Keeping a Small Space Organized
Click here to view the IGTV video that corresponds with this post.
Due to the pandemic, I’m receiving more messages than ever from parents (in homes both small and large) who are feeling overwhelmed by toy clutter. The same goes for folks struggling with what to do to accommodate the sudden influx of office supplies, as so many people are working from their small spaces for longer than initially expected (often with a significant other or roommate nearby).
Even a limited amount of “stuff” can quickly make a compact room feel cramped. But you don’t necessarily need a bigger space to relieve that sensation of overcrowding— it can often be solved with the help of a few surprisingly simple tools, such as book repair tape, pouches + envelopes, and multi-tasking baskets. While these are clearly not earth-shattering hacks, they can truly make a remarkable difference in appearance and function when used in varying formats throughout a tiny home or apartment. You don’t need to spend money buying plastic bins (that will sit on this strained planet until the end of time) or bulky storage solutions to keep your home organized and feeling uncluttered.
The one hack that we use across all areas of the house and all categories of items is to keep goods organized within their primary storage space via concealed, upcycled containers.
For example, my office supplies are primarily located in one drawer, which is built-in to our sofa’s side table. Within that drawer are multiple pouches: An old toiletries bag holds stamps and ink. An old folding camping stool’s carrying case contains hard drives and similar tech. A repurposed portfolio keeps stationary and envelopes filed together. (Click here to view our 1-minute video about Streamlining a Tiny Home Office.)
Similarly, in the bedroom within a drawer built-in to our bookshelf/nightstands are two travel / packing cubes— one for my bras, one for my underwear.
And in our only dresser, which sits like a buffet in our living space, West’s toys are corralled using a myriad of containers— vintage brick forms, cleaned to-go containers, canvas drawstring sacks, box lids, and so forth— which contain everything from puzzle pieces to blocks and figures.
The point is not just to keep the drawers orderly (which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t). It makes everything easier to tote from point A to point B, and also helps with cleanup.
West is much more likely to return a set of toys back into a box or little bag (which we can then drop back into the drawer) than he is to carry each individual piece back to the drawer and then arrange it all in an orderly way.
The packing cubes are particularly helpful, as we can dump them out and use them when we travel as well. Ours also have handles, which West uses a lot when hauling around his toys.
This is such a simple, inexpensive (or even free) way of keeping objects under control without infringing upon productivity or joy.
