Apartment living in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney is very common, and it can come with lots of positives. You get the harbour, the cafes, the walk-everywhere lifestyle — and in return, you work with 40 to 60 square metres. The good news is that small space living gets a lot easier once you stop fighting the floor plan and start using the neighbourhood as an extension of your home.
Think vertical, not horizontal
Floor space is the bottleneck in most Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay apartments, so the answer is to go up. Tall, narrow bookshelves outperform wide ones. Over-door hooks handle bags, hats and towels without eating wall space. Floating shelves above doorframes are surprisingly useful for things you don’t reach for daily — spare linen, travel bags, seasonal gear.
If you’re renting and can’t drill into walls, tension rods and adhesive hooks have come a long way. A ceiling-mounted pot rack in the kitchen gives you back an entire cupboard.
Let the neighbourhood do the heavy lifting
One of the underrated advantages of inner-city living is that you don’t need to own everything — the neighbourhood fills the gaps. Rushcutters Bay Park is your extra living room on weekends. Kings Cross Library on Darlinghurst Road has study desks, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning — open seven days. When your apartment feels tight, a table at a local cafe is a perfectly good home office for the price of a flat white.
The same logic applies to entertaining. A rooftop with a BYO picnic setup beats trying to host eight people in a studio. Rushcutters Bay, the Domain and even the Fitzroy Gardens in Kings Cross all work for this.
The seasonal wardrobe rotation
If your wardrobe is bursting, the problem might not be too many clothes — it might be that you’re storing all four seasons at once. A small self-storage unit can hold your winter coats and boots from October to April, freeing up real wardrobe space for the stuff you actually wear. Kings Cross & Potts Point Self Storage on McDonald Lane has units from one square metre — enough for a few suitcases of off-season gear — and you can access them seven days a week.
Op shops work both ways
Decluttering is easier when you know someone else will use the stuff. Vinnies on Elizabeth Street and their Crown Street shop in Surry Hills both take furniture, clothing and household goods. Drop off what you’re not using and reclaim the space. Going the other direction, op shops are also a smart source for compact furniture — stools that double as side tables, narrow console tables, wall mirrors that make a room feel twice the size.
The balcony is a room
Even a small balcony can earn its keep. A folding bistro table, a couple of stackable chairs and a few potted herbs turn a narrow strip into a dining spot, a reading nook or a morning coffee station. Vertical planters work well if you’re short on balcony floor space — and fresh basil from your own railing beats the supermarket every time.
A few practical tips
- Measure before you buy — every piece of furniture should earn its footprint. Take a tape measure to the op shop.
- One in, one out. If something new comes in, something old goes to Vinnies. It’s a simple rule that stops the slow creep.
- Use the back of doors. Hooks, organisers and shoe racks on the back of the bathroom, bedroom and front door add storage without taking any floor space.
- Light colours and mirrors make a room feel bigger. A large mirror opposite a window does more than a renovation.
Living small in the east isn’t a compromise — it’s a trade-off that works in your favour if you set things up right. The neighbourhood is your backyard, the parks are your living room, and a well-organised 50 square metres can feel like plenty.
For more local guides and practical tips, head to the Laing blog.