Small Living Spaces
There are many advantages and disadvantages to living in a small apartment, dorm room, or even a small house. Learning how to manage the space that you have can give you the tools to be happy no matter where you live. These lessons often come through trial and error. However, by using the ideas and revelations of the ones who have successfully lived in places as small as yours, you can reap the benefits of the lesson without having to learn the hard way.
1) Your attitude matters more than you think. If you’re totally stressed and sad that you have to live in a place so small, then you won’t get much done for a while. A negative attitude can cloud your judgment and keep you from using your creativity to make the space work. You need to adopt a minimalist attitude. You don’t need a million possessions to be happy. Possessions don’t make you who you are. Society dictates that we consume more and more each day. However, you have the power to rise above and live your life more efficiently.
2) Now that you’ve adopted your “can do” attitude, it’s time to get to work. You are probably surrounded by boxes and furniture. Go through and categorize everything. Rate your belongings on a scale of 1-10. If you really need it to live and eat, rate it as number one. These things will be the highest priority. Scale everything down to ten. Now, decide how much room you have by putting away everything rated as number one, then two, three, and so forth. When you run out of room, everything else should go.
3) Be picky about what you keep. You don’t want piles of junk all around you or you’ll always feel cramped and stressed. Try to get a few functional pieces of furniture that have storage inside. Install shelving above your doors, in the corners, and under the windows. Invest a little in closet organizers and a pantry organizer. Put large drawers under your bed and couch. Create storage wherever you can if you need to store more than your small living space will allow.
4) Bulky furniture is often unnecessary. You can make room for a large capacity armoire by getting rid of a dresser. Dressers are very inefficient. Clothes are stacked inside where you can’t see them or get them out without unfolding half of the stack. We end up hiding miscellaneous items in the drawers and soon they become crowded with junk. Using an armoire for blankets and other bulky household items saves you closet space. With some space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, some baskets, shelves, and storage bins, you can put every piece of clothing you own inside of the closet. When you store something, ask yourself if this is the most efficient way to store before you decide that the item is in its permanent spot.
