Keeping Our Small Space Organized While on Lockdown
Our family was practicing strict social distancing for a week prior to Los Angeles issuing its “Safer at Home” lockdown order. And while life beyond our walls has changed drastically— as it has for everyone— our existence at home is oddly similar to how it’s been for years.
For example:
We are used to being mere inches from one another for days on end.
We rarely use the car, as we have no daily commute and are lucky enough to be able to bike around town instead.
We don’t use disposable goods (such as tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, cotton rounds, tampons/pads, disposable razors, or ear swabs), so there’s no need to stock up.
We’ve long spent the majority of each week with our son here at home as we balance the full-time operations of our small business. As such, we’re used to both the challenges and joys that such a situation presents.
In recent months, while working from home as usual, I found myself perched at the kitchen counter more, and seated at my desk less. Since West usually plays in the main room (behind my desk chair), it no longer felt natural to sit with my back towards that area. By contrast, from the kitchen counter I can observe him while going about all of my administrative work, which is why started to transform it into my office every morning.
Above photo: February 2019
In its neglect, the area around my desk began to get visually overrun from oversized toy trucks, canvas bags of puzzle pieces, instruments and so forth. While I firmly believe that it’s better for the planet and for our wallets to focus on curbing our belongings rather than constantly searching for storage solutions, sometimes adjustments simply need to be made to furnishings and accessories in order to cultivate comfort and calm in a small space.
Above photo: September 2019
So, despite the fact that I really love my convertible desk that transitions from a standing workspace to a seated one, I loaned it out so that I could replace it with concealed storage. (In doing this I broke one of my own rules— holding on to something that we no longer need. But one day I know I’ll require a desk again, and the lift desk has been perfect for me.)
Before selecting anything new, Adam and I reviewed how we wanted to be able to better navigate the main room, starting with the rug.
The old rug deliberately divided our multi-purpose room into 2 zones: the play space and the work space. There was just enough wiggle room for me to scoot my desk chair back on our worn hardwood floor before bumping into the “living room” rug., where West plays for several hours per day.
We decided we wanted a few extra inches of exposed floor by the front door since we have no entryway or dedicated landing zone. And while the old rug served us beautifully in this immensely high-traffic room for years, it had become too dirty to deep clean, and it was too close to the front door to fully escape grimy shoes and muddy paws.
At the same time, we wanted a few extra inches of rug where my desk chair used to be, so that the room felt like the unified space into which it had naturally evolved.
I knew I wanted a vintage piece, but I was having a hard time finding something in the abnormal size our funny little space requires, which is around 5’ x 6’. Eventually I found THE ONE via Lulu & Georgia, which has numerous vintage home goods, as well revolving capsule collections of vintage rugs.
I’d also had my eye on some vintage dressers to put in place of my beloved desk, but I kept running into hurdles. They were too big, too restrictive in the design of the cubbies/drawers/slots, or they weren’t the right height, color or shape.
Since I was getting the rug from Lulu & Georgia, a business with which I worked in the past to outfit parts of Amy Adams’ production offices, I asked them if they had a flawed or damaged version of their Maci Dresser that they couldn’t sell that I could take off their hands. The Maci measures very close to the dimensions I’d wanted, and has 9 practical drawers. To my delight, we were able to rescue a piece, which we then introduced it to its new (tiny) home.
Above photo was styled for a shoot, rather than set up for our standard use.
The instant we brought the Maci into the cottage I knew that it was the right piece for our needs, but it still took some getting used to. We’ve always had an open-backed, slim-legged desk in that space, which kept the line of sight open.
But after about 2 days, our routine has greatly benefitted from this new addition.
Throughout the drawers, I’m able to store West’s sofa-bed linens and our guest bedding, our reusable to-go food and beverage supplies and bulk shopping bags, and all of West’s toys and supplies. We even have some drawers to spare for the future.
These pieces have allowed us to function more efficiently and comfortably within our compact space, and are particularly helpful as we hunker down in our tiny home-office together.
Roundup: Small Space Shoe Storage
Over the six months that we rented the front cottage, West began walking. Finding a place for his shoes was not an issue-- we had tons of open storage over there. (We don't own nearly enough to fill 800 sqft.) But now that we've given up the front house and are back to sharing under 400 sqft, I needed to find a solution for our toddler's footwear.
Initially we kept his footwear in a single canvas basket up on the top shelf of the closet. But West seems to enjoy picking out his own clothing and accessories, so I wanted to give him the opportunity to easily do so. I found a simple, customizable, handmade shoe storage solution for toddler shoes (and even baby shoes) via ETSY, and it works like a charm. It takes up no floor-space and no shelf-space, and we can easily relocate the strand to the closet when we prefer for it to be out-of-sight:
Adam and I stash our shoes within the built-in cubbies under the couch. The following images are a few years old (thus the old couch cushions and overflowing throw pillows), but the concept is clear:
For those of you in need of shoe organization solutions in your small home, I've rounded up a few diverse options, below. But remember-- before you craft or buy storage, try downsizing your collection first! (Reading My Tea Leaves just posted a wonderful entry about responsible decluttering, which you can enjoy here.)
Roundup: Double-Duty Accents & Inspiration
Furnishings aren't the only items in a small home that can pull double-duty to save space-- accessories should function in multiple ways as well. From mirrors that act as jewelry organizers, to everyday countertops that transform into work or dining surfaces with the help of a stool, to vertical decorative accents that save surface inches below, there's no end to the clever ways in which you can maximize the capabilities of your tiny space.
