How to Organize Small Spaces
Something about deciding how to organize small spaces can put people in a panic. Organizing can be even harder in a small space with less area to add shelves and baskets – the things you may want to use to get yourself organized. But organizing in small spaces is also more important, because the space you do have will get overrun with clutter much quicker than in a larger living area.
So where do you start? Figure out the the area of your home that is giving you the most grief and start there. Whether that is your office space, kids room, bathroom or whatever.
When trying to organize any space, the first thing to do is take inventory. If you are working in one room, or even a small section of one room, take inventory of what you have there and decide if it really belongs there. Small spaces will get taken over more quickly by leaving things where they don’t belong. Whether you are working in a closet or a drawer, decide what will be stored there and stick with that. And if you don’t need it, get rid of it.
When trying figure out how to organize small spaces, it is even more important to get creative with storage ideas. You may end up using areas that are just dead space now, in order to find proper homes for all your belongings.
How to Organize Small Spaces:
1) Under the bed is not just for hide and seek. Make use of all of that great storage space under there. You can purchase nice plastic bins on rollers especially meant to go under your bed. But I have found that you can cut the top off of a cardboard box and it will work just fine. Be sure to label each box so you can quickly grab what you need when you are looking for it.
2) The top shelf in the closet quite often gets ignored. Shoe organizers are a great way to get vertical in this type of space. You can stack them up to get the most out of this space.
3) Climb the walls! When you think you have run out of space, go vertical. For example, you may have some great cupboard space in your bathroom but it is filled with towels. Add some cheap shelving to the wall and it’s a perfect place to stack your towels.
When trying to figure out how to organize small spaces, it is important to have a place for everything. And if you don’t need it, get rid of it. You are taking up valuable space that can be used for something more important. And get creative and think outside the box a little. You have space. You may just have to look for it a little harder.
What is the first small space you are going to tackle? #getorganized
About a year ago, I had to move in with my mother as her caregiver after my father passed away. Their house is very small compared to the big country house I was renting before I moved, so I’ve had to put quite a bit of stuff into a storage unit, while trying to make the best use of the space I have in Mom’s house (I’m in a spare bedroom, which also houses the washer/dryer). Because the closet of my bedroom was turned into a space for the washer/dryer, I put a tension rod (like a shower curtain rod) above the washer/dryer to hang clothing on. It’s not fancy, but it works.