Room in a Bag: Small Space, Big Possibility
Maximize your tiny living space with a powerful yet simple method: “room in a bag.” Whether you live in a house, van, skoolie, or RV, this portable system helps you stay organized, focused, and creative—one task at a time.
Room in a Bag: Small Space, Big Possibility
Whether you live in a traditional house, a van, an RV, a skoolie, or even just travel in your car, space can be limited. But that doesn’t mean your lifestyle or creativity has to be. One of the simplest and most impactful systems I’ve adopted is the idea of having a room in a bag. It sounds small, and it is. But it completely reshaped how I use and enjoy my space.
Here’s how it works.
I keep my dining area as a blank slate. The table stays clear—no clutter, no distractions. Then, in a nearby closet (or any small storage area you have available), I store a few bags, each one containing the essence of a specific “room.”
There’s a game bag, a gift wrapping bag, a work bag, a home economics bag, a gym bag, a cleaning bag, a dining bag, and even a library bag. Each bag holds everything I need to transform that one small table into an entirely new space.
When I want to enter a different “room,” I grab the corresponding bag and spread out its contents. Now I’m in the game room, or the felting studio, or the gift wrapping station. The physical surroundings may not have changed much, but my purpose, energy, and focus shift entirely.
The key here isn’t just in organizing stuff—it’s in honoring the moment. I try to fully immerse myself in the task or hobby I’ve chosen, whether that’s reading, working, or wrapping a present for a friend. When I’m finished, I don’t just walk away. I carefully pack everything back into the bag and return it to the closet. That little ritual helps me close out that “room” and mentally reset for whatever comes next.
One of the unexpected bonuses of this system is portability. Want to take game night over to someone else’s rig? Grab the game bag. Want to do some journaling by the lake? Bring the library bag. It’s self-contained, mobile, and easy to share with others.
It’s such a small change in habit, but it gives me a huge return in terms of mental clarity, space management, and creativity. Having a “room in a bag” makes it easier to say yes to hobbies, finish projects, and feel like I have access to more space than I really do. Because really, it’s not about how big your space is—it’s about how intentionally you use it.
