As more people flock to San Diego, the city has been building smaller to make room. In fact, the average single family home has shrunk by 259 square feet since 2010 — one of the steepest drops among the nation’s 20 largest metro areas. And with the average home now priced around $1M, getting ample space without breaking the bank is a tall order.
But smaller square footage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort or style. In many cases, downsizing opens the door to better locations and lower housing costs — and with the right strategies, you can make a small home feel surprisingly spacious.
Minimalist living and clever space-saving techniques are gaining ground, from vertical storage solutions to double-duty furniture. A shift in mindset — and a bit of creativity — can go a long way. Even renting a San Diego self storage unit can be a game-changer, giving you space to stash seasonal items, extra gear or anything that doesn’t fit neatly into your daily life. It’s not lost — just stored smartly.
If you’re ready to make the most of a smaller footprint, we’ve put together practical tips to help you optimize your layout, embrace smart storage and live large — no matter the square footage.
Fill your home with practical and functional items
Once clutter sets in, it’s tough to eliminate. Fortunately, you don’t have to resign yourself to a life of tripping over stuff or playing the role of the overwhelmed homeowner.
How do you achieve that? The key is to be smart from the start. Take a good look at your place. Really see it — every nook, every cranny and every opportunity to simplify. Do you truly need that third appliance that does almost the same thing as the other two? Sometimes, less really is more. Embrace the space you have, not the one you wish you had. Work with your home’s layout and flow, and you’ll soon transform it into the space you actually want to live in.
Here are a few practical ways to make that happen:
1. Choose multipurpose furniture
Look for a coffee table that converts into a dining table, or an ottoman that secretly stores your throw blankets. Multipurpose furniture means you get more use out of every piece, and you’ll spend less time dodging sharp corners or tripping over clutter. It’s like giving your furniture a secret identity. Think Clark Kent by day, Superman by night.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of top-rated San Diego stores that offer great modular furniture options:
Modani
Rating: 4.8/5 (380 reviews)
Location: 1530 Camino De La Reina #C-2, San Diego, CA 92108
Sleek, sophisticated, and modern – that’s what you’re getting when you walk through the doors of Modani. Known for their modern takes on classical furniture pieces, all items here are created with the sole purpose of bringing together purpose and function. Every piece begins with a story and focuses on simple designs and practical furniture that reflect how you live. The raving reviews are another brick that cements their position as the place to be when you’re looking for modular furniture.
D3 Home
Rating: 4.9/5 (103 reviews)
Location: 2400 Kettner Blvd #106, San Diego, CA 92101
If you’re on the lookout for a customized sofa, you’re at the right place at the right time. D3 Home Modern Furniture is known for their meticulosity and wide variety of pieces that include both indoor and outdoor furniture. You can pick, combine, and create the home of your dreams.
Woodbridge Interiors
Rating: 4.8/5 (194 reviews)
Location: 7480 Miramar Road Suite B106, San Diego, CA 92126
Woodbridge Interiors believes furniture is meant to be renewed, not replaced. Modular and practical for everyday life and its challenges, their pieces are designed to handle it all, whether it’s kids jumping or dogs playing on the couch.
2. Pick headboards with shelves
This is a two-for-one trick. Tuck your favorite books or TV remote right into your headboard shelves. When it’s time to settle in for the night, everything you need is within arm’s reach, with no need to get up. Just be careful not to knock anything over if you’re the type who tosses and turns.
3. Use a sleeper chair
Instead of a bulky pull-out couch that can take over your room and make unfolding a tight squeeze, try a sleeper chair. It offers the same function but in a much smaller footprint, making it perfect for saving space. During the day, it works as a comfy chair — ideal for diving into that new book or enjoying a warm cup of tea on a rainy evening. When you need it, it effortlessly converts into a bed without demanding extra room.
