Tips for Organizing Small Spaces

Living in an apartment, condo or other small space demands careful organization of one’s belongings.  For many, finding a place for "this and that" is no small task.  This article is filled with tips to help you control clutter and keeps things in their place.

Kitchens have the potential to become disaster areas when not adequately organized.  Pantries are ideal, but if your space does not have one you may be able to turn even a small corner into a makeshift pantry or storage area.  Cabinets are fine, but open shelving allows you to see things at a glance.  Also, think hooks for your pots and pans—even for utensils.  You don’t have to do a major remodeling project when a few changes will improve your space.  Consider installing a shelf about twelve inches from the ceiling that goes around the whole room.  Store items in glass jars so you can see it at a glance and use a stepladder to easily reach.

Of course, custom cabinetry is always an option.  Pullouts and specially designed units can make a small space fit all your kitchenware beautifully.  Even something as simple as a wire grid—the likes of which you might find in a tool shed or garage can be spruced up and hung with all sorts of kitchen items.  If possible, store items near where you will likely be using them and keep rarely used items like roasters packed away until the special occasion you’ll need it for.  Another key is to only keep enough dishes to serve you and the others in your household.  Put the extras in storage until you need them.

When it comes to living areas, there are many different designs for holding media equipment.  If your space is too small for such a unit, consider mounting the television in an upper corner of the room.  Purchase furniture that doubles as something else—flat trunks make stylish coffee tables where items like DVDs or photo albums can easily be stored within and accessed with ease.  Ottomans can be found that open up life trunks.  Shelves can be mounted twelve inches from the ceiling for books or special collectable items.

The one room that rarely seems big enough in any type of dwelling is the bathroom.  Toiletries, towels, and supplies all need to be stored somewhere close by.  There are some traditional storage hubs such as the mirror that doubles as medicine cabinet and the vanity that will frequently harbor rolls of bathroom tissue and cleaning supplies, but more storage space is often needed.  Consider a narrow shelving unit or cabinet hung behind the toilet that could easily house shampoo, soaps, hand towels, bath towels, etc…Any wall space could reasonably accommodate shelves or cabinets for greater storage potential.

Make the most of your closet space and tailor it to suit your storage objects.  If you have a handful of dresses, you may be able to add shelving or even store an additional dresser within.  Cubicle shelves can be installed right up to the ceiling to store shoes, games, magazines, etc…Even inexpensive wire shelving units can help keep a small space tidy and well managed.  Consider transparent plastic totes stacked where items can be easily visible.  If you have plenty of bedroom space and not enough closet room, think about making over an area of the room into a walk-in closet designed to meet your storage specifications.

As for the rest of the bedroom, you can keep many items under the bed contained in flat storage totes—seasonal items like scarves and gloves or bed linen and pillowcases.  By adding a cushion to the top of a trunk, you have a bench that doubles as a storage unit.  Add plenty of shelving or even decorative cabinetry to house additional items like sweaters or quilts.

Being organized is a challenge, but one that simply requires some ingenuity and a careful assessment of your space and belongings.  Keep things you use everyday accessible and pack away items used rarely.  By taking a few weekends to make some organizational changes, you will undoubtedly make daily life more relaxing and enjoyable—your space will also seem less cluttered to visitors and make for an overall more pleasant appearance.

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