Do you find that you are in need of storage but there just doesn't seem to be any in your small space?
No matter how small the space, there are always ways to find more storage.
Storage in a small space requires a bit of thinking outside-the-box, as well as rethinking exactly what we're keeping and why we're hanging onto those items.
Today I'll be sharing five creative ways to live more organized and comfortably in a small space, and tomorrow will be part two with the next five.
1. Declutter: Every item in your home should meet at least one of these two criteria:
Choose one area or room. Begin pulling out (and donating or dumping) items that don't meet these organizing standards.
2. Food should be part of your decluttering efforts too: Be sure that nothing you have in your pantry, cabinets, or refrigerator...or on top of your counter...has gone past the expiration date. If it has, toss
it in the trash.
Non-perishable food that is still good, but that you'll never use, can be donated to a local food pantry.
3. Rethink Storage: Don't worry about using your cabinets "the right way" to store your kitchen goods. "The right way" is the way that works best for you.
Set up "centers" to store items that are traditionally used together. For instance, store all of your baking goods (flour, sugar, spices, shortening, etc.) together in a "baking center."
Store all of your dishes and glassware together in a place that makes unloading the dishwasher easier.
Store your pots and pans in a cabinet next to the stove. That way they are close to where they are used.
4. Creative Counterspace: As much as we would all love to have acres of counter space, the reality is the opposite for most folks.
To maximize the counter space you have...
If you have room, a moveable kitchen island with a butcher block top will add counter space as well as additional
storage.
5. Think Up: Many times we ignore, or just plain don't see space that can be used for storage. We tend to think of storage in terms of bulky furniture, and we often don't have the floor space to support that.
However, our walls are prime real estate.
You might install a kitchen pot rack to save space and keep all of your pots and pans visible, without them taking up space in
your cabinets.
A floating shelf can be used in most any room of the house to serve storage purposes.
Jewelry can be cleverly stored on the wall, hidden behind a wall-mounted mirror specifically designed for storing these items in a small
space.
I hope some of the ideas have sparked a bit of small-space creativity. Stay tuned for the next five in tomorrow's issue.
