The cost of real estate these days is eye-watering. Living in a smaller space might be a necessary sacrifice to stay in your chosen area.
What can you do to make it more feasible?
How to organise small spaces – golden rules
Declutter. And then declutter some more. This means prioritising what’s important. Simplify your life. Avoid single use items. Think about occasional items you can rent or borrow rather than own.
Get organised. Categorise, zone and label to avoid double-ups.
Get off the consumerism cycle to slow the influx of stuff.
Utilise vertical space. Attach cabinets and shelves to walls where possible.
Look for unexpected spaces. Over-door storage solutions and hooks on walls can be game-changers.
Make use of dead space in cupboards and try and minimise it by adjusting shelves and finding creative organising solutions.
Think about doors. Sliding doors are more space-effective than front-opening doors.
Storage carts on wheels are handy in any small space, as they can be moved out of the way when necessary.
Take a look at the tiny homes movement online. They are a great example of how to organise small spaces.
How to organise small spaces – kitchen
Think twice about occasional gadgets. You may not need a popcorn maker or toastie machine if you are able to cook these items on your stovetop.
Do you really need 50 spices? Serious cooks avert your eyes but I get by on under 10. Infused sauces and oils are also space-hogs. Stick to basic ingredients and you can make anything you need from those.
Minimise space voids in your chilled areas. If you have empty space in your fridge, store your spices and sauces in there rather than the pantry. This also increases lifespan. Items like nuts and grains can work straight out of the freezer.
Roll-out slimline storage can fit next to the fridge and store some additional items.
Using slide-out tubs in pantries allows access to the back of shelves more easily. Small portable shelves or risers mean you can double-layer parts of your pantry for items like tins and jars.
Hooks above the stove or benches can hold your pots and other frequent-access items like ladles and stirrers.
Spice racks can be attached to the walls, sides of cabinets and inside pantry doors.
Store pantry items in their original packaging. Organising your pantry with containers looks great but it’s not very space effective.
How to organise small spaces – bathroom
Mount a towel rack on the wall. If you wash towels quickly and just re-hang, you don’t need to store heaps of spares.
Some cube shelving or other appropriately-sized furniture can be ideal. It stores everything from toilet paper to towels and products.
Use a bath caddy for frequent-use products.
A paper towel holder is good for stacking bracelets and hair ties in an orderly way.
How to organise small spaces – bedroom
If you have space under your bed, there are great storage solutions on wheels to utilise this space for shoes, linen and clothes.
Categorise and use baskets or tubs at the top of your wardrobe to maximise use and access to these hard-to-reach areas. Label them so you can find what you need at a glance.
Over-the-door shoe hangers are designed to arrange shoes in a convenient, space-effective manner. Shoes can also work well on the wardrobe floor at the bottom of your hanging garments.
Roll-folding your garments KonMarie stye helps fit a lot in, and filing them vertically makes them all visible for easy access.
Bunks are a great way to use vertical space and get two beds in easily. Loft beds with a desk at the bottom mean work and study from home are a breeze. There are also platform beds you can get which have storage underneath. And there are beds which fold up completely to use the room differently during the day.
A pegboard or cork board can house accessories and hair ties, and a rustic ladder is a nifty solution for scarves and belts.
Stand-alone clothing racks can be a good substitute or addition to wardrobe space.
There are various systems which attach to the back of your bedroom door to hang accessories and ephemera.
How to organise small spaces – living
Tables and couches with storage underneath can house blankets, tech and other items.
How to organise small spaces – laundry
Keep products to a minimum. You don’t need 20 different cleaning potions. Opt for multipurpose items instead.
You can do away with laundry baskets by putting clothes straight into the machine and washing when it’s full. If you use cold water you generally don’t need to separate laundry.
Consider a wall-mounted drying rack for drying delicates. A foldable version will tuck away when not in use.
If you don’t have space for an ironing board you can use the kitchen bench with some towels on it. Or better still, ditch the practice all together. Shake wet clothes before hanging outside in a breeze to get rid of wrinkles.
