Importance of Good Organization of Small Spaces
Although living in a small-sized home or apartment can be frustrating and uncomfortable for some people, one cannot deny the fact that this type of housing usually looks elegant and chic. Indeed, there are many stylish homes in the world, which have a small size and have been well-organized. Moreover, sometimes organization of the living space means more than its dimensions and can completely transform the interior of any house regardless of its size.
There are many people who think that organization of the space in terms of design, but, actually, it can influence productivity, efficiency of performing different tasks, and emotional state of a person. Indeed, when one lives in a messy place and constantly sees a lot of things lying around, he or she always has the feeling that there is something that should be done and not done yet. Therefore, it is vital to maintain a good organization in the place of dwelling no matter what its size is.
Hidden Costs of Clutter
Although clutter is perceived as a thing that takes only some square meters of the surface, it actually takes much more place. Indeed, every misplaced item occupies a certain space and requires extra time for its finding. Clutter leads to frustrations, anxiety, and low performance. Moreover, small houses suffer from it much more rapidly than other types of housing.
As the matter of fact, one can compare the house to a smartphone. The latter operates very slow when there are too many applications running in the background at the same time. Exactly the same thing happens with the place of one’s residence, which is why organization of the space and reduction of clutter becomes really necessary.
Benefits of a Well-Organized Living Place
The well-organized home is not only pleasant to the eye, but also very functional and convenient. Moreover, the organized interior is much easier to clean since one can get rid of the mess in a couple of seconds. What is more, it saves one’s time and money since one can find everything he or she needs easily and will not spend money on the purchase of something that already exists at home.
Finally, such type of space is more flexible and can be used for several purposes at once. For instance, the dining area can serve as a working place as well as the living room can be converted to a guest room.
How to Assess the Space You Have
Usually, before making some changes to one’s living place, it is necessary to evaluate the current state of affairs in order to determine what should be changed and where. There is no point to start organizing things randomly, and it is better to take a closer look at the house and analyze what space you actually have.
It can be done by spending a few days and noting down those areas where things tend to accumulate and which create problems for one’s daily life. This way of analysis will help to make appropriate and well-targeted decisions concerning organization of the living space.
Evaluating of Problem Areas
There are several usual problem areas in any house, which can be analyzed separately:
- Entryways, which usually are full of shoes and other stuff;
- Kitchen counters, where dishes, food, utensils accumulate;
- Bedrooms, where clothing is stored.
- Bathroom cabinet, where various objects are kept.
Identifying the main problem areas and their contents will help one to create a good organizational plan of his or her dwelling place.
Functional Zone Division
Even in a small-sized apartment, it is possible to divide it into functional zones in order to make it bigger and more organized. Every zone has to fulfill certain tasks and, consequently, to help one to maintain order of things and keep them in appropriate places. In such a way, there can be a reading corner, a workplace, sleeping area, and a dining place in a compact apartment.
Moreover, it is necessary to pay special attention to the furniture placement. Some additional elements, such as rugs and shelving units, and lighting can help to separate zones visually.
Storage Solutions for Every Room
Living Room Organization Ideas
The living room is a multifunctional place, which is why it is really important to keep it well-organized. It can serve as a place for relaxation, entertaining, remote working, and storing household stuff.
Multi-Functional Furniture
Multi-functional furniture is one of the most useful items for a small-sized apartment. The storage ottoman, the coffee table with drawers and the sofa with storage inside can be really useful since they occupy much less space than additional cabinets or shelves. Moreover, they help one to maximize the space and look stylish at the same time.
Using of multifunctional furniture is really effective because it eliminates the necessity to buy extra pieces of furniture and store things on them. It saves much space and makes one’s dwelling place more organized and functional.
Vertical Storage Solution
As mentioned above, vertical storage is the optimal solution for small spaces because they give an opportunity to save the space for one’s daily activities. The floating shelves, wall mounted cabinets, and tall bookcase can give extra storage space for a household stuff.
It is important to use vertical storage wisely: the most frequently used things have to be located close to one’s reach, and the rarely used objects – further from it.
