Looking for items to help make tiny living easier? Whether you’re converting a school bus into a home on wheels, moving into a comfy cozy apartment, or hitting the road in your RV, every inch of space matters and we’ve got eight must-have items designed to keep your tiny space organized.

“Is this the Best Use of Space?”

All through our school bus conversion process, we kept asking ourselves, “is this the best use of space?” “Can this item serve multiple purposes?” If the answer was, “yes,” into our home it went. The same principles applied when we moved into our travel trailer, and now in our Sabre 37 FLL fifth wheel.

Five years into our full-time RV journey, many of this tiny living items are still around and have held up well, traveling from home to home with us.

Bonus if the tiny living item is durable and inexpensive! Below are a few suggestions for keeping the budget down, and getting the most out of your tiny space.

Hooks

Hooks are a tiny dweller’s best friend. They can be purchased in multipacks or as individual pieces, and are durable enough to hold numerous items, including backpacks, coats, hats, etc. You can purchase removable command strip hooks, or go for something a little more permanent and stylish. We do a combo of both, and if we don’t have at least 20 hooks in the space, we aren’t doing tiny living right.

Magnetic Knife Rack

Another space saving items, and one that can potentially keep sharp items from little hands is a magnetic knife rack. We love our from IKEA, and at only $15, the price was definitely right. Two years into skoolie life and we’ve yet to have an issue with our knives falling during travel days.

Portable Rack for Drying Clothes

We have several clothes items we’d prefer line dry, but there isn’t a lot of space for hanging clothes up, and often campgrounds don’t’ allow an outside clothesline. Thankfully, IKEA is here with this super cute and super durable Pressa clothes hanging rack that’s only $4.99. Can’t beat that price, or the fact that it comes with 16 clips and is easy to hang from almost any place.

Collapsible Laundry Basket

Being able to fold items down and store them away is a tiny dwellers dream, especially if that item is one that isn’t used daily. Collapsable laundry baskets are just that kind of item, and we’ve tried a few versions, but none has served us as well or been as durable as the Camco version. With us from the beginning, I love how easy it is to store and how deep it is when popped open.

Composting Toilet

It is no secret we are big fans of our composting toilet. We’ve talked about how awesome they are on the RV Miles Podcast, and we’ve written about it here. In fact, we love it so much that as we transition out of our bus and into our RV, we fully intend to take our composting toilet with us, thus saving us from the dreaded black tank, and the flimsy RV toilet. In our opinion, no tiny living set-up is complete without a composting toilet, and our favorite is the Nature’s Head Composting Toilet. Worth every penny.

Nesting Bowls

Space is at a premium, so when something comes along that can store multiple items together, consider me sold. Nesting bowls are perfect for the tiny dweller. This particular set from Joseph Joseph features mixing bowls, colander, measuring cups, and more. 9 pieces in all. Plus I like the colors. Bottom line, when it comes to setting up your kitchen look for ways to utilize the space realistically. Nesting items can be a great space saver, just be careful, because too many items nestled together can be a real pain in the butt. Especially, if the item in the middle is one you will use every single day.

Over The Door Hook Rack

Yes, I know I’m back to hooks again, but hear me out. This one has a particular purpose, and that purpose is your bathroom door. You’ll save space, and have more options for holding more towels. We can easily put our family of fives towels on this rack and everything dries. Skip the towel rods and go for a hook rack.

Baskets

Yep, real easy one here. Baskets, baskets, and more baskets. The great thing about a decorative basket is that it kind hide the most random items and still manage to make your space looks great. We have a wicker basket that has random phone chargers, and miscellaneous cords shoved inside, but because it sits on the top shelf, all people see is the pretty basket and not the giant knot of cords. In my bedroom, I have a lovely basket that holds random items, like a mini sewing kit, a jewelry case of items I never wear but can’t part with, maybe some hidden headphones I don’t want anyone to know I have…The point is, baskets can be a great way to add a little style to your tiny dwelling, they come in all shapes and sizes, and they can hold just about anything your heart desires.


Have a tiny living item you can’t live without? Leave a comment and let me know. We can never have too many ways to make the tiny living lifestyle more functional and enjoyable!