September 18, 2008
Making the Most of a Small Space
Small spaces don’t have to be, feel or look cramped. If you think you’d be organized if only you had more space, think again because it isn't necessarily true. Even a small space can be well organized, clutter-free, bright and enjoyable. The trick is to be smart about your decorating and storage solutions. Here are some tips and strategies you can use right now to help you maximize minimal space and get your things in order.
TIP #1 – CLEAR OUT CLUTTER: There's nothing that makes a small space feel cramped and uninviting more than having too much “stuff”. If you’re the type who tends to put things anywhere there’s room or continues to buy until you fill up any space you have, you’ll soon be overwhelmed and disorganized, whether you live in a small space or a large space. Get real with your stuff and move out whatever you don’t need, use or cherish it. Go through all your possessions and every place you use for storage. You may be surprised by how much space is taken up by extraneous items. Once you’ve pared down, work out ways to get what’s left out of view – organize it behind doors, stow it underneath your bed, or neatly corral it on shelves. With things out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open.
TIP #2 – OUT WITH OLD (OR EXTRANEOUS): Instead of becoming paralyzed when faced with the chore of editing your belongings, try creating an “out-box”, a container that acts as a kind of halfway house for things you’re considering getting rid of. It lets you start clearing the clutter without a commitment or final decision. When an item sits in the box for a week or so, it usually becomes easier to part with. If you absolutely cannot get rid of enough belongings to live comfortably, it’s probably time to think about off-site storage. Perhaps the prospect of an extra monthly bill will be enough to convince you to let go of the unneeded, unused and unloved.
TIP #3 – FORAGE FOR STORAGE: Look around for open, empty space that can work as a storage area. Don't just look on tables or in closets; any open space has potential. Look up, down and all around. Consider built-ins. When you build-in things, you don't have leftover, useless, vacant space and corners. Even if you don’t plan on staying forever, built-ins can be designed to be flexible enough to take with you when you leave. You can still make a space interesting and highly functional even if you don’t own it.
TIP #4 – DOUBLE DUTY: One reliable way to get the most out of your square footage is by selecting furniture that doubles as storage. Finding furniture that fits your style, needs, space and pocketbook is now as easy as shopping online. The Internet has made the ability to view dozens of styles at once and compare prices side by side a breeze no matter how big - or small - your living space is:
- Choose a small chest of drawers or a table for the end of a sofa or beside a bed that has a closed base with drawers or shelves rather than spindly open legs. They will provide more storage than a side table.
- Look for ottomans with tops that lift up so you can stash your odds and ends before you put your feet up.
- Look for a desk with drawers that can hold files and office items rather than an open writing desk.
- Choose a bench with a hinged lid for the end of a bed or under a window. Use the space inside to store blankets, sheets, extra towels, out-of-season clothes, etc. In the front entryway, it can serve as a perch for removing shoes and a place to stash them.
- A skirted table can hide a multitude of things. All you need is a tablecloth, sheet or simple piece of fabric that goes to the floor. Put it over a small chest, low filing cabinet or bookcase and voila! instant hidden storage.
- Use a coffee table that has a shelf or drawers or other storage area to hold coasters, books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, games, remote controls, etc.
- Placing a tall, narrow table behind a sofa creates a small home office area and can also double as a snack station or buffet set-up area for entertaining.
TIP #5 – CLIMBING THE WALLS: The easiest way to increase your storage capacity is to utilize vertical space. Even the smallest of spaces usually has room for shelves or a tall bookcase. In addition to books, use shelves to store bins and baskets containing smaller items, electronic equipment and to display decorative objects. 12" deep shelves give great storage without taking up a lot floor space or protruding much into a room. A shelf or small bookcase in the entry area can be used as a spot to drop keys, charge your cell phone, leave out-going mail or handle anything else you need to get out the door fast in the morning.
TIP #6 – BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: Since it's not ideal to have to look at the things you're storing in a small space - unless they're decorative - think about enclosing shelves and cabinets behind curtains or doors. If you’re buying new furniture opt for a bookcase with doors instead of using an open one. Not only will it be neater looking, there won’t be as much to dust!
TIP #7 – SPACED OUT: If your bookcases or cabinets have adjustable shelves, make sure they're spaced appropriately to hold what you have. If all the shelves are arranged at 14" but most of your books are 8" high, you're wasting 6" of space per shelf. Measure the items you need to store to determine the most useful shelf heights for your particular things and take the time to reorganize them.
TIP #8 – HEADS UP: Don’t forget spaces that are higher up on walls. Install shelves 12" to 18" below the ceiling to display collectibles, plants, photos, etc. An often over looked space is above the windows of a room, mount a shelf there for displaying things you don't use but love to look at. You can buy ready-made shelves and mounting brackets at The Container Store, Gracious Home, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot and other building supply and hardware stores.
TIP #9 – LIBERATE SPACE: Optimizing use of the space under your bed gives you more options for storage and frees up other critical storage areas like closets. Regardless of its size, there's a lot of storage space under a bed. You may already be using it, but haphazardly shoving things under there is not ideal. Measure the space - vertically and horizontally - and buy storage boxes especially made to slide underneath beds. Keep your shoes, out-of-season clothes, sports equipment, extra office supplies, holiday decorations, wrapping paper, etc. neat and out of the way. Don’t forget to put labels listing the contents on the ends and/or sides of the boxes so you can easily tell what’s inside. If your bed isn’t high enough off the ground to accommodate under bed containers, you can buy bed risers to lift the legs up.
TIP #10 – THE FLOOR IS NOT AN OPTION: Items strewn all over the floor - or anywhere else, for that matter - is NOT a generally accepted organizing strategy. And if you’ve got roommates and are cluttering communal spaces with your “stuff”, listen up before you get read the riot act: With all the good looking and highly functional baskets, bins and other containers out there, there’s no reason why items should be living for extended periods of time on any floor, chair, bed, desk, sofa, or table. It’s time to go shopping and liberate the floor!
TIP #11 – BIGGER IS BETTER: Avoid a cluttered look, by using a few large, simple pieces of furniture or accessories in place of several smaller pieces. With open space and neutral colored, monochromatic furniture (avoid plaids, stripes or prints; add texture for interest), the room will appear to be more calm and comfortable. Keep in mind that contrasting colors tend to break up a space and pieces of furniture are less intrusive if they match the wall color.
TIP #12 – A ROOM WITH A VIEW: By using materials you can see through, such as glass or Lucite for tables or tabletops, anything beyond will appear farther away and will make a small space feel larger. So will choosing short pieces like an ottoman, an armless, open chair or a low table. If you can see the floor, the room will also look larger so move furniture away from walkways and place large, tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open.
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MILLER ORGANIZING. All rights reserved.
14 Stuyvesant Oval
NYC, NY 10009