If you live in a small apartment, you might find that organizing it and keeping it free of clutter can be difficult. Where do you put all of your stuff when you don't have enough room to store it in? The following a list of rooms and 5 organization tips that can potentially keep the clutter from taking over in them.
Use a dinnerware organizer in your kitchen cabinets. These space savers can separate your plates from your bowls or coffee mugs and give you a place to keep them safe, without taking up a lot of room.
If you don't have a medicine cabinet or a closet then use baskets to keep your bathroom materials organized. Wash cloths can easily be rolled up and placed in a basket that you can either place on the floor, on the sink, or on the back of the toilet.
If you have a lot of shoes and nowhere to put them then a flat box, or one of those fabric shoe organizers, that can easily slide under the bed can be a great way to store your shoes and keep them organized so that when you need them you'll be able to find both feet.
Kids need lots of shelf space. For something a little different from a regular book shelf, consider using an old entertainment center. Take the door off (or not) and paint it a fun color. Use clear shoe boxes or other plastic tubs for loose toys, puzzles, stuffed animals, and balls.
If you have the tendency to kick off your shoes when you first walk in the door then place a large tote or bin near the door. As you and your family enter the apartment, take the shoes off and place them in the container. That way, you won't be searching around the house for them and they won't take up space in the middle of the floor.
A flat basket in the living room works well for a lot of things. It can hold magazines or pieces of mail that are important.
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I read a book on decorating years ago that talked about storage in an NYC apartment & this wisdom stuck with me. Use every space you can. So I store yarn in my hassock & slip boxes under my easy chair & have gone UP with my home office with a $30 Desk set up from Good will!) That lady also had cloths on end tables & would stash things underneath. I just have small chests of drawers functioning as end tables that have 3 drawers each to put things in (Hubby's work papers & my craft items)....I have a tiny area near the door which has an umbrella stand & we have a coat rack next to the door & even one On the door & also hat racks in that little entry area. Hang things UP if you can! I have another rack in my similarly tiny"hall" which I hang hats & scarves on & even a narrow CD bookcase filled with CDs! Every door has a place to hang things on one side!
I have installed extra shelf hangers in the kitchen cabinets, which doubles the storage & hubby glued another rack on the fridge, which we hang mugs on. There are also nails to hang more mugs on & dish towels. I have potholders hanging close to the stove on a decorative rack! The spices are on a round lazy-susan on the portable dishwasher along with the microwave and more of them are on a little shelf put over the faucets at the sink....We used to put the ironing board just between the frig & the back wall - but with the new frig, it goes in the broom closet, which is filled with cleaning supplies.
In the bathroom, we have squeezed in 2 matching CD towers (they make great narrow shelves) on each side of the toilet, to optimize the space, going up again. You get the idea.
It's hardly modern spare design but everything has its place, almost.
A large, round, barrel-like plastic trash can: remove the lid (save for later if you need to use the trash can for the original use), then have a piece of plywood cut to fit the top of the round trash can and also have a piece of glass cut the same size. Many discount stores have round tablecloths which you can put over the plywood, and it will drape to the floor, and then put the glass on top of the cloth for protection, sturdiness. Use as an end table. You can store a lot of out of season clothing in those trash cans, out of season linens, etc.
I am in the process of downsizing from my home of 26 yrs-3br3ba and 3 finished levels! I have moved to a 1 Br apartment. I find all these suggestions helpful, but the kitchen cabinets are sooo small I cannot even fit a dinner plate. I have room in one cabinet that holds 6 wine glasses,3 drinking glasses, and my coffee mugs.
Frustrating, isn't it?! I can certainly commisserate. The best solution I've found thus far is open shelves, floor to ceiling (with a little step-stool to reach the upper shelves) and as long as the wall allows. Pantry items in assorted glass jars add to the decor (in my humble opinion), higher shelves for things less used of course.
Wine glasses beside a small wine rack, perhaps?
Run the shelves in front of a window if you like, and add a few plants?
Good luck to you.
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