Organizing Small Spaces
Living in a small space can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible! You can make it all work with a little creativity to make the most of your space, even if the situation isn’t ideal.
Declutter often 🚛
If you can push past that mental block of being afraid to throw things away, it is really freeing once you’re done! Work with products and tools in the kitchen, bathroom and self-care. Many products are multi-purpose. Get rid of items that can be substituted.
For example, recycle anything broken, worn out or unable to be used by someone else and sell off any items that are worth a decent amount.
Separate rooms into zones ✂
At times one room can serve many purposes. Rather than just throwing everything together, create “zones” within the room to separate the spaces, define their function, and make it easier to keep them organized.
For example, your living space can be divided into the dining area, TV-watching space, and a work area.
Maximize closet space ✨
Put closet systems to really maximize the space. Look for ways to use the space creatively. Just because the house “says” a room is supposed to serve one function doesn’t mean that it has to serve only that.
For example, the basement can be made to fit stored items in the garage. Similarly, use closets, drawers, storage units, desks and dressers spaces to the best of their ability.
Get items off the floor 🧺
Don’t put stuff like furniture, shoes, rugs or big toys in the corner or on the floor. Make use of super cheap pantry bins to hold shoes and keep them organized. Not only does having the floor clear help to tame the clutter, but it also makes it easier to keep your space clean and available for movement.
Utilize vertical space 👆
When you are constrained by small rooms and can’t go “out,” go up! Ensure that you think tall and skinny, vs. short and wide. This will really open up room for your luggage and maximize your space.
For example, bring in bookcases, mount a pegboard on the wall to hold craft supplies etc. It’s pretty and doubles as decoration.
Take out what you don’t need 🙅♀
When you bring something new into your home, try to get rid of something existing that you don’t need anymore.
In order to maintain the decluttered spaces, start off by being super picky about what you bring into your house. When considering getting something new, try to look for something that is multi-purpose and isn’t a duplicate of something you already have.
For example, multi-functional furniture like ottomans and benches that flip open and beds with drawers and other useful built-in storage spaces. Whatever you find to give yourself that extra storage space is worth the investment.
Before buying something, think about where it will go. If you don’t have room for it or, if it will complicate or ruin one of your other organizational systems, don’t bring it home.
Work Those Nooks & Crannies 👩🏭
In any space, no matter the size, you’ll find “dead space”. These little nooks and crannies generally fall between walls and pieces of furniture or appliances, or may even be above or below pieces in your home. The reality is you can likely optimize any little area of dead space that you come across.
Go Right to the Ceiling 💁♀
If you have a bookcase, closet shelving, or cupboard, make sure that you are popping a storage solution on top of it to fill that space between the ceiling. Clearly, you don’t want to be accessing it all the time, so use it for deep storage.
For example, put away your off-season wear in a basket on top of your cupboard and then bring it down to a more prominent location when the weather changes. Replace it with the opposite seasons’ items after you’ve washed them.
To wrap up – space is a hot commodity! Small spaces have their share of cozy perks and less to clean. Learning how to maximize the space you have is key to enjoying a small space. If you can master organizing to efficiently use all your spaces, you’re going to feel like a habitant at the palace.
