bedding, which is much easier than pulling out and making up a sofa bed.Flexible furniture Modular seating is key when you’re tight on space. If you’re designing your living area and plan to entertain often, consider a couple of armchairs in place of a couch. Ottoman stools are fantastic multi-use items of furniture that are perfect for occasional seating. I have a hardworking ottoman that quadruples as a footrest, a coffee table, storage, and — when friends drop by — an extra chair, allowing me to rearrange my seating to suit the occasion.Flexible furniture (and fairylights) can transform an outdoor space. File pictureNesting tables, folding stools, and stackable chairs can also come in handy when you need to expand your seating temporarily. When they’re not in use, they tuck away discreetly. You can also choose dining chairs that are comfortable enough to lounge around in and can double as casual seating in your living space.Come dine with me In a small dining area, banquette seating is really the best way to go. Built-in seating, or even just a bench pushed against the wall, maximises every inch and allows you to fit more people around the table. Design the space so that everything is in easy reach — glassware, crockery, cutlery, and drinks — for example, with wall shelving above the table or a sideboard nearby.Banquette seating and a dining table with a central stem, as in Jennifer's Rathmines home, lets you fit in more guests. Picture: Moya NolanYou do have to scooch around the bench, so it’s best to go with a round or oval dining table with a central pedestal base to prevent people from banging their knees on the legs. Round tables also create a more sociable vibe and soften up boxy room layouts. If you’re short on floor space, consider a drop-leaf version that can expand for guests and shrink down when not in use.Extra storage It’s easy to forget that your guests will come with belongings — coats, shoes, bags, toiletries, maybe some kids' toys, and hopefully a bottle of decent plonk. Remember to make space for these items. Clear space in the hallway for coats and shoes, and provide surface space in bedrooms and bathrooms for their clothes and toiletries. Good storage is essential for a clutter-free home. File pictureHooks are fantastic — I have an over-the-door set of hooks on my home office/guest bedroom door that is perfect for adding additional space for hanging coats and clothes. It’s always a good idea to install extra hooks on walls or on the backs of doors. You can provide a small side table or vanity for surface space, or install small folding tables if you prefer to put them away when you don’t have guests around.Look for furniture that hides mess, like ottomans with hidden storage, coffee tables with drawers, or sideboards that can stash tableware, linens, and candles. A collapsible laundry basket or blanket box in the hallway can double as a place to hide shoes and bags when guests arrive.Light the scene Not to go all Meghan Markle on you here, but any gathering — even in the tiniest of spaces — can be made to feel special with a few thoughtful touches. Lighting is critical to transform a space from a cramped room into a welcoming one. Candles, accent lights (rechargeable if you don’t want to rewire), fairy lights, and dimmers provide soft, layered lighting that will create depth and atmosphere.
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