How To Build Compact Furniture To Maximize Your Apartment Space

As the housing market continues its overall upward price trend and urbanization becomes more prevalent, many people find themselves living in smaller homes with limited space. But just because you live in a smaller apartment doesn’t mean you have to give up things like style and functionality when it comes to furniture. On the contrary, constraints breed creativity! Add a bit of planning to that, and you can build your own compact furniture, specially tailored to your home and needs.

If you are new to woodworking, you might want to start with a simpler project to learn the fundamentals and work your way up. Building your own furniture requires patience, attention to detail and most of all, the willingness to accept and learn from mistakes.

If you’re ready to start, here are the tools, the resources and the inspiration you need to build your own DIY compact furniture, plus some tips on what to do with your old furniture.

What equipment do I need to build my own furniture?

Of course, today a lot of furniture comes in kits that include all the needed materials, but you still need to supply the tools and the elbow grease! Here are some of the tools and equipment you’ll need to build your own multifunctional furniture:

1. Safety gear – Safety, of course, comes first! Eye protection, ear protection, gloves to protect against splinters and a dust mask are must-haves for woodworking.
2. Measuring tape – Remember the golden rule: measure thrice, check twice and cut once!
3. Saw – The type of saw will depend on what you build. You should at least have a handsaw, but for better and faster results, we recommend a jigsaw or a circular saw.
4. Drill – You’ll probably need to drill holes for screws or dowels. Make sure you have the right drill bit sizes! Always use a nail or a sharp object to make a small pilot hole so that you place your bit properly when you start drilling for real.
5. Screwdriver – Get a screwdriver set with swappable heads – It will take up less space and be easier to adapt to the needs of the build on the fly.
6. Hammer – Not just for hitting nails, you can use hammers to gently tap sections into place or extract crooked or misplaced nails.
7. Level – Check your work often to ensure it’s even and stable.
8. Sandpaper – Smooth out rough edges and surfaces with sandpaper. This will not only make it look like a finished item, but it will also get rid of potential splinters.
9. Paints, stains and finishes – When you have the piece built, it needs a final layer not just for looks but also to protect the wood from the elements.
   Where to find furniture plans and schematics

There are many resources available today for the avid woodworker. You can find online plans on sites like Wood Magazine, Woodsmith Plans or Woodshop Diaries. They usually include lists of needed tools and materials, dimensions and photos for inspiration.
Now that you have the tools and the resources, it’s time to start building! What you’ll build will depend on what furniture you need to get the most out of your space at home, so start with the room that needs space the most.

Popular ideas for compact furniture

Murphy bed

The most popular mattress size in the US is the queen bed, measuring approximately 5’x7’. That’s 35 square feet of surface which you only use at night. A Murphy bed is a bed that you can fold up and store vertically against the wall when not in use. This is a great solution for people who want a comfortable sleeping area but don’t have enough space for a traditional bed.

 

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Multifunctional tables

A table can serve multiple purposes – it can be a coffee table with hidden storage or a dining table that you can fold or retract to a smaller size when not in use. This way, you can use the table for different purposes throughout the day without taking up too much space.

 

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Underbed storage

It’s time for the monsters under the bed to move out because that space is too precious to let go to waste! Take advantage of this space by building storage drawers or boxes that you can slide underneath. This is a great place to store clothing, shoes or extra bedding without taking up space in the closet.

 

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Hanging Wall Desk

If you work from home, consider building a hanging wall desk that you can fold up when not in use. This will give you a dedicated work area without taking up floor space. You can even build a desk with shelves mounted perpendicularly on the underside, which means that when you fold it up, you’ll have storage space for other items. Just don’t forget to take them off when you fold the table back down!

 

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Modular furniture

Invest in modular furniture that you can rearrange to suit your needs or mood. Modular shelving is a great option as it allows you to stack shelving units vertically or arrange them side by side according to the configuration you want.

 

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Modular sofa-recliner combos also work great when you need to adapt to various spaces. If you’re downsizing and can’t fit everything in, you don’t have to give up the entire set. Put some of the pieces in storage for the future and keep what you can fit.

Where to find the best woodworking tutorials

Materials and plans are all well and good, but nothing can replace actual experience. Few of us have the time and resources to do an apprenticeship but seeing how the experts get things done can still give you some measure of familiarity with the work. There are many talented woodworkers out there who are happy to share their skills in video form on platforms like YouTube.

Some of the best woodworking and DIY channels for building furniture include:

Steve Ramsey – Woodworking for Mere Mortals

Steve Ramsey has been working with wood for decades. What makes him stand out is his approachable persona and his honest desire to help people get into woodworking knowing what the challenges and the rewards are. His YouTube channel has an excellent playlist dedicated to beginners, where he teaches about safety, basic tools, types of screws and anything else you need to know.

Peter Millard

Besides great tutorial videos related to basic as well as more advanced woodworking projects, Peter’s channel also offers no-nonsense reviews of tools, which can be invaluable when you’re starting out – you don’t always need the most expensive equipment to get the best results. He also demonstrates some of his work for clients, which helps you get a better idea of the entire woodworking process from start to finish.

Woodworking Masterclass

If you’re ready to move on to a bigger challenge, Steve Hay’s channel has you covered. Still, it’s worth checking out even if you’re just starting out. His project-based playlists are a treasure trove of knowledge that he’s gained over about 40 years of woodworking, all enhanced by his pleasant personality and presentation.

Epic UpCycling

Maybe you’ve got the skills but aren’t feeling inspired, or maybe you want to work on a budget. Epic UpCycling is great for both. The creator himself, Jason, says the videos are not meant as tutorials. They are, however, excellent sources of inspiration and will give you some great ideas for sourcing your materials from discarded wood or other old furniture, helping you keep costs down.

Woodworking Skill

Continuing the DIY furniture and upcycling theme, Woodworking Skill is a channel that also focuses less on the talking and more on the doing. Of particular note are the videos in which they use old pallet wood for furniture projects. Pallets are one of the cheapest and most ubiquitous sources of wood for the DIY furniture enthusiast and are a great starting point for some surprisingly beautiful projects.

What do I do with my old furniture?

Your old furniture still has a place somewhere. You could donate or sell it, of course, but many choose to keep it in case they make other modifications to their homes or move into bigger places. Building your own furniture often means making it fit a precise apartment, so you can still use your old furniture for other layouts. If you have a large garage, you might be able to store things there, but having a decent-sized storage unit nearby will do the job better and be cheaper. Something like a 10’x10’ unit will fit an entire apartment’s worth of furniture!

But it doesn’t stop there. Building your own DIY furniture can get pretty messy and can take time. Store your raw materials alongside the old furniture and only take out what you need each day. This will prevent your home from looking like a construction site, which is one of the most stressful things about the entire process. Just be careful, as storing paints and thinners in a non-ventilated area is dangerous!

First ask your local storage facility about rules and amenities like ventilation and climate control. In fact, you may as well choose a climate-controlled unit from the start, since humidity and temperature spikes can damage stored furniture. To give you a head start, here are the available storage facilities with climate-controlled units in some of the major cities across the country:

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Now that you’ve got everything, it’s time to build! Using these tips and suggestions, you should be on your way to creating your very own compact multifunctional furniture and making your home truly your own!