The Inland Northwest is known for its incredible landscape, four distinct seasons, and diverse architecture. Particularly in Spokane, WA, our neighborhoods are dotted with charming craftsman bungalows, mid-century ranchers, and historic Victorian homes. These properties have immense character and curb appeal, but they often come with a common challenge suited to a different era: limited square footage.
If you love your location but feel like your walls are closing in, you are not alone. Many homeowners find themselves constantly battling clutter, shuffling belongings, or dreaming of an addition just to get some breathing room. However, before you commit to a massive expansion or put a "For Sale" sign in the yard, consider a different approach.
The secret to loving a smaller home isn't necessarily adding more space; it’s about making the existing space significantly smarter.
At Elite-Spokane, we specialize in transforming homes throughout Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. We have seen firsthand how thoughtful design, strategic remodeling, and custom craftsmanship can make a 1,200-square-foot home feel twice its size. Maximizing a small footprint requires moving beyond store-bought organizers and thinking structurally about how your home functions.
Here is our professional guide to unlocking the hidden potential in your smaller home, turning cramped quarters into comfortable, highly functional living spaces.
1. Embrace the Power of Custom Built-Ins
When dealing with limited square footage, generic, freestanding furniture is often the enemy. A store-bought bookcase or media console rarely fits a space perfectly, leaving awkward gaps and wasted inches on either side or above the unit. In a small home, those inches add up to serious lost potential.
Custom built-ins are the gold standard for maximizing space because they are tailored to the exact dimensions of your room.
The Remodeling Approach:
Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinetry:
In living rooms or dens, take cabinetry all the way to the ceiling molding. The upper shelves provide excellent long-term storage for books, seasonal decor, or items you don’t need daily access to, drawing the eye upward and making the room feel taller.
Built-in Banquettes:
In a small kitchen, a traditional table and chairs require a lot of clearance space for scooting in and out. A built-in bench (banquette) against a wall or in a corner not only saves precious floor space but also offers hidden storage underneath the seating for bulky kitchen gadgets or linens.
Recessed Shelving:
Instead of having shelves jut out into a narrow hallway or bathroom, we can often recess shelving between the wall studs during a remodel. This provides valuable storage without encroaching on the walking path.
2. Strategic Wall Removal for Open-Concept Living
Many older homes in our region were built with highly compartmentalized floor plans. You might have a small kitchen separated from a small dining room by a wall, which is then separated from a small living room by another wall. This "choppy" layout stops visual flow and blocks natural light, making the entire house feel smaller and darker than it actually is.
Opening up these spaces is one of the most impactful ways to maximize percieved size. By removing non-load-bearing partitions, you create sightlines that allow the eye to travel across the entire width or length of the house.
A Note of Caution: It is vital to work with experienced professionals when considering moving walls. In many older Spokane homes, what looks like a simple partition might actually be holding up the second floor or roof structure. At Elite-Spokane, we ensure all structural integrity is maintained while creating the open, airy flow modern homeowners desire.
3. Reclaim the Basement (The Inland Northwest Secret)
One advantage many homes in our area have over other parts of the country is the presence of a basement. However, in many smaller homes, the basement is a dark, unfinished catch-all for storage and laundry.
Finishing or remodeling your basement is perhaps the single most effective way to "add" massive amounts of square footage within your existing footprint. This is particularly popular for growing families in areas like Post Falls, ID, who need separation of space without moving to a larger house.
Basement Maximization Strategies:
Relocate the Laundry:
Moving a washer and dryer out of a kitchen closet and into a dedicated, finished laundry zone in the basement frees up prime main-floor real estate for a pantry or mudroom.
Create a "Flex" Zone:
A finished basement is the perfect location for a playroom that keeps toys out of the main living area, a dedicated home office away from the noise upstairs, or a comfortable guest suite.
Egress Windows:
If you are adding a bedroom below grade, installing proper egress windows is code-mandatory for safety. As a bonus, these larger window wells flood previously dark basements with natural light, making them feel just as inviting as the upper floors.
