Organization in a Small Apartment

by Jessica
(Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Hello,

I stumbled across your site, and I'm so glad I did. I would love to have an organized home, but I live in a small apartment with NO storage space and so I often just end up feeling cluttered no matter what I do.

I'm moving soon to another small apartment, and so I am in the purging state of mind.

Any advice on how to keep a small space clutter free?

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Organization in a Small Apartment

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Jun 04, 2008
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Excellent Question. NEW
by: Tracy

Hi Jessica, you ask a very good question. It can seem very difficult to organize a small space, but the truth is, it can be done. Here are some ideas for you:

Declutter. Moving is the perfect time to declutter because you have to sort through all of your things to pack them anyway. Be aggressive in this area. A good rule of organization, especially when it comes to small spaces, is you can only have as many things as you have space to store them. Anything more is clutter.

Take advantage of all of the space you have. You might have to think outside the box a little bit when it comes to finding storage in a small space, but you will probably be surprised at how much space you can come up with. Can you add some shelves inside a closet? Can you store anything in sealed containers under a bed? Can you purchase furniture that doubles as storage space? Here is an article that I wrote that might help you find hidden storage in your new place: Are You a Space Waster?

If you are short on closet space, get yourself some vertical hangers - the kind where only one hook actually hangs on the rod and the rest of the hangers actually hang down off of the top hanger. These take advantage of the vertical space in your closet and save horizontal space.

Get creative in the kitchen. A little trick like creating a baking box, where you store all of your baking supplies in a plastic storage container with a lid, can really free up cabinet space. You can store your baking box anywhere that you have a little space - even if it is in another room. Whenever you need to bake, just grab your box and everything you need is at your fingertips. You can do the same thing with dried herbs and spices.

These are just a few tips to get you heading in the right direction. The key is to be diligent in your efforts to declutter and to open your mind to out of the ordinary ways to use the space you have.

Best wishes for a happy, organized life in your new place.

Feb 06, 2011
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Other Ideas to Organize a Small Space NEW
by: threenorns

I've found that looking at other cultures - Asian, mostly - that have to deal with cramped spaces gives a lot of great ideas.

for example, your "baking box" idea - Indians use a "masala dabba" for their spices. they store them in whole dried form, not ground, as they last about 3wks longer than forever (ground spices last about 2 minutes shorter than never).

The Japanese have a really great idea called a "tansu" cupboard: it's a cupboard unit that looks like a staircase - because that's what it was!

Second floor living space was taxable as a luxury, so they created this ingenious piece of furniture so it could be moved about the room (and away from the trapdoor concealed in the ceiling). One example here. (this one is Chinese).

This one clearly shows how they used boxes, chests, and drawers and stacked them up into a single furniture unit - even easier to conceal its true purpose.

Don't underestimate your walls, either, and not just for shelving. I live with my 3yr old daughter - we're moving to a new apt that won't have room for a full dining set but we have family that likes to visit. Folding chairs are okay but you still have to stick them somewhere and, frankly, they look and feel like cheap crap. The solution is to get decent wooden rung or ladderback chairs and hang them up on the wall. When not used for sitting purposes, they can be used as shelves.

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