4. Opt for Murphy beds that have an integrated desk
Can’t decide between a dedicated working area or a comfortable bed that doesn’t take up too much space? You’re in luck, because you don’t have to when you say yes to a Murphy bed that has an integrated desk.
Use mirrors to open up the space
Mirror, mirror on the wall, how can I make my room feel tall? The answer is simpler than you might think. Mirrors are magical interior design tools and the perfect companion for creating the illusion of space and light. You can instantly make any room feel larger by placing them strategically. Just make sure you don’t place a giant vase in front of them to render them pointless.
Start by hanging a large mirror across from a window to reflect natural light and bring the outdoors in. For narrow hallways or small bedrooms, consider a series of smaller mirrors arranged in a pattern to add depth and dimension. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors or mirrored furniture can also work wonders, as they visually expand your space.
Work the shape of the mirror into the existing design of the room. If there are arches in your house, go with an oval-shaped mirror to let the elements complement one another. If the space and decorations are more angular, maintain the flow and choose rectangular mirrors to accentuate key corners that need to feel bigger.
Mount your hobby equipment without using floor space
San Diego isn’t called the city with the best climate for nothing, and that means outdoor activities here really get their chance to shine. The downside to that is if you’re into more than just casual strolls around town, you’ll probably end up collecting some gear along the way. And let’s be honest — that gear can quickly eat up your living space.
When your floor is already at capacity, change your perspective and look at your walls instead. Mount your bike using heavy-duty metal hooks that can handle the weight, and just like that, you’ve reclaimed a chunk of your floor. The same trick works for those hiking backpacks and helmets that never seem to fit in anywhere. Hang them up and watch your room instantly feel bigger. If water sports such as surfboarding are more up your alley, you can use the same tactic with the surfboard.
Make more room with vertical storage
Vertical space can be a godsend when square footage is so coveted. Besides clearing up floor space, which instantly opens your room and lets you play with new design ideas, mounting items on the wall makes the space feel bigger and brighter. There are other advantages as well. For example, having your TV at eye level means you won’t have to crane your neck looking down, saving you from those annoying aches over time.
Floating shelves are a great sidekick here. They keep the floor clear while giving you a spot to show off little things you love, be it a favorite figurine, a small plant or whatever adds a personal touch. Think vertically, and you’ll notice the difference the moment you walk in.
Pro tip: Use masking tape to secure and hide cables. Unless you want your space to be taken over by those sneaky little electrical snakes that love to pile up and make your room look messy, this trick keeps everything tidy.
Use a storage unit
Besides living spaces not being quite as generous as in other cities, San Diego is confronted with another often encountered issue: it rarely has basements.
As a result, homes can start to feel cramped and crowded much more easily than you might expect, with clutter piling up before you know it. Finding creative ways to maximize every square foot of your living space has become a lifelong activity rather than a simple interest.
There are plenty of items that are simply better off in a storage unit. Some top contenders for that include:
- Seasonal items: Holidays like Christmas and Halloween only come around once a year, so there’s no need to let festive decorations take up space all year long. That Christmas tree doesn’t need to claim a corner of your home for eleven months — give yourself back that space.
- Children’s toys: Rotate your kids’ toys by storing those that aren’t currently in use. This way, you keep only the favorites on hand while also making rediscovering stored toys an exciting event for your children.
- Bulky camping and hiking gear: Not every tent or oversized backpack fits comfortably in a smaller home. Store them away until your next adventure when you’re not using them daily.
- Books: If you’re a book lover, your shelves will be thankful for a refresh. Move books you haven’t touched in years to storage and make room for new reads.
Now, you might be wondering about the cost of a storage unit. In San Diego, for example, a smaller 5’x5’ unit typically costs around $75 per month. If you need more space and temperature control, a 10’x10’ unit can run about $180 per month, whether climate-controlled or not.
Go digital
We know, it’s tough to let go of every receipt and ticket you’ve held onto as little tokens of fond memories or records of your finances. But what if you finally freed that one drawer where every receipt and scrap has multiplied into a clutter colony, jamming the drawer every time you try to open it?
