Whether you live in a dorm room or a large house, there always seems to be at least one space that is not configured to fit your needs. The things you have to store will not fit where you need them to go. Laundry room, closet, or kitchen--you will find an organizing challenge somewhere in your home. There are ways to conquer space.
Often closets are only fitted with a shelf and a hanging bar. The configuration is fine if all you have are long hanging clothes. If not, consider installing shelves--either attached to the wall or a freestanding unit--in one section of the closet. Shelves hold a lot of folded clothes, bins of underwear, toiletries, even your overflow of books.
Desk Shelf Unit
Make use of hooks. They hold everything from keys to coats. They can also be decorative. Use hooks with a releasable adhesive backing for places where you cannot drill holes. They come in a variety of weight limits and are easily removed without marring walls or doors.
The ever-popular clear plastic bins are invaluable organizing tools in small spaces. Label them with their contents and tuck them up on high shelves or under the bed--a great storage solution for seasonal items. Use clear bins as sliding drawers in vanity cabinets, linen closets, or under the kitchen sink. Make sure you group like items. Measure the height, depth, and width of your storage areas so you can purchase the proper size bins.
Use vertical space. A wall unit with shelves and/or cabinets can hold decorative items and books. They also can be filled with baskets, canvas bins, and other attractive containers to organize items which easily clutter a small space--office supplies, small computer components, camera equipment, magazines, craft supplies, memorabilia. Again, label the contents.
In the laundry area, use hook racks or individual hooks to hold brooms, mops, and dusters. Use shelves and cabinets for cleaning supplies. If the washer and dryer fill the whole space, consider using a freestanding cabinet to store detergent and other cleaning supplies in an adjacent hall or room.
No room to store jewelry? Hang a small bulletin board and use stick pins to hold necklaces and bracelets neatly. You could also use a hinged shadowbox in the same manner. This storage solution does double duty as an art piece.
If you have more shoes than closet floor space, either install a shoe rack on the closet wall or door, or use shoe rack shelves on the floor. Either way you will free up floor space by storing shoes more efficiently in an organized way.
There is often wasted space in the corners where kitchen cabinets meet. Such places are black holes where anything stored there gets lost in dark corners. Lazy Susan turntables bring items in the corners forward. Install a press-on battery operated light inside the cabinet to help you see what is stored there. Or use that no-man's land space to store only single large items that are rarely used, such as roasting pans or waffle irons.
Buy quantities which fit your storage space. If you have limited laundry room storage, take a pass on the warehouse store size detergent. The same is true of the 30-roll pack of toilet tissue in a one bedroom apartment.
Before you purchase, ask yourself if the item has a space in your home. And ask yourself if the item will be clutter. Be honest, even if you have to pass up the One Day Only Extra 15% Off sale. Consider the value versus the aggravation--save a dollar or have a clutter-free home you enjoy.
copyright© 2009 Cheryl Harrell all rights reserved worldwide