Organizing Ideas for Apartment
Dwellers Who Lack Space But Need More of it
By Karen
Porter,
Editor
EasyHomeOrganizing.com
Implementing
organizing ideas in your apartment can be what determines the difference between
having a cozy apartment or a cramped and cluttered one. Which do you prefer? If
you want cozy try these organizing ideas to clear clutter and create more
storage space in your small apartment for the stuff that matters to you.
♦YOUR PAPERWORK - No space for a desk or file
cabinet? You do have room if you have about two square feet available. That will
hold a
Bill Payer's Desk
 . These are designed compact to fit in small
areas. They often have extendable leafs for writing surfaces and built in file
drawers, magazine racks and storage compartments. They can expand when you use
them and decrease in size when not in use.
♦YOUR CLOTHING - Not enough space in your
drawers and clothes closet for your entire wardrobe and shoe collection? And
forget about separating your off-season clothing, right? Wrong! Look under your
bed. And if you can't do that then buy some bed elevators, also called bed risers
.
They attach to the legs or wheels of the bed frame. Some can raise your bed
about an extra four inches. Be sure to contain clothing items that you stash
under the bed in canvas, vinyl or plastic
Under Bed Storage Drawers
 and
Space-Saving Bags
 to keep dust and dirt off of them.
♦YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS - Stop cluttering your
counter space and end tables with photos. Hang these in clustered framed
arrangements on the wall. Arranging photos on the wall is all about achieving a
"balance" that's flattering to the eye.
♦YOUR MAGAZINES - Use upright magazine
holders, also called
Magazine Files
 or magazine boxes. Each one can hold
one to two dozen average size magazines in a standing position. Put the magazine
files on a single
wall-mounted shelf (buy sturdy shelf brackets to hold the weight of
magazines) . Keep no more than two or three of
these magazine files on hand. That's enough to enable you to keep anywhere from
36 to 72 magazines on hand in a space less than two feet horizontally wide. Keep
any more magazines than that and you're just holding onto clutter.
♦YOUR MUSIC - Buy a CD rack that hangs on the
wall for decor and function. Have you seen the
CD
Wallpaper® organizers
 that are a large
polypropylene poster size sheet with plastic sleeves? Each of these sheets can
each hold about 24 of your
CDs. Then your CDs serve as flattering wall art and a conversational starter too.
♦YOUR CRAFTS - Use the back of the door in
the bedroom (or a wall) for crafts. Hang an
Over the Door Translucent Shoe Bag
 and stuff the pockets with your sewing supplies and craft supplies. Buy
a
Bench with Storage , a decorative one that you can sit on and store items
in to hold bulky craft items and fabrics. If it's a plain wood bench, just buy
some cushions separate for its topside.
♦YOUR KITCHEN - Use the underside of kitchen
cabinets. What attaches under the cabinet these days? Electric can openers,
Pull-Out Under-Cabinet Kitchen Racks
 and more.
Then double your interior kitchen cabinet
space by using a plastic or wire
Stack Shelf
on top of your
permanent shelving.
Use a
Wall Shelf With Hooks (this one from Stacks and Stacks) on its front rim to hold your cookbooks on the
shelf portion while
hanging your pot holders from the hooks.
Put a
Shelf Over The Sink
to
hold dish cleaning supplies or other miscellaneous kitchen items.
♦YOUR PET - Got kitty litter? Dog food bowls?
Buy a
Panel Screen Room Divider. They
offer privacy or block views. Put one in a quiet area of your
apartment where your dog or cat will feel comfortable.
♦YOUR LAUNDRY - Use a laundry hamper that
resembles a bench. A
Laundry Bench Hamper offers extra seating or even work space. Hang a sturdy utility
Wall Shelf
above
the washer and dryer to hold your detergents and more. Or put your laundry cleaning supplies on a
Laundry Caddy
 (pictured
below from Taylor Gifts) that fits between your washing
machine and dryer. It's on wheels so you can roll it out when needed.
♦YOUR JEWELRY -
Hanging Two-Sided Jewelry Organizers
 fit perfectly in your clothes closet right amongst your clothing.
And they can hold a lot of earrings and pins. If you need a bit more room, such
as for necklaces, get a
wall-mount lewelry armoire. Get one with a
built in mirror and you've added two functions to that one piece of furniture.
♦YOUR LINENS - Some people report success
with storing extra bed linens between the mattress and box spring. Others report
that this creates a lumpy sleeping experience. You be the judge.
These are just a few organizing ideas for apartment residents. To find all the
roomy potential your apartment really holds, you'll need to look your apartment
up and down. The "extra" space is not always right in front of your face,
literally. Also, read up on organizing ideas for the inside of your bedroom,
linen and bathroom closets, pantry and kitchen cabinets. You can probably double
your existing space in these areas with the right organizing ideas and products.
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