Room by Room - Bathroom Organizations

This post will be the first post of an ongoing collection called Room by Room. These posts will provide organizational ideas for individual rooms including bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, closets, etc. If you want ideas for a specific room let me know in the comments or vote to the right!

Now for Organizing you Bathroom...

Add hooks for brushes - place hooks on the inside of cabinet to hang brushes, hand mirrors, hair driers and straighteners. Alternatively, you could use a basket or PVC piping.

Add open shelves - this provides easy access to the things you use everyday but keeps your counter clean. Look for bare spaces above the toilet, sink and towel racks.







Use stacking containers or storage drawers under the sink - this will let you organize your bathroom goodies by purpose and makes everything easily visible. They are also simple to take out if you need a closer look.







Get a medicine cabinet - if you don't have one, get one. They are easy to install and add extra storage. If you are renting, ask your landlord - I have learned very few landlords say no to renter supplied leasehold improvements.






Place a magnet strip on the inside of the medicine cabinet - once the medicine cabinet is installed, buy some sticky backed magnet strips and adhere them to the inside of the door. This way you can hang up small metal things like bobby pins and nail clippers.







Place towel rack or hooks on the back of your door - by doing this, you can save the limited wall space for shelves








 Install spice racks - buy wall mounting spice racks and install them by the sink. They are great for items like makeup and cleansers as well as medicine and small first air supplies.








Hang a plastic shoe organizer on the inside of a closet door - The gives you easily accessible storage for cleaners, shampoos and other bottles products.







 Install shelving around your pedestal sink - this will provide you with the under the sink storage you are lacking. If you can't afford to buy a cabinet like this one, build your own or place inexpensive shelves/drawers on either side.







Label everything - once you have your bathroom organized, label baskets containers and drawers so that everyone is sure to put things back where they came from!

Space Saving Furniture

My apartment is 600 sq. ft. and limits my ability to do a lot of things. We determined what activities we do the most and then set up our apartment to match. For us sitting down at a table for dinner wasn't a common occurrence so we opted out of having a table. That being said, we like to host the occasional casual get together so it was important that there was a lot of comfy seating. We also need a lot of additional storage because what we have just doesn't cut it.

The important thing to remember is, when buying furniture find items that serve two purposes and plan before you buy.



Need a desk to do work and a table for occasional dinner parties - opt for a farm table. It will provide you with lots of space to work but can be easily cleared off to serve dinner.





Have a studio apartment that lacks storage and privacy - throw in a book case. A ceiling to floor bookshelf or other unit will give you the extra space to put things as well as create a divider from your bedroom to your living space.

If there is a back to the shelf and it is ugly - cover it with fabric, paint or mactac and add a mirror or painting to turn it into a focal point. Or you can add hooks - see photo.




Extra sleeping space - pull out couches and futons have really changed and there are numerous attractive and unique options. You are no longer limited to the giant floral print couch in your grandmas basement that smells like pepperoni.

I am sure that this couch, which converts into bunk beds, is outrageously expensive but it is very cool.





Require a lot of seating but don't need it all the time - look for items that convert into seating or can also be used for something else. Try coffee table with tuck in seating, a storage bench or cube, or even a stool that can be used as a side table during it's days off.






Can't fit a dresser and a queen/king sized bed in the bedroom - look for a bed that has drawers or storage compartments underneath.





Murphy Everything - okay so maybe not everything, but if you have the ability to attach fixtures to the wall (my lease doesn't allow it) you can have more than just a murphy bed. You can have a fold down table with chairs, ironing board, desk and seating. If your TV is wall mounted, you can fold everything up and use you living space as a giant playing field. Hockey anyone?

 

Need more places to store your stuff - The obvious solution is shelving or cabinets but you can find all sorts of furniture with hidden compartment to store stuff - couches, tables, beds!

 

 

 



The Top Five Strategies for Decluttering a Small Space

 

Embrace Storage Containers: People often think, "My apartment or home is so small, I can't fit a filing cabinet, bookshelves or a desk," but if you don't buy the appropriate storage products, things pile up quickly in a small space. In other words, embrace the fact that you have stuff and like to have certain things around — that's what makes you interesting. Just find a way to manage it all so you don't feel overwhelmed by it.

Furniture As Storage: Is there an ottoman you could also use to store blankets? If you're in the market for a new bed, consider looking at one that has drawers underneath or at least enough height to store some under-the-bed bins. Bedside tables are typically too small to hold all the things people want to use them for - magazines, glasses of water or tea, clock, newspapers, reading glasses, lamp, etc. If you're buying a new one, think about whether one with shelves and/or drawers might work for you.

Think Vertical: In small homes it is very important to maximize all of the space. Think vertical. Could you hang shelves above your desk for extra books, papers or pictures? If your desk is too small or you don't have a home office, maybe some hanging file folders would work in the kitchen to organize incoming papers. Bulletin boards and magnetic boards are also great places to display artwork, school reminders, travel plans etc. These don't require a lot of space, but can be super helpful for getting things off countertops and other surfaces.

A Little Bit Each Day: People often say that they don't have enough time to do any organizing, but everyone can find 10-15 minutes in their day to focus on at least one small space or project. I recently had a client say to me as we neared the end of our session, "I would love to clear off my desk, but 30 minutes isn't nearly enough time." Guess what? It was a perfect amount of time. We spent 30 minutes very focused on our project; she knew there was a limit to how much time we had, so we worked quickly, and were able to organize all of her miscellaneous papers into several categories very quickly: To File, To Toss, To Shred, and To Do. Done.

Get Rid of Things: Chances are you don't need most of the papers that you're keeping — shred them. If you haven't worn that sweater for three years, donate it. Expired food should be tossed. Clearing out even a few items will make you feel calmer.

Special thanks to http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ for there great ideas.