In a small home, every bit of space counts. Your home can become a kingdom of clutter before you know it. Luckily, if you choose your battles wisely, you can reclaim your empire and rule a tidy, stress-free space with a few simple guidelines.
Maximize Storage
The foundation of a small space should be functional furniture. Every piece you choose should either have multiple functions or offer storage. Go with options like sleeper sofas, storage chests as coffee tables and bed frames with drawers.
Identify wasted space throughout your home and ask yourself how to utilize it. Slide baskets into the empty space beneath your coffee table. Install closet organizers that allow you to optimize what you have. Little changes quickly add up.
Eliminate Excess
Once you have maximized your storage, consider your belongings. Critically examine every object you own and ask yourself, “Do I really need this? Is the space it takes up worth keeping it?”
Consolidate and eliminate the excess. Save what you want out of magazines and get rid of the rest. Take kitchen tools you rarely use out of your drawers. If you have two things that do the same basic job, such as a hand mixer and a stand mixer, choose one or the other. You will enjoy the reduced clutter more than you will miss the objects.
Prevent A Clutter Uprising
Once you have pared down to the essentials, store smart. Everything should have a place. When you use it, return it to that place when you’re done. Drawer organizers can instantly tame office supplies, makeup, miscellaneous utensils and more. You are not limited to plastic compartments. Use tins, bowls, boxes and baskets that fit what you have.
Invest in clutter containment systems. Create a “landing area” just inside your front door that allows you to sort mail and keep track of things you need on the way out the door. A cubby for each member of the house is a very useful tool.
To keep clutter from building up, implement a series of rules. Do not leave a room without putting things back where they belong. For every object you bring into the house, one must go out. Keep a basket in a handy location for things that need to be organized. Take care of its contents at the end of each day.
Smart Solutions
Seek unique solutions to difficult areas. Make pack-away work spaces. Squeeze a secret home office into a guest room closet. Convert an armoire into a work station, craft area for yourself or children or even a second pantry.
Identify things that take up more space than they need to or are in desperate need of smarter storage. Then, install small upgrades that will make a big impact. If you have a mess of baking pans in your kitchen cabinets, create a thin slide-out cabinet for them. Build fold-out compartments into the wall for waste baskets and recycling. You can do many of these projects yourself and on a tight budget.
The key to maximizing your small space is to be critical, realistic and creative. Find solutions instead of ignoring problems and be honest with yourself about your space constraints. The result will be a neater, more functional home.