Truth be told, I have never lived in a place over 1,300 square feet. In my twenties, I lived in an even smaller (500 sq ft) studio apartment and can confidently say that from childhood to adulthood, I have learned the art of getting creative with the space I have.
After my apartment flooded a few years ago (a blog post for another day), my husband and I were able to move back into a newly-renovated blank-slate of an apartment. We took it as an opportunity to utilize space differently and accommodate kids, sleeping situations, and even creative food organization. I learned a lot through that process and have several tips and tricks to share with you. Here are my top three:
Wall Space: When you don’t have much floor space it is helpful to utilize wall space. You can do this by mounting your TV, adding additional shelving, and creating a dedicated wall display for items that would normally be tucked away in totes. You can even get creative and make your normal toys and misc. items a part of your decor. For example, I’ve seen a kid’s room decorated with a pegboard wall which hung all their squirt guns! So fun and so smart. In our apartment we have our bikes hung on the wall in our bedroom. It works really well to get them out of the way and surprisingly I hardly notice them anymore. We also have a gear wall in the spare room, I won’t go into detail about it because you can read all about it here.
Hidden Storage: When I finally started collecting better furniture (meaning it wasn’t a hand-me-down) I bought new furniture with purpose, function, and multi-use. For example my couch has a chase and under the chase is a hidden storage area. I love having hidden storage and it all started when I was about five years old with the empty space under my bed. You know how much stuff you can cram under your bed when you are in a rush to clean up?! I should have received an award as a child. Typically cleaning my room meant pushing it all under the bed to sort through later. My parents eventually caught on so I moved my messes to the closet (which wasn’t much better). The closet and bed area are great places to store and organize extra items that aren’t used daily. As an adult, I now utilize these spaces to my advantage and tend to put items there that aren’t used daily.
Toss It: Yep you heard me correctly, if you are not using it, just get rid of it. Items quite literally take up space, collect dust, and clutter an already small living area. If you haven’t used it in the last 6-12 months… part ways with it. I have to tell this to myself often. To be really real with you, I hoard clothing. I had a few bad experiences where I regretted donating something and it has plagued me for the last decade. It’s extremely hard for me to part ways with items that “could come back into style” or that I could re-purpose. I have to take my own advice and just toss it when it hasn’t been used in a significant amount of time. Easier said than done, I know.
There you have it- my top three tips and tricks for saving space in your small living situation. Whether you are hanging it on the wall, hiding it strategically, or tossing it there are plenty of ways to maximize your home organization. Get creative! I’d love to hear if you have any other space saving ideas.
The Salty Exchange 