I love interior design. I could watch HGTV all day. When I'm not writing, that is. It is one of my hobbies, I guess you can call it. I'm always looking for ways to declutter my living space too. It's a very small space and I like to add things to it. Someone told me she didn't realize how small it was until she saw some of the pictures.
In case you didn't know, I live in a local hotel. I also clean rooms for the owners. Me and Billy (my hubby). The owner has come to our room and she has complimented us on our space several times. We have a lot of things in our room, but it's not cluttered. You know why? Because I have discovered ways to make it look nice while "hiding" a lot of it until we need to use it.
When you have a small space like we do, you learn ways to use one space in multiple ways. Horizontally, there is only so much you can do. But vertically, you can make something visually appealing and work for you by doubling up the space!
Here are some tips so you can make the space work for you instead of against you.
Remove everything from the space and start new. Clean the area. When you return everything, you want to double check that you don't have multiple items of the same thing. Unless it's pen, paper, notebooks--stuff like that, you can probably get rid of it. If it's something small, you can slip it into a bin, box, tin, or bag.
We don't have any closets, not a single one. That means, everything is out in the open. We do have space beneath the bed. There are a number of ways to organize under the bed for easy access or just storage. Either way, it can be hidden. We use a combination of milk crates because they are the right height, and bins with lids, which we bought from Dollar General. The bins are great for seasonal clothes. During the winter months, our summer clothes go in the bin. During the summer, those winter clothes get hidden away in the bin. It saves us money by keeping them. I have another bin that slides out for any extra food that doesn't fit on our shelf. You can also get bins on wheels that help you pull them out easier. Those are handy for things you want for easy access.
There are a lot of things that you can attach to the bed frame or things you can make to hang from it. Those "over the door" shoe storage compartments can be cut down. Slide part of it under the mattress and let part of it hang over the edge of the frame. Good place to store your remote, cell phone, or other gadget you want closeby. You can also add a bed skirt to the bed and sew on comparments for extra small storage. It looks nice, hides the clutter under the bed, and gives you more storage options. Win-win on that note.
When we moved in, we didn't have much. There was a bed, a chair, and a table. Doesn't give you much if you're there for an extended length of time like we are. Over the time of our stay, since we cleaned rooms, we were able to gain access for things left behind and abandoned. When they aren't claimed, we have the power to toss it out, keep it, or give it away. We've traded things out as we came accross them. You can also buy these things lol. We have a "buffet" unit that doubles up as a "counter" for us. It has two drawers and three doors. Inside the three doors is an open area with a shelf inside it. The drawers are great for our eating and cooking. Inside, behind the doors, we keep our electric skillet, hot plate, and a few other cooking things like pans and what-not. There's room for other things plus some food goes in there that we use but don't want to keep out for people to see. I like it because it's hidden away, but you can use something like this for so many things. Use your imagination. On the top, I keep a open shelfing unit to hold plates, bowls, etc. Remember, vertical is awesome. I still have enough space to cook, and everything is at reach. Next to it, I have the shelf for our food (regular book shelf--shorter one) and on the wall is another shelf where I keep my spices and measuring cups. I use a lot of hooks with a sticky backing so they can be removed without hurting the surface. Those are handy for a hotel because you don't want to damage their walls. Before we had the buffet, I had to hang our cooking spoons, so I used those hooks for them. Push pins also work. And they don't make big holes in the walls. The hotel owners have seen both methods and loved it.
Those milk crates come in different sizes and work wonders for saving space and organizing things. The Dollar store (called Dollar Tree here) have loads of things you can put together to make better organization for just about anything. If you're into crafts, you can combine them into decorative items too. Save space on the counter by combining them for a new and cool look. Hooks can also be used, hang things from the wall or under the sink. Shower rods can add extra storage--those don't have to be used for the curtain, you can repurpose it for just about anything. The space above the toilet is an awesome place for storge.
Wherever there is something you can see, you want it to be appealing. Add your twist to it. If you have one of the sides of your fridge exposed, you can get magnets that can hold things up and add shelves to that. Great place to keep your spices there, and that frees up more space somewhere else. Doors can double up for more storage.
How do you know when to toss something out? First, you can ask yourself if you actually need it. If it's a seasonal thing and you only use it once (if its not expensive or have any meaning to it) you can toss it out and buy it again when the time comes for it. You can loan it out to a friend even. Don't keep more than what you need if space is limited. It took me a long time to realize that--yeah I was a hoarder for a bit lol. I have a lot of drawers to hide things in. My writing space is small, but because of those drawers (its a crafting drawer set with shallow drawers, found at Walmart), I can hold onto all of those handy things I need at some point like batteries, extra pens (regular pens that come in a ten pack), ruler, back scratcher (for those unreachable itches lol), printing paper, etc. Those aren't out where people can see them so it's not so cluttered even though it kind of is lol.
Shower caddy that hangs on the shower wall or top of the door. Those are nice. Did you know you can actually hang them from each other? I have a few of those and hope to find more. I hook one at the bottom of the first one and have it hanging on the outside of the shower (we have a corner shower with two walls, plexy glass walls). Inside the shelves, I keep my iron, washclothes, and other things (right now, I have extra shampoo that I keep there).
When you have space behind the door (when the door doesn't quite hit the wall and there's a gap--that's unused space that you can actually use). There are narrow shelves that can fit into those spaces. Mine has wheels so I can pull it out, but I don't necesarily need the wheels. It's the bathroom, so I keep bathroom related stuff on my shelf but you can put anything on them. And no one sees behind the door so it doesn't have to be tidy lol. Those are also nice if you have a gap between your fridge and wall. With the wheels, you can pull it out and grab what you need, push it back when you're done--hiding what's on the shelf unit. Saving space at the same time. You can also make something yourself to fit your needs.
When you have cabinets (like in the kitchen), you want to take advantage of the full space. You can add in shelf hangers (they slide in and hang on the shelf above them), and you can put things on those. Again, you can add hooks inside the door, just make sure you can close the door. Yes, hooks can be your best friend! Spiceracks can be used to help declutter a space and make it easier to store things. Plastic containers can also work. You can put labels on those and store food in them. Dry food, not liquids.
I don't know what your space looks like. Most of the time, just emptying the space out and cleaning it will actually get your started on decluttering things. After pulling everything out, you begin thinking you don't want to put it all back. That's when you start filtering out what you don't need or want anymore. By the time everything is put away, you've got less of it and it already looks better. Bigger things go on the bottom and work your way up, especially when you stack things. Bowls can fit inside bowls--that will take up less space. You can have a lot of things, but the way you put it together will actually make it look less cluttered. Just organize it--make it appealing. Then it won't have the cluttered look. Be creative.
If all fails, grab a friend or two, or three, and have a decluttering party. Have fun with it. Order some pizzas, play music, and have a laugh. Take your time. Try different things. Let your friends share their ideas. I'd love to hear your ideas. Share below. Thank you!!
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