I'll forever be inspired by functional decor, such as under-the-shelf hooks and bins, to table-top risers that create instant storage. I've rounded up a selection of imagery (below) that demonstrates some simple, beautiful ways to get the most use out of select household accents. One of my favorite features from the visuals below is the last one, by Margo Hupert. Margo runs her art studio from her home, and her flat files, shipping tubes, and administrative accessories are always carefully curated and artfully organized, making her company's "warehouse" into a gorgeous, uncluttered, live-work gallery.
But before you go about trying to organize everything, be sure to get rid of a thing or two... or twelve. Remember: "When you have cleared all of your clutter, you can be of greater service to those around you." - M.B. Kitson
Forget the File Box
In a recent blog post, I provided tips on how to curb your daily paper clutter by regularly using a mini-scanner and organizing your files digitally. However, I didn't address one key issue: the leftovers. When living in a tiny space, what do you do with the paper files you cannot scan and HAVE TO keep? How do you maintain an uncluttered, beautiful, and yet practical home-office? The solution is simple-- repurposed picnic baskets:
Bottom Basket: This horizontal design holds my current office paperwork.
Top Basket: This vertical format is the perfect filing solution for baby West's medical records & product safety information documents.
There are so many ways to get clever with necessary storage containers. In this case, think beyond the file box. In a small multi-use space where everything is visible, nothing will stab at your eyeballs like a plastic or metal file box that is not only ugly, but also a constant reminder of work. I chose picnic baskets because they're almost always large enough to house A4 paper and US-size folders, and because they're usually a similar color, so they're great to mix and match:
Both of these are vintage. I found the larger basket at The Mart Collective in Venice, and the other at Tower 20 in Santa Monica. Two of my favorite online shopping resources for vintage cases like this are ETSY and Maven Collective.
I love that I can leave these file boxes open and in use for the entire workday without making the house feel like a traditional office. You'll be amazed at what a difference little details like this can make in your little home.
Storing your baskets on the floor? Make sure to select pieces that are stackable. Stowing yours up high in a closet? Pick a format that's slender enough to slide out easily when you need it. There's a never-ending and diverse array of designs out there-- enjoy finding what works for YOUR small space!
Daily Paper Clutter
Here's my tiny office early on this Monday morning. (I removed my 10,000 other mugs and glasses that were on the desk, but otherwise this is basically what it looks like most of the time.)
Everyone asks how I manage to keep the space so clean. The single handiest tool for curbing the paper clutter is this little device:
Compact-Space Color Mobile Scanner
This little gizmo is one of the best purchases I've ever made. I scan all of our financial records, medical documents, pet paperwork, cards and notes. It saves me from accumulating piles of paper around the cottage, and helps my business run more efficiently. It measures 11.5" x 2" x 1.5" inches-- basically the size of a thick ruler.
It lives on the back of my iMac via a "backpack" that I really love.
More small-space office tips can be found here on one of my older blog posts. I hope it helps!
Tiny Updates
With the Cottage nursery finally set up (see previous posts), I wanted to make a few minor updates around the house to allow the spaces blend together a bit more seamlessly.
My main resource for the updates was Couleur Locale. I love the neutral, Earthy tones and textures of their products:
New grass fringe lampshade, as we thought the bare-bulb would be a bit too bright for the baby.
New coconut tea light holders (for real and faux candles, depending on context) and bowls. This way we won't have to worry about glass or porcelain holders breaking once the baby begins to grab things.
New rattan wicker baskets for decor and market goods:
New handmade bedspread from World By Hand:
New anchor hooks for the bedroom, to match the subtle, nautical theme in the closet nursery:
New stools with backs-- we want to feel more secure and supported when holding the baby during our meals at the breakfast counter:
And a few more little accessories, here and there:
Travel Gear for Small Spaces
Now that summer is here and travel stories and products are popping up around the web, I've been receiving more questions about where and how we store our luggage here at the Cottage.
We actually have quite a few pieces of travel gear in our tiny home, but we don't just use them when leaving town. Many of our on-the-go accessories are constantly in use here on a daily basis as home-organization tools. By selecting multi-functional items that work well both inside AND outside the house, we've solved most of the storage issues that so many small-space dwellers face when it comes to finding a suitable place to put their luggage and travel accessories.
Here is nearly all of my globe-trotting gear. I obviously don't use all of these pieces on each trip-- I pick and choose depending on context:
Since I use most of these pieces while at home, they're generally floating around between my handbag, office and bedside. But when I need to stash some items out of sight, I simply pack them within my suitcase, which is a carry-on rolling bag by Steamline Luggage that looks like a small old-fashioned trunk. I picked this piece for its function AND its beauty, because I knew it would frequently be left out in the open at home. Since I love the way it looks, I don't mind having the luggage out and using it as an accent surface when needed. I can also slide it into the storage cubby that's built-in beneath our bed. Adam uses a leather Weekender Bag by Combatant Gentlemen, which is really versatile and also can fit under our bed.
The items I use every day include my Mod Laptop 2 + Tech Dopp Kit + Mod Tablet 2 by This Is Ground, along with my Rachel Wallet by Hobo (I've had it for years and years), and a leather notebook organizer. When I'm traveling on shorter trips, I pop my "dopp kit insert" into my Mod Tablet and it becomes a handy overnight beauty tool.
For longer trips, I switch it up a bit. I use a truly wonderful Mac Cosmetics travel bag, which organizes EVERYTHING. I also bring my Ona Clifton Backpack, which safely holds my laptop and camera equipment.
All the aforementioned items help me keep the house decluttered and organized, and have been ideal for my trips, whether they've lasted a single night or an entire month. With the baby coming in October, we're going to be making some adjustments to our luggage, of course. (But more on that later! In the meantime, here are some of my favorite past travel-gear images, with cameos by #StubsandSoph.)
