I currently would describe my [smaller than a walk-in closet] small bedroom décor as a combination of sorority cheap chic, wannabe Pottery Barn cover story, and ohmygodwherewillsheputalltheseclothes. It certainly does the trick, but I definitely wish I had more space to store my stuff.
My solution? I am now buying [cute] stuff to store my stuff in. Yes it sounds counterproductive, but its actually doing the trick. While I am still quite limited to the size of the stuff I store my stuff in,due to the itty-bitty [and extremely awkward] dimensions of my room, hiding the chatchka, or crap, in things that are cute and minimizing helps make my room look bigger. This inhibits both my packrat and minimalistic personalities in one.
Now, instead of seeing loose tape/ scissors, knitting needles and yarn/ other miscellaneous life items I have scattered around my room, I now have it all hidden in a quite cute box, which looks like I am accessorizing to the room decor. Genius, I know.
Before and after pictures to follow.
I find myself getting off track, so the real reason I am writing this blog is to share some of the cool stuff I have found while on my own small space solutions research adventure.
While I wouldn’t catch myself dead using some of these things, many of them made me appreciate how creative people can be when it comes to storage and small spaces.
Example A: Its a home office inside a closet...very spacially aware and useful, unless you get self conscious about constantly coming out of the closet every day.
Example B: Shelves + Stairs = Stelves. I mean, talk about a waste of space being utilized. This almost makes me want a small space, just so I can have these stelves. Further, it would also teach me to shut drawers after their use, as an open stelve while going down stairs= a broken ankle.
Example C: So many of the articles I have read emphasize utilizing the vertical space in my [very, absurdly] small room... carrying this idea into the kitchen, I also find it difficult to store mugs without it looking like a functioning yard sale. Crisis averted! Storage solutions that take advantage of all shelf space!
Example D: What came first? The spoon or the yogurt container? My money is on the spoon, so it boggles my mind as to why yogurt packing manufacturers didn't build a yogurt contraption based around the contours of the pre-existing spoon. Why is it that they design yogurt containers that don't complement the shape of a spoon? Because they know it aggrevates people like me. Solution? Design the spoon around the yogurt container, since the big man won't do it the other way around. Now look who has the last laugh....[and that hard to scoop last bite!]
Example E: I mean, if you don't have extreme bathroom stage fright, and you do have an extremely small space, this might be a good option for you. Shower, sink, toilet and storage literally unfold from this contraption. It also appears to be a gem for the multitasker, as you can pee, shower, and brush your teeth...all at the same time, without moving, and while sitting down.
Example F: Who says small space owners cant be pet owners? I mean, Fido needs space too. I will overlook the whole potential for sitting in dog slobbered food and a giant bowl of water, but they sure do look cute!
Example G: I love the classic Pottery Barn "I have chachka but it looks amazing" look. The problem with these types of shelves? I find myself buying stuff to put in the stuff I buy to store other stuff. Not helping me approach my desired end result.
Example H: Piggybacking on the idea of cool stuff to help you store stuff, this is another breadwinner in my book. This fun little stuff to store stuff in eliminates the whole "I have no dishwasher, and I hate waiting for dishes to dry prior to putting them away" issue. I hate doing dishes enough as it is, making it a two step process just isn't in the card. The wash, place, and dry while storing method, shown here, works really well for me.
Example I: I love headboard shelving. I want it, but that would involve me a) purchasing a headboard b) having more room for a shelving headboard or c) being crafty enough to create a shelving headboard...I mean I am crafty, but I am no Bob Villa. Looking at this picture makes me want to make my own fabric-ed headboard, which is an entirely different story...
Okay, I wont share every small space solution that I find amusing, but these are some of the things that made me stop, think, and appreciate space. This also leads nicely into the full blog I have already written about my unrealistic expectations...
