Choosing to live or work in a yurt is a decision that reflects mindfulness and simplicity. Yurt living is a perfect way to decide what really matters, and the small size and round shape of the structure challenges individuals to make the most of their limited space. Here are several tips for increasing storage and saving space in your yurt while still embracing #yurtlife and the #tinyhomemovement.
Lofted Room
Lofting a room in your yurt allows for tons of extra space and a unique look. For instance, lofting your sleeping area allows you extra privacy and creates a “room” in an otherwise open-concept home. Other options include setting up an office space, extra storage area, or entertainment room in a loft.
When considering a lofted space, keep accessibility in mind. You’ll need to use a ladder to access whatever space you create in your loft, so creating a space that doesn’t need to be accessed each day may be best if the ladder will pose any mobility challenges.
Stairs
If you decide to include stairs in your yurt that go up to your lofted bedroom or office, you can utilize the space underneath in several ways. Use the space under a normal staircase for closets, shelving, or even a bathroom. Want to opt for something practical, aesthetically pleasing, and unique, but that doesn’t take up a lot of room? Spiral staircases look beautiful and have a relatively small horizontal footprint.
Small Bathroom Facilities
One common solution for including a bathroom in your yurt setup is to establish an outhouse closeby — but not everyone wants to leave the yurt each time they need to use the restroom. Although yurts are a bit smaller than your average house and even most apartments, you can still include comfortable, modern amenities, such as bathrooms, without taking up too much space.
Partition a small section or closet on the opposite side of the kitchen wall so that they can share the water source, and look for smaller-sized toilets, showers, and sinks. If you want a bathtub in your yurt’s bathroom, opt for a free-standing tub with a wrap-around curtain for a minimalist, vintage look. Install floating shelves for bathroom storage to save space around the sink and toilet.
> Read More! Yurts as Tiny Homes
Floor-to-Ceiling Bookshelves
To increase space and add a pleasing design element to your yurt, consider adding floor-to-ceiling shelving along the yurt walls or as wall partitions between “rooms.” These shelves will be able to store everything from books, records, and knick-knacks to glassware and pots and pans. Their space-saving capabilities are matched by their appealing aesthetic, drawing your eye upward to give the illusion of more space while showing off the items that reflect your personality.
Multi-use Furniture
Using convertible, expandable, or portable furniture in your yurt will allow you to save space and get the most out of each piece you choose to include in your tiny home. Multi-purpose furniture pieces can really boost your organization game and help your yurt stay neat and tidy. Drop-leaf tables, coffee tables or bar carts with built-in shelving, folding or stackable chairs, and futons, Murphy beds, or lifted beds with underneath storage are all examples of multi-purpose furniture that can transform your yurt.
Hanging Items
Think about what you can hang from the wall or ceiling to increase your space. Instead of finding places to set flower vases or pots, choose hanging planters. When it comes to pots and pans in the kitchen, consider installing a hanging rack for easy organization and access. If you use folding tables or chairs in your dining area, you can attach hardware to make it easy to mount them on the wall when they are not in use.
Other ideas are to add a coat rack by your entrance to hang clothing or bags that would otherwise get stuffed in a closet, install a bulletin board for documents and mail, or hang floating shelves around your yurt to display knick-knacks, frames, and plants.
Partitions
Instead of trying to build walls within your yurt, think outside the box (or circle, if you will). Utilize large bookshelves, decorative dressing divider screens, or colorful curtains as wall partitions to divide rooms. With portable solutions such as divider screens and curtains, you’ll be able to change around the layout and suit the space for different occasions easily.
Outdoor Space
Since the space inside of your yurt is quite limited, think about what you can do with the outside area surrounding your yurt. If you don’t mind making trips between your yurt and outside, setting up an exterior bathroom and shower facility is a great way to increase your yurt’s livable space. You can also create outdoor dining areas and kitchen solutions, as well as extra seating for entertaining guests (depending on your location’s climate).
Steel-framed yurts from WeatherPort®, a brand from Alaska Structures, combine the traditional aspects of classic yurts with modern engineering and manufacturing methods, ensuring that your yurt can withstand extreme weather and last for decades. Our yurts are also completely customizable, which means our experts work with you every step of the way to design the perfect yurt for your specific needs.
WeatherPort® is a brand of high-quality fabric buildings from Alaska Structures®. If you are interested in learning more about our fabric buildings and remote camp systems please contact us by calling +1-907-344-1565 or completing our online form to request a consultation.
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