Everyone should be required to live in a small space at least once. Whether you’re in a college dorm, a studio apartment, or a literal tiny home, living small teaches you a lot of valuable lessons. You become more organized because you have to be. Every inch of your space needs to be considered in order to keep chaos and clutter at bay. (If you shared a 130-square-foot dorm with a roommate who left her clothes everywhere but the closet, you know exactly what we’re talking about.)
But here’s the thing: Once you learn how to organize a small home, you can utilize the same lessons when you move to a larger space. And there’s no better place to cultivate your organizing skills than from the confines of a shoebox apartment.
Scroll down for our room-by-room small-home organization tips, which will teach you how to maximize your space, no matter the square footage.
Entryway
- Use a shoe tray to keep your footwear in one place. Scattered sneakers don’t work in a mansion or a mobile home. A shoe tray is an effective visual reminder to put your footwear in its place.
- Add hooks for everyday essentials. There are some items you need every time you leave home: your bag, some kind of outerwear, your keys, sunglasses. Try a row of entryway hooks to help eliminate the last-minute scramble.
Living room
- Get your wires in check. Minimize visual clutter by tucking cords into a cord sleeve that blends in with your wall color.
- Look for a coffee table with storage. A coffee table will generally take up a significant amount of space, so make sure yours is hard-working. Look for one with at least one drawer, so all the detritus that tends to gather on top of the table (remotes, hair ties, lip balm) can be tucked away but still within reach.
- Employ hard-working shelves. If your home doesn’t have built-in storage, a bookcase with a small footprint can be the go-to place for dishes, your hard-alcohol collection, small appliances, or anything eating up valuable countertop space. (And books, of course!)
Kitchen
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