Let's face it, for the vast majority of people living in New York
City, home is a small apartment with limited closet and storage space.
This 'cozy' lifestyle can leave you feeling suffocated when all your
'stuff' seems to be closing in around you. As hard as it can be,
sometimes this means chucking the things that you don't use or need, and
finding a (sensible) place for the ones you simply can't part with. For
Type A-ers like myself, this is the fun part. I love scouring the junk
drawer for, well, junk that can be thrown away; or devising a better way
to stack the Tupperware so that it takes up less space in the cabinets.
To you this sounds pathetic and sad; but to me, it is FUN. Tomato,
To-mah-to. Anyway, here are a few tips for getting by in a space that's
cozy.
Wardrobe
Wrangling
your wardrobe is a difficult undertaking. Given the size of my bedroom
closet, I definitely find it necessary to rotate clothes between
seasons. During the summer months, storing heavier items like jackets,
sweaters, and jeans can free up lots of precious space.
Space Bags
are a great solution. Bulky items can be streamlined to fit under your
bed, or possibly stacked on a higher shelf that's out of reach if you
can spare the space. I find it best to keep sweaters, sweatshirts, and
jeans folded and shelved to leave hanging room for lighter items like
shirts, skirts, and dresses. This also helps save room to hang outerwear
since
some of us lack hall closets in our adorable, cozy, NYC apartments.
Finding
space for shoes in a small closet can be tough. I used to love chucking
those ugly shoe-boxes and displaying my lovely heels in nice rows on
the floor of my closet, but it just isn't the most efficient use of the
space. I recently discovered these great clear
shoe-boxes. Perfect for stacking, and you can SEE every pair.
Paperwork
Bills.
Junk mail. Take-out menus. More bills. Coupons. Magazines. Receipts.
Did I mention bills? One of my biggest pet peeves is piles and piles of
useless paper! One of my favorite organizational purchases for my
apartment has been a modest filing system to keep those piles of paper
at bay. My personal file box has folders for incoming mail, receipts,
health-related paperwork, financial documents, and one labeled 'keep'
(for ticket stubs, cards, thank-yous, race bibs, and other loose
sentimental items). My roommate and I also share an 'apartment' file box
with folders for our lease/rent stubs, utility bills, and instruction
manuals (for the TV, vacuum, triple high-speed blender that we never
use, etc.). One day I'll have space for a real live filing cabinet like
this one:
Sigh. Until that day comes, our file box system keeps limited tabletop and counter space free of paper-clutter!
Creative storage
Sometimes
you just have to get creative. There are sneaky ways to maximize
limited space by installing hooks and shelves in useful ways. Over the
door hooks and towel racks are key for rooms without closets. I use over
the door hooks for scarves, bags, and jackets that won't fit in the
closet, and a row of hooks intended for keys to hang jewelry. A shelf in
your bathroom can be useful and decorative for holding extra towels,
soaps, and room freshener:
A bench in your entryway or bedroom can double as a storage space (this one from West Elm has storage inside).
One at a Time
One of the organization rules I really try to stick to is to only purchase and keep what I
need.
In a small space, this is especially important. Staying organized helps
you to keep track of what you have, what you need, and what you don't.
When you've worn something out, replace it; don't hang on to things you
don't use (okay, maybe bend this rule for some sentimental stuff...);
and don't buy duplicate items!
Stick to these basics and you'll be on your way to conquering the clutter in your teeny, tiny, adorably cozy apartment.
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