Having a home that is pretty is so nice.  But having a home that is pretty and practical makes your life so much more pleasant.  How do you achieve a functional space that works for you?  Think about the space you live in and make it work for you.  In other words: Use the space you have well.

• Starting with your entryway, remember that organization is key.  You don’t want to be bombarded with junk when you first walk in and you don’t want your guests to think your family is a bunch of slobs.  So get yourself some type of storage cabinet and bench combo.  Check out That First Impression and Update Your Entrance for more ideas.

• Having a large room that serves two purposes can be tough.  There’s nothing saying you can’t do it, but just carefully plan out your furniture and design.  The areas should have distinct separations.  But feel free to divide that big room!

• If you have a bench seat built into your dining room or kitchen area, put your table up against and place chairs around it.  This way you are using what you have a taking up less space.  It offers flexibility and ease of movement.  You can even move the table for a party and still have seating!

• Islands in a kitchen offer so much more than counter space.  Have one with built in cabinets or shelves for extra storage where you need it.  And remember that the kitchen is where everyone wants to hang out during a party and with the island in the middle, everyone can hang around it.

• If you have enough room in the bathroom, it’s always best to have two sinks.  This way, you and any other person in the house will have a space to “pretty” themselves up too!

• If you don’t use your bath tub, then opt for a standing shower.  It will free up space in the bathroom, maybe for a second sink!  But keep in mind that you may need a shelf or bench built-in.

• Design your closet with what’s inside, in mind.  A great suggestion from Kit Pollard (houzz.com) is to make a list of everything you have in your closet and then mark how often you use them.  It will help you know how many shelves and drawers you need and where to store things for easy access to what you use most.