Bedroom Organization Hacks
Usually, bedrooms are considered to be cozy and tranquil rooms, and clutter can destroy the peace of mind of a person. As the matter of fact, the bedroom organization has to be based on the reduction of clutter in this room.
Under Bed Storage
It is one of the most neglected spaces in any bedroom; however, it is really useful to utilize it as the place for storing extra bedding and clothing. The containers, rolling drawers, and vacuum-sealed bags can help to keep things organized.
In such a way, one will have much more space in his or her bedroom and will be able to use it for relaxing comfortably.
Closet Organization Tips
Often, there is much unused space in the closet and it has to be eliminated in order to maximize it and make it more organized. The shelf dividers, hanging organizers, and the double hanging rods can give an opportunity to store much more things in the closet.
Moreover, it is necessary to keep the same hangers in order to organize the closet properly and utilize the available space to the maximum extent possible.
Kitchen Storage Solutions
The kitchen is one of the hardest rooms for organization because there are many items, which have to be stored in it.
Kitchen Cabinet Organization
Firstly, it is necessary to maximize the space inside the cabinets. For this purpose, one can use shelf risers, pull-out organizers, and stackable containers in order to store the double amount of stuff. Moreover, it is necessary to group the things according to their kind.
The labeled containers and designated storage zones will help one to maintain good order in the kitchen.
Pantries and Food Storage Tips
Even a small-sized pantry can be highly functional with the proper organization. The use of clear containers will enable one to see the level of inventory in the pantry and to save the space efficiently.
It is really helpful to categorize the food by type in order to organize the pantry and to simplify the process of cooking meals.
Decluttering Strategies That Work
The organization and decluttering go together because, otherwise, it is impossible to make an efficient and functional organization of the living space.
One in One Out Strategy
It is the easiest and the most effective strategy of decluttering. According to it, the person has to buy a new thing and throw away one that he or she already has.
In this way, it will be possible to avoid accumulation of the stuff and will make it possible to make wise decisions when buying something new.
Seasonal Decluttering
Sometimes, one accumulates lots of household items and clothing gradually and, in order to prevent the chaos in the apartment, it is necessary to review his or her belongings regularly.
In such a way, one will avoid clutter accumulation and will have to perform minor decluttering periodically during the whole year.
Budget-Friendly Organization Hacks
It is quite difficult to imagine good organization of one’s living space without spending a lot of money; however, there are some budget-friendly ideas of organization, which will help to save the space effectively.
DIY Storage Solutions
One can make various storage systems himself or herself and tailor them according to one’s needs. Thus, one can use the repurposed crates, mason jars, pegboards, and other recycled containers as the means for organization.
Besides, DIY projects can add a touch of individuality to the interior of one’s house.
Affordable Solutions for Organization
There are several inexpensive items, which can make the organization process much easier. Over-the-door organizer, stackable bins, drawer dividers, and adhesive hooks can help to solve the space problems efficiently.
Storage Item Description Space Saving Capacity
Over-the-door organizer For shoes and accessories high
Drawer dividers For clothing and utensils medium
Stackable bins For pantry and closet storage high
Adhesive hooks For hanging lightweight items medium
Shelf risers For cabinet organization high
Usually, the simplest products turn out to be the most efficient. The most important is to choose those items, which are necessary for solving the particular problem.
Maintaining Organized Small Space
It is really hard to maintain the well-organized house all the time since it requires regular care; however, small efforts each day can prevent one from chaos and mess.
Daily Habits for Efficient Organization
Good organization can be maintained only through habits. It is much more efficient to spend a few minutes each day returning things to their places than to organize a cleaning marathon once in a month.
One should also try to complete everything immediately when it is possible. It is better to hang one’s coat immediately after entering the house, to put dishes to their places immediately after washing them, and so on. These small steps will save a lot of efforts in the future.
As for organization, one can compare it to a garden. The regular watering and weeding require much less efforts than the recovery of the neglected place.
Conclusion
The good organization is vital for efficient and comfortable living in any apartment or house. However, it can be achieved only through well-planned storage and reduction of clutter.