Life Hacks: Living in a Small Apartment – Cape Cod Today
Tiny homes are nowadays a national phenomenon that has made its way into everybody’s lifestyle. Many city-dwellers (and an ever-increasing number of people in the suburbs) find small spaces the only available option.
It’s not all bad, though. While living in a small apartment isn’t as luxurious as a huge house, there are specific ways to make the most of it. Today, we’ll look at some useful strategies from three standpoints.
Design Tips
Design is your best friend when it comes to taking advantage of your space. Luckily, with the popularity of tiny apartments, now there are many strategies for doing so with ease.
Double-Use Furniture
Try to find pieces of furniture that serve more than a single purpose. Think ottomans that serve as storage units, benches for sitting and keeping baskets underneath, and shelves that also fit your TV.
Convert a Closet
If you have too big a closet for all your clothes, you can remove one of the doors and turn it into a bookshelf. If you’re a DIY expert, you might even fit a desk in there!
Go Vertical
Although there is aesthetic value in waist-high counters, they don’t maximize storage space. Instead, opt for furniture that goes all the way up to the ceiling. Keep the shelves and closets tidy, and a wall of storage space won’t feel cluttered.
Designate Space for Everything
If something (shoes, mail, magazines) doesn’t have a home, you’ll leave it sitting around for months, lessening the amount of available space.
Make sure to have enough space for everything you own and then choose a place for everything – and make an effort to keep it there with consistency!
Life Tips
Living in a small space will also alter your approach to certain things in life. There are ways for you not to feel it affecting your life.
Say No to Sleepovers
If your apartment doesn’t have enough space for extra sleepers, explain this to them. Permit yourself not to cram so you’d have a person spend the night unless it’s 100% worth it.
Unpack ASAP
Unpacked bags cause stubbed toes at best in small apartments. So, the first thing you do after you return from anywhere is unpack. That way, everything is where it should be, and your system is in place.
Things In – Things Out Approach
Apart from your apartment, this approach will suit your wallet. The rule is simple – only get new things if you’re getting rid of old stuff. This way, you’re not accumulating objects around the house, and you’re putting thought into each purchase.
Items You Can Do Without
In some cases, smart remodeling and fashionable boxes won’t be enough. You’ll have to get rid of things. Luckily, there are some areas where people tend to clutter, and you won’t notice the items gone.
Magazines and Books
You may be a bookworm not willing to give up your collection. Keep what you appreciate and get new items in an audio form or from the library. Besides, magazines aren’t such a necessity in today’s digital age – get rid of your old copies and get an app for new ones.
Paperwork
In the biggest of spaces, paper clutter adds to stress in a home. Limit yourself and establish a system – designate boxes for files and paperwork. Digitalize and recycle the rest.
A Washing Machine
Although it may seem like a necessity, a washing machine can be impossible to place in tiny bathrooms and kitchens.
If this is your case, check out the prices of local laundromats. They may seem like establishments from the past, but most of them are modernized nowadays – the Shinepay mobile app for laundry payments is even a thing today.
The TV
Sacrificing your TV improves the feeling of space in your apartment. Besides, with Netflix and similar services, it’s no longer a necessity. You could get a hand projector for movie nights and ditch the flat screen giant without feeling it.
The Bottom Line
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should approach your small apartment with joy. It’s not always the happiest situation when you have to move to a smaller place, but it’s not the end of the world, either.
Changing your mindset to seeing it as an exciting challenge, not a nightmare, will do a lot more than any designer ever could. Accept your situation and make the most of it.