Instead, go digital and watch how that drawer can become useful again and maybe even help you in more meaningful ways. Scanning and turning everything into a digital format is a simple, straightforward task nowadays, so it shouldn’t take up much of your time or require much effort.
Scan it, digitize it and carry it with you wherever and whenever you need it. Double the benefits, with no clutter in sight and everything organized at your fingertips.
For book lovers, a Kindle can be a game changer. It can hold thousands of exciting stories, all within one sleek rectangle. You can easily take it with you wherever you go, without worrying about how to fit five books into your luggage or where to put them in your living room.
Turn clutter into decorations
Sometimes, the best way to embrace the existing clutter in your home is to transform it and give it a shiny, new role.
Turning existing items into new décor, for example, is a great way to keep everything front and center and even make it a nice trip down memory lane. Here’s how you do it:
- Corkboard: Gather all those receipts, bus tickets from your trip to Europe and flyers you have lying around, and pin them on a corkboard above your desk. Add little notes about each piece and what it reminds you of. This way, you can decide what’s worth keeping and what should be tossed to make room for new memories.
- Pegboard: Pegboards are all the rage right now, and part of their charm is how customizable they are. You can add shelves, compartments, hooks and more to organize things like paper clips, erasers or scattered movie tickets. It’s a practical way to combine function with stylish design.
- Frames: Use a large frame to display your mementos. Think of it as an urban painting of your favorite activities. You can paint the background to match your theme and give it a new spot on the wall or a shelf.
Lean into the climate
If you’ve got a balcony, you’ve got a little extra space just waiting to be transformed into your new favorite haven. San Diego’s gentle breezes and pleasant climate is on your side, so why not embrace it fully? You can create a quiet haven for yourself and a home for those stray items that don’t quite fit anywhere else.
A small chair, a compact table and a few decorations that no longer fit on your shelves will turn your balcony into the perfect spot for reading. Imagine how your morning coffee will feel even more pleasant when you have your own little corner to savor the moment.
Add a basket filled with things that match your hobbies — maybe a hoop for sewing, some yarn for knitting or a stack of comic books you’ve been meaning to dive into. It can become your personal escape, right outside your door.
The classic under-bed storage solution
What is a bed if not the perfect cover for some hidden storage space? Well, that and your sleeping zone, of course. It can be a clever spot to tuck things away with intention rather than just shoving clutter underneath.
Items that belong to your bedding setup, like towels, linens, bed covers and pillows, should take priority. It ensures that everything stays neat and easy to find.
If you have extra space, consider clear containers for less frequently used items such as old clothes, seasonal shoes like hiking boots, and beach gear. Bulky puzzle boxes that you don’t reach for often are also a great choice, as well as crafting supplies.
Stack items
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — just stack it. This is quite a straightforward approach, and it works for a reason. Stacking has long been a clever way to turn piles of boxes into neat, compact towers that don’t take over every inch of your space.
Start by grabbing some transparent boxes that can easily stack on top of each other. Place them wherever you have some extra room — whether that’s in your wardrobe, living room or any other spot that fits. People tend to forget about things they don’t see or interact with, which is why transparent boxes work better: You can always see what’s inside.
To up your organization game, try color-coding the boxes — maybe blue for clothes, green for kids’ toys and so on. The whole point is to make your life simpler and your space feel more open.
As San Diego apartments continue to shrink, now’s the perfect time to let your creativity shine and see your home from a fresh perspective. You might find that spots like under-bed storage become surprisingly useful for hiding boxes of things you don’t use often. Shifting your focus from floor storage to vertical storage can also be just what your home needs to feel more spacious.
Don’t overlook simple solutions like adding mirrors or turning clutter into décor. And if you have bulky items or things you rarely use, self storage can be a handy option to clear out the clutter all at once.
