Your Organized Life

My last two posts were on moving, and since it seems that a lot of my own moving has been between apartments, and since apartments are almost always a real challenge to organize, I thought that in this post, it might be a good idea to look into some tips for organizing smaller spaces.

I know there are big apartments. I’ve been in some that are as big as houses, but when I lived in an apartment, the one I lived in and those of my friends weren’t. In fact, not having enough space – especially storage space – was a running theme of life. What closets and cabinets apartments have are usually limited and cramped – one of my kitchens has one single drawer! – so organizing an apartment does call on some special skills.

Movin’ On Up

One of the first things you should consider in organizing your things in a limited footprint is vertical space. Shelving can be your best friend. Bookshelves, for example, don’t have to be just for books; use them for games and toys, artwork and photos, even linens and over-sized serving pieces. If you choose to use opaque storage boxes – and there are some beautiful ones out there now – you can even store a lot of things you wouldn’t normally want displayed on a bookshelf (e.g., small tools, extra office supplies, etc.). Use your imagination.

And don’t forget shelving for kitchens and bathrooms, where space is almost always tight. Some industrial shelving looks great in kitchens, and there a lot of customized bathroom shelving and wall cabinets available these days.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane

Going even higher, what about your ceiling? See if you can incorporate a pot rack in your kitchen. These can save you a ton of precious cabinet space and are practical (in keeping your pots organized and at your finger tips) as well as attractive. Be careful to hang it properly (which isn’t that hard) since apartments usually come with security deposits as well as cramped spaces, and you don’t want to lose yours because you tore out part of the ceiling.

Cabinets and Closets

There are closet systems and organizational tools to help just about any size closet. (Well, I do have a friend whose bedroom closet is five inches deep – you read that right. So I’m not sure what could help her.) Think customized shelving, extra slim hangers, back-of-the-door shoe organizers, etc.

And stackable plastic drawers can expand not just your closet space, but also that in your bathroom and kitchen. Be sure to use easily cleanable materials for any storage you use in kitchens and baths.

Back to Earth

Consider underbed storage – or even a platform bed with drawers – for out-of –season clothes, extra linens, and shoes. To get even better use out of storage for out-of-season clothing and seldom used linens like extra blankets and quilts, try using some of the storage bags and cubes that you can vacuum the air out of.

I think most people would love to have a spacious home with lots of storage, but for many of us, that’s just not reality. If you use your imagination and some of the ingenious products out in the market, however, you can have an attractive place to live in without living like a Spartan.