Solutions for Small Space Living

My father always told me that I shouldn’t have too much “stuff” so that I can be easily mobile (I’ve moved across country a few times with too much stuff!) Living in a smaller space is one way to simplify your life and force you to have less stuff. For some, small space living is simply all that they can afford.

Living in a small space can be frustrating when it comes to figuring out where to put everything while trying to maintain a well-organized space that’s not completely cluttered. Here are some solutions:

• Pare down your stuff - I have always been amazed at how many things I own that do nothing but take up space – we all have lots of things that we don’t really need. Keep your favorites and decide what you can do without and sell, give away or throw out things.
• In with the new and out with the old - Establish a rule that for every new thing that gets brought into your home, something similar goes out – give it away, throw it away, sell it, it doesn’t matter so long as you stick to this rule. This will keep you from overloading yourself with stuff and keep the clutter to a minimum.

If you shop around and think creatively, you’ll easily be able to find lots of items to make small living more enjoyable without all the clutter. Check out these products:

This is usually best in the kitchen, but you can take advantage underneath just about any shelf you have that has available space underneath it. 

There are so many choices on the market for different styles and configurations of closet organizers – there’s bound to be one that fits both your needs (size and function) and your budget.

Just a little bit of extra organization can get you a lot more storage space in a crammed closet - you'll be surprised! 

This is an easy DIY project – wall shelving can consist of shelves, hooks, or even peg boards.  We’ve all heard that it’s best to take advantage of vertical space, right?  Wall storage is the easiest way to accomplish that and it can be very inexpensive, too.  

Under your bed (or the guest bed if you have one) is a great place to store things and they are easily accessible there.  Just try and make sure to have a dust ruffle on the bed so that the storage underneath isn’t seen easily. 

You may have a few corners in your home that are not being used and can prove to be great places to store more. Check out all of the great corner storage units and shelves available at Amazon - just click on the link to the right (or any of them) to go to Amazon and you can check out the entire collection there.

There are so many options available for furnishings for small spaces, especially multifunctional pieces. Think ottomans with built-in hidden storage, coffee and end tables with storage, day beds and benches with storage underneath.

To the right here are just a couple of examples that could maybe work for you, but it doesn't stop here! There are so many more options available, just check them out by clicking on one of the links.

Inside your home, pot racks are great for storing those extra pots, pans, and other cooking items.  In the garage these are great for storing tons of different things, from holiday decorations to bicycles and lawn tools to ladders and will free up tons of space for you.