4. Rethink Your Doors
In tight spaces, the swing radius of a traditional hinged door can eat up valuable floor space. A door swinging into a small bathroom or a narrow hallway can make the area feel unusable.
During a remodel, changing how you enter and exit rooms can have a surprising impact on flow.
The Solutions:
Pocket Doors:
The ultimate space-saver, pocket doors slide right into the wall cavity, completely disappearing when open. They are perfect for small bathrooms, laundry rooms, or separating a kitchen from a dining area without sacrificing wall space for a swinging door.
Barn Doors:
For a more rustic or modern aesthetic, sliding barn doors mounted on an exterior track eliminate the swing radius. They serve as functional art and are excellent for closing off pantries or home offices.
5. Utilize "Dead" Zones and Nooks
Every home has them: awkward corners, spaces under staircases, or gaps above doorways that serve no purpose. In a large house, these are architectural quirks; in a small house, they are wasted opportunities.
A skilled design-build team can identify these underutilized zones and give them a purpose.
Examples of Reclaiming "Dead" Space:
Under the Stairs:
This is classic wasted space. We have transformed under-stair areas into intricate pull-out pantry systems, cozy reading nooks for kids, elegant wine storage, or even compact powder rooms.
The "Back Kitchen" or Scullery:
If you have an awkward alcove off your kitchen, turn it into a high-functioning scullery to house countertop appliances (toaster, coffee maker, blender). This keeps your main kitchen counters completely clear, making the room feel much larger.
Above Doorways:
In homes with high ceilings, the space above a doorway is often forgotten. Adding a simple, deep shelf here is excellent for storing luggage, baskets of off-season clothing, or decorative items. This is a favorite trick for maximizing cabin storage near lakes in areas like Newman Lake, WA.
6. Verticality in the Kitchen and Bath
Kitchens and bathrooms are the most work-intensive rooms in the house, and in small homes, they are often the most cramped. When horizontal space is limited, you must think vertically.
Kitchen Strategy:
In many older kitchens, there is a foot or more of "dead space" between the top of the upper cabinets and the ceiling. During a kitchen remodel, we almost always recommend installing new cabinetry that goes all the way to the ceiling crown molding. While you may need a step stool to reach the top shelf, it provides massive amounts of storage for rarely used items, freeing up lower cabinets for daily essentials.
Bathroom Strategy:
Ditch the large, sprawling vanity that dominates a small bathroom. Opt for a floating vanity, which exposes more floor area underneath, tricking the eye into seeing a larger room. Utilize vertical wall space above the toilet with custom cabinetry (not just an open shelf) to store towels and toiletries out of sight.
7. Light, Color, and Reflective Surfaces
While structural changes provide physical space, design choices provide visual space. The way light interacts with surfaces can profoundly change how big a room feels.
The Palette:
It’s a classic rule for a reason: lighter colors make rooms feel larger. Soft whites, creams, and pale grays reflect light and blur the boundaries between walls and ceilings. If you love dark colors, use them as accents rather than the main wall color in small rooms.
Mirrors: Strategically placing a large mirror opposite a window bounces natural light deep into the room and creates a visual "extension" of the space.
Lighting Layering:
A room lit by a single overhead bulb creates harsh shadows that shrink space. A layered lighting plan—using recessed cans for ambient light, under-cabinet LEDs for tasks, and sconces or lamps for warmth—brightens dark corners and makes the room feel expansive.
Conclusion:
Small Home, Big Potential
Living in a smaller home in the Inland Northwest doesn’t have to mean living with compromises. Whether you are in a compact condo in Coeur d'Alene or a starter home in Hayden, ID, your space has hidden potential waiting to be unlocked.
By shifting your perspective from simply organizing clutter to structurally improving how your home functions, you can create a living environment that feels spacious, organized, and perfectly tailored to your lifestyle.
At Elite-Spokane, we love the challenge of small-space design. We believe that clever craftsmanship and intelligent remodeling can make any square footage feel luxurious. If you are ready to stop feeling cramped and start maximizing the home you love, let’s talk.
Contact Elite-Spokane today to schedule your consultation.
Phone: 509.505.6655