Making Space for My Husband’s Stuff: Part 1

My husband Jonathan and I did things in what some might consider an unorthodox order. In June 2020 we got married, then in September 2021 we moved in together. We didn’t move in together sooner because our pets were incompatible roommates; we took some time to solve that situation first.

Moving in with your partner is a major life event, and one Minima has helped many clients sort through! It can be especially challenging when one partner moves into the other’s pre-existing home (versus buying a new place together). I have lived in my 1020 square foot home in the Fan since 2013 and lived here alone from 2017 until my husband moved in 2021. That square footage often felt palatial for just me. Things didn’t feel so spacious when I began to consider fitting my husband’s clothing into the bedroom or sharing my small home office with him since we both work from home.

This Journal post will share how we made space for his stuff in my old bedroom (now our bedroom) without sacrificing design. While most couples may not be as minimalist as Jonathan and I, there are some great storage hacks I hope will provide inspiration. I plan to share our solutions for other areas of the home in subsequent posts, so check back!

The space before

The bedroom is 11’8” x 11’8” with a 4’ wide x 2’5” deep closet and a small 3’5” x 4’4” nook. When I lived here alone, I had a simple Elfa solution for hanging clothing and shoes in the closet, and one small pine dresser from IKEA. Before my husband moved in, I sketched out different options to add more dresser space for his clothing. Nothing felt right; everything I could think of made the room feel too crowded with furniture. Finally I had my light bulb moment—a storage bed!

The storage bed hack

Instead of adding an additional (or larger) dresser, we decided a storage bed would be the perfect solution. We found the MALM high bed frame with four storage boxes in white stained oak veneer from IKEA and it has been so perfect—I’m obsessed with the way the real oak veneer blends into our oak flooring. It has four under-bed drawers and each individual drawer fits the same volume as my entire previous dresser. We’ve essentially quadrupled our storage without adding additional pieces of furniture in the room!

We use the two drawers on the right (facing the closet) for our folded clothing, and the two drawers on the left (facing the windows) for travel accessories, lint roller refills, the Kindle, and other bedroom accessories. We added the SKUBB boxes in white to create some separation since each drawer is so large.

Saying goodbye to the dresser

Once we got the storage bed, we realized the dresser wasn’t needed, and actually got in the way when we wanted to open the under-bed drawers. I sold the dresser on Facebook Marketplace, but still wanted some sort of surface to place things down (water, phone, etc.) when I was in the room. We decided on the BOTKYRKA wall shelf in white from IKEA (since discontinued), which we also have at the front door downstairs for keys, sunglasses, etc. I hope IKEA brings this piece back, it’s so simple and sleek! We traded out our small MUJI clock (now in the home office) for a larger MUJI wall clock to complete the composition. We also swapped out the HOVET floor mirror for the LINDBYN wall mirror to create more floor space for the drawers to open. The new oval shaped mirror helps soften the rectangular lines of the new storage bed.

BEFORE | My clothing and shoes only

AFTER | An upgraded Elfa system to accommodate my husband’s clothing and shoes

Closet upgrades

We also upgraded our Elfa closet system to include more space for folded clothing (primarily jeans and khakis) as well as shoes. That’s exactly what I love about Elfa from The Container Store—you can change it as your needs change. I’ve had the main solution in the closet since I bought the home in 2013. As my use for the space has changed, I have been able to easily update the components. Elfa is designed and made in Sweden; if you know me, you know I love Scandinavian design so that’s another win! We both store our Away luggage on the top shelf of the closet and upsized our laundry baskets with the FILUR bin in white from IKEA.

A new laundry routine

Speaking of laundry, that routine has changed a bit since we now have two wardrobes to keep clean instead of just mine. My husband and I have created a great system for dividing household chores. I do all the laundry and folding, as well as cleaning in between our monthly cleaning service. He does all of the grocery shopping, cooking, and dish washing. We share the maintenance of the exterior of our home, which is minimal since we’re in the Fan and don’t have much of a yard. Since there is more clothing to wash now, I run a load every other day and I leave our clothes drying rack up 24/7 in the small bedroom nook. Previously I had a plant on display by the window. To learn more about my laundry routine, check out “My Minimalist Laundry Routine”. Thinking outside the box and finding new ways to make space has kept this room a peaceful sanctuary for me and my husband. We love it! If you need some help merging spaces with your partner, please reach out here.

To read the rest of our moving in together story, check out “Making Space for My Husband’s Stuff: Part 2”.

BEFORE | Space for a fiddle lead fig

AFTER | The laundry drying rack has a